Rob Deering's venue, which is small to begin with, is only about one-third full, and seems to be leaking rainwater. Then his guitar breaks, and when he fixes it, he manages to whack his hand painfully on the body while attempting a Pete Townsend windmill. "I'm worried this gig might be cursed," he confides eventually to his tiny audience. But nobody seems to care. There is enough quality in his act to survive most disasters.
For a start, Deering is a superb mimic of almost every singing voice you might recognise, from Axl Rose and Elvis to the Proclaimers and McFly. His songs are made of real gags, rather than merely witticisms that rhyme. And, most importantly, he knows when to stop. Once a joke has had its moment, Deering moves on to the next.
This show, 12 Inch, a guided tour of rock'n'roll history, is also wonderfully inventive and interactive. With a set of effects pedals and a sampling kit, Deering creates multi-track songs by layering in bass, rhythm guitar, percussion and lead guitar one by one. "It's like being in a band," he says. "But I haven't got a band." Prejudice against musical comedians is well justified, on the whole. But, on a good night, Deering could be exceptional.
· Until Sunday. Box office: 0870 745 3083.
