Anything but Idol

Long before Australian Idol beamed her into Australia’s lounge rooms, Cosima De Vito was a nine-year-old with a wriggly tooth -“ and a show to perform.

I entered one of my first talent quests and I sang [Whitney Houston’s] The Greatest Love Of All and my tooth was coming out at the time, Cosima told Sydney Star Observer.
So in between the singing you can kind of see -¦ my tongue trying to move this tooth out of the way.

If her past dental distress seems an unusual reference for the now fully-grown pop star, consider the context.

Having trodden a familiar path to stardom -“ reality TV launch pad, zillion-selling single, follow-up album -“ Cosima is looking for a new angle for her appearance on The John Rowe Show in Newtown next month.

So rather than resurrecting some hackneyed Idol souvenir, the singer will treat audiences to a video of her childhood performance -“ loose tooth and all -“ for the evening’s show-and-tell segment.

It’s exactly that sense of fun, coupled with a flair for big-voiced ballads that explains Cosima’s sizable gay fan base.

Since the first requests to sing at Arq came after Australian Idol, the 28-year-old has become a scene regular.

After performing at Arq on New Year’s Eve, Cosima appeared at Brisbane’s Big Gay Day and entertained Mardi Gras crowds at the BGF Glamstand.

I moved to Sydney about a year ago, so it was my first time really that I was able to be a part of it and be able to even see the Mardi Gras, so I thought it was very exciting for me, she said.

She is just as effusive about her gay supporters.
They’re such great people that have a love for music and they’ve just taken me on board.

As for what those fans can expect in Newtown, tunes, comedy and that tooth are on the cards.

They can kind of get to see a different side of me. You know, the fun, quirky side.

Cosima De Vito appears on The John Rowe Show on 7 April at @Newtown, 52 Enmore Rd, Newtown. Book on 9550 3666 or at www.moshtix.com.au.