After the tedious Christmas break, I was pleased to get back into the swing of things at the salvation of university, and could think of nothing better to settle myself after a long day than by going to see the first Comedy Club of 2004. I was pleased to see upon entry to the Delph that many other comedy goers shared my view, and the venue was rammed full of students and local residents.

I treated myself to a 99p pint, and soon after finding a seat found myself in hysterics at resident Comedy Club compere Steve Williams. This was a superb warm-up to the evening's acts, and uplifted the spirits of the crowd preparing us for the first performance, Anthony King.

At first, it seemed as though Anthony was a Jack Dee-esque depressant, who stood very unconfidently and murmured to himself. Whether this was part of his act or sheer realism, Anthony delivered some brilliant one-liners with superb comedy timing, and had the audience in absolute stitches. Anthony's gags covered an array of weird themes and imagery, including his girlfriend, terminologies such as 'flying off the handle', and even the concept of smacking children - yet each was distributed to the crowd with open arms.

He provided an ideal means of kicking off this year's comedy nights at the Delph, and the next act, Sean Percival, had a lot to live up to if he was going to succeed Anthony's efforts.

After the interval, and several more cheap beverages, we rushed to out seats to witness one of the funniest men I've ever seen at the Comedy Club. With his thick Dudley accent ('It's an accent, not a disability' he said), Sean had us in roars of laughter from start to finish. He highlighted several crude examples of sexual relationships, as well as his opinions on David Blaine and Freshers at university. As I write this review I'm in pain as my gut presses against the desk - that's just how funny this man was, and I recommend anyone to see him at his next visit.

So, as the final act left the stage and the compere said his goodbyes, I left the Delph bar with a sense of satisfaction and a grin on my face that lasted all the way home. Next week, we're treated to former North West Comedian of the year Steve Harris, and the comedy two-some Matt and Faron. I'll see you there.