Reality television, form suggests, is a starting point for singers seeking wealth rather than longevity.

As a 16-year-old, in 2007, Matt Corby's at-times stratospheric vocals took him to the final of Australian Idol.

But notoriety sat uneasily with Corby, who re-emerged in low-key style with songs speaking of his anxieties about fame.

Four years after the release of mega-selling EP Into The Flame, Corby looks closer to a surfer Jeff Buckley than a clean-cut pop star these days, and there was a ceremonial air about this sold-out show, not least down to new single Monday, on which he stood, arms crossed, using only his tremulous voice and the beat of his feet for rhythm.

Its lyrics are all bibles, rage, death and purgatory, but when Corby's full band joined him, on 2013's Resolution, the slow build of big drums and ballad-style keys set a gentler tone.

A cacophony of raised arms and screams met its finale, silenced by another single, Brother, showing off Corby's immense vocal gamut.

Swooping from wolf cries to grizzled shanty singing, his sheer range, from old-school blues to indie-folk, bordered on the preposterous – a reminder of his talent show beginnings, escalating like cathedral songs.

Three stars