DAVE FULTON

Whoever it was who decided that Americans don't have any sense of irony, they forgot to tell Dave Fulton. This why Seattle wag is positively brimming over with ironic invective. He even fronted an amusing and perceptive report - for Newsnight, no less - begging Brits to celebrate their own heritage, rather than aping American pop culture.

Yet you'd never know from the look of him. With his stringy beard, straggly long hair and rock 'n' roll black leather jacket, Fulton looks more like a refugee from a defunct British heavy metal band than an all-American stand-up... there's a salty flavour to his live club set that you'd scarcely describe as feminist. It's these contradictions that make Fulton so fascinating, and fun to watch, especially when he's riffing with British punters half a world away from home.

Unlike every second comic you hear about these days, he's actually not Australian But you'd know that as soon as he opened his mouth. An opinionated, long scraggy-haired guy from Seattle is a more accurate description of him.

Dave Fulton is easy-going, ironic and liberal, However that relaxed attitude is under threat once he gets his teeth into a subject that really winds him up, prompting one of his more ardent rants. But despite the passion beneath, he always maintains a demeanour of careful, relaxed control, perhaps aware that it's often the people who can temper their rage who are the most dangerous.

What the press say:

''Whiplash delivery and relentless pace'' - The List

''Compelling... a real breath of fresh air'' - The Independent