I first saw Daniel Koek at a friend's birthday party a year or so ago. Halfway through a very swanky afternoon in a marquee  in the country, this young Aussie got up to sing and I thought, 'Oh God, here we go...'. However five minutes later I was picking my jaw up from the floor as he belted out 'Somewhere' from West Side Story unaccompanied, and so it was that I made my way to the Old Market confident of a good evening.

After a seven piece band settled into their seats, Daniel took the stage in full showbiz attire, a shimmering silver suit, white shirt and skinny black tie making him appear part brat-pack, part pin-up, but as soon as he opens his voice you know he is the complete package. Fresh from a tour of West Side Story it's a no brainer that we are treated to 'Something Good' and 'Maria', featuring a unwavering falsetto, in amongst an Antipodean blues number and some favourite off-Broadway musical numbers that also feature Emma Landars, currently starring in 'Priscilla...' in the West End. Friends from long ago, they have an obvious bond and the harmonies were as tight as Daniel's trousers.  Ms Landars then took centre stage for a couple of numbers, including rollicking 'Get Happy', indicating a good grasp of the Brighton demographic.

The second half caught me off guard, opening with a now tight t-shirted tenor rocking out to Queen oldie 'Seven Seas of Rhye' before duetting with Ms Lindars on another Queen track, 'Who wants to live forever'. Ms Lindars comes very close to stealing the show with a sultry, 'The man who got away' before a fantastic rendition of, 'I will survive' brought the biggest whoop of the night. Rising to the challenge Mr Koek brings out the big guns, a strident 'I Am What I Am' giving way to the inevitable but rousing Lloyd-Webber medley, which even I, an operative of the Lloyd-Webber hate machine, cheered loudly.

Encores were demanded and were duly granted with the Mario Lanza classic, 'Without a Song', after which we all retired to the bar to debate just why first-class fare like this doesn't get the audience it so blatantly warrants during an international arts festival in Brighton. Watch out for more Brighton dates from this fantastic vocalist.

www.danielkoek.com