Sometimes, the best cabaret songs aren't cabaret songs at all.

That probably sums up the reason James Lee's show at the fun but problem-plagued AB Hotel in Sydney was such a rousing success, with the traditional cabaret all but thrown out of the window and replaced by an exciting, vibrant and energetic set that perhaps, more than anything, displayed the stellar 20-year experience of the man on stage.

Lee delivered a wonderful rendition of the Dolly Parton classic 'Nine To Five', and during the highlight of the night - an hilarious 'numbers countdown' - managed to incorporate a number from Meatloaf, a Christmas carol and the Eight Is Enough theme song in what was a clever and quirky addition to the evening.

He opened with a Beatles classic - 'Blackbird', which just happened to be written on his birthday - followed by a grunty rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Feeling Groovy'.

Even when he did head back to the cabaret standards, Lee found a new way to present them - his personal version of 'If I Were A Rich Man' from Fiddler On The Roof was classic cabaret-comedy, while 'Suddenly Seymour', a duet with the evening's special guest, Erin James, managed to escape its cliche cabaret feel and was strongly delivered.

More impressive than Lee's song choices (which were superb) was his strong and engaging patter, so much of it off the cuff. It was delivered with a realism and comfortableness so often neglected on the cabaret stage, and while this is a sign of experience, it is a lesson well worth taking in for younger performers.

Erin James, who preceded Lee with a 30 minute set and was labelled as his 'guest' for the evening, displayed the confidence we've become accustomed to from her, with her performance highlight being a tremendous arrangement of 'Fields Of Gold'/'Anyone At All', presented with raw honesty and emotion that is the very point of contemporary cabaret.

As for the AB Hotel, despite its buoyant atmosphere and tremendous potential, it has a long way to go before it establishes itself as a respected and enjoyable cabaret venue, particularly in the minds of purists. Upgrading from a keyboard, finding a solution to the incredibly annoying background noise, fixing the structure of the way performers are presented and starting the show at a specified time would go a long way towards helping the AB Hotel fill the cabaret venue void Sydney is currently experiencing.

As an industry venue, the AB Hotel works incredibly well. Whether or not a general public audience would be so patient is another thing altogether, particularly given the venue is heading away from its "free cabaret" feel of the past and moving towards a ticketed system.

However, if it keeps presenting artists as energetic and engaging as James Lee, perhaps the problems won't matter all that much.