The first night of Mencap's acoustic shows was all about the next generation of music stars, especially as Pete Doherty recently pulled out of the charity gig due to his ongoing problems, leaving it to the new faces.

Radio 1's Jo Whiley is curating the nine-day Little Noise Sessions, now in its second year, and she predicted that the opening act, Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, will be "massive".

She's almost certainly right, even though they released their debut single only last month. Their name may be cumbersome but they offered an assortment of dreamy pop tunes packed with surging rhythms that makes them a sure bet for 2008.

Laura Marling's debut album is due in February, and the 17-year-old peroxide blonde in the Spice Girls T-shirt will also be impossible to ignore next year. The Berkshire singer didn't quite steal the show but she undoubtedly served notice of her huge talent, with angsty alt-folk tunes such as My Manic and I. "I'm not as miserable as my songs," Marling said in defence of her morbid lyrics, although her band leavened the mood with a xylophone and accordion. Ultimately, though, it was her bewitching voice and accomplished songwriting that won over a crowd almost entirely unfamiliar with her music.

The Young Knives stumbled when their angular indie initially seemed unsuited to a stripped back arrangement on the first few songs.

A flu-stricken Henry Dartnall then admitted that current single Terra Firma also "shouldn't work acoustically". But somehow it did and the fogeyish-looking band also showed off a more mature direction on a new song they performed with a string section.

Jack Peñate had been moved up to headline and he coped admirably, even though he described playing a church as his most frightening gig ever.

Occasionally, he drifted towards a less interesting mainstream sound but his wild strumming on the thigh-slapping Second, Minute or Hour got fans out of the pews and dancing. And a couple of girls climbed on stage to join him for a joyous Torn on the Platform.

Who needs Pete Doherty?

• Until 28 November (www.mencapmusic.org.uk).