CONTROVERSIAL comedian, actor, presenter and author Russell Brand was in full flight for a packed out BIC audience.

After a victorious war of words with Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman last week, it seems that Brand is on something of a roll.

It’s no surprise then that the impetus of his Messiah Complex show is to highlight the similarities between him and four great men from history.

Ironically comparing himself to Che Guevara, Gandhi, Malcolm X and Jesus was always going to come across as a wee bit egotistical, but it works.

Brand’s boundless confidence and breathtaking command of the English language allows him to tackle themes of politics and philosophy while still getting big laughs.

Despite some of the loftier material and intellectualising, Brand always made sure that a smutty low-brow gag was never far away.

Walking among his people in the audience, he was propositioned by several female admirers and even had an embarrassing reunion with a previous conquest.

There’s a whiff of the revolutionary about the Essex comedian these days and this performance will have gained him new followers.