Most comedians claim their "thing" is being off-the-cuff, but there was something about this laid back funnyman which made you feel it was actually true.

Of course there were the obviously-practiced gags and the much-strummed tunes about baseball-playing spiders.

But it was through reactions to distracting surroundings that bonkers Boothby came into his own.

Hectic music booming from the next door Gaitie tent was his "secret band", people wandering to the bar mid-song brought him back a pint and, best of all, the deafening wails of police sirens after a George Bush rant became a "they're coming to get me!" scream.