If Russell Kane was looking for fresh meat to feed his comedy wit then he didn't have to look very far.

There is nothing the notoriously skittish comedian likes more then to cast his critical eye over the middle class – and where better to wade in then at Latitude Festival.

Famed for its openness to families and its taste for the liberal arts, Kane was given hundreds of victims at the Comedy Arena today (Friday July 13).

In fact, before Kane graced the stage, long lines of people could be seen tip-toeing through the seated crowd in search of space – they struggled.

Was this graphically rude, and self-deprecating, comic worth fighting for?

It is difficult to say no. From the outset, his observational comic routine was barbed and full of energy.

From urging the crowd to protect themselves with copies of the Guardian newspaper, to tales of his hapless encounters with women, Kane was infectious.

However, those familiar with his BBC Three show Live at the Electric may have been a little disappointed.

There was elements of the performance which had already appeared on TV, albeit with the odd seasoning of comic improvisation.

That said; there was nothing flat about his routine. The camp 30-something pranced about the stage like a jittery teenager who had drank one too many cans of Red Bull.

But his delivery was flawless. For what seemed on the surface like a stream-of-conscious rant was filled with perfectly-timed gags.

Kane did come close to losing track of time at the end of his set.

And there was a masochistic urge from the crowd for him to continue.

For a comedian who is more than happy to lay himself bare, it was uplifting to see the audience take his cutting tongue with such good taste.