They Tried to Cancel Me Last TimePerformer: Lewis SpearsAt: The Downstairs Lounge at The Grand Mercure HotelUntil: April 17Rating: ★★★½

Review by WILLIAM ARNOTT

You may recognise Lewis Spears' name from his infamous hoaxes on TV and radio or from his YouTube channel where he critiques the tabloid media and internet scumbags.

A self-described “full-time pot stirrer”, it is easy to see why Spears’ show is aptly titled They Tried to Cancel Me Last Time. His humour is not for the fainthearted. He takes a blunt, take-no-prisoners approach to comedy that will either have you in stitches or protesting furiously.

Spears warns there will be heaps of complaining from himself and maybe from the audience.

He has a go at barbers who butcher hair, micromanaging middle-class employers and the difficulties of organising a night out in town via "group chat". Nothing's sacred: hospitalised fans, flamboyant fascists and internet porn commenters are all up for ridicule.

Marketed as an all-ages show, Spears’ dark humour mixed with his crude dick jokes means the show is certainly not for kids. It’s no wonder that the emerging comedian performed to a sold-out show made up mainly of his loyal fans, most of them in their late teens.

However, the performance was a bit hit and miss. Spears builds momentum in stories and anecdotes, which taper off into an anti-climax.

His impressions sometimes overstay their welcome and go nowhere, but they tend to work better when they get to the point and don’t linger.

While Spears is unapologetically offensive and rude, that’s all part of his appeal, if not the only part. However, his charismatic honesty and banter ensures Spears has a strong fan-base. Even though there are improvements to be made, Spears has a bright future as a comedian.