Having got the paper to bed earlier than expected on Tuesday night, indeed the earliest yet since I took over as editor of MCV , my first of two shows for Tuesday night was Phil Nichol – The Naked Racist.

While Nichol’s intense, provocative, turned-up-to-eleven tirades won’t be to everyone’s taste, if you like your comedy edgy, dark and almost threatening, this is the show for you. When he burst onto the stage I was slightly taken aback, expecting him to build the energy rather than explode straight away, but right from the word go this intense Canadian went at it like a speed-freak who’s just snorted a kilo of a particularly mad-eyed Hell’s Angels’ personal supply of A-grade gear. From his girlfriend’s bunions to Amsterdam’s neo-Nazis, and the effect of magic mushrooms on your brain while you’re conversing with a US marine sniper, Nichols was by turns hilarious, delightful, and intense. A great show – as long as you don’t sit in the aisle or the front row. Consider yourself warned! Four shocked yet delighted shrieks of mirth out of five. (Victoria Hotel til April 29)

Jason Byrne – Sheep for Feet and Rams for Hands. While this engaging Irishman’s show was a strong evening of stand-up, after Nichols it felt far too traditional and – frankly – safe. With highlights including a game of ‘Spot the Roo’, during which Byrne’s improvisational ability shone, albeit at the expense of a woman he mocked for being ‘posh’, it was clear that his main strength lies in interacting with and occasionally humiliating his audience rather than in especially innovative comedy. Other topics in this show included sex, his wife’s labour, and his and other people’s sexual fantasies. Engaging yes, but not especially exciting. Three grudging chortles out of five. (Melbourne Town Hall til April 29)