DAVE Spikey admits that his current tour Punchlines has taken on a life of its own.

"Originally I'd planned to stop in the autumn last year," said Phoenix Nights star Dave, "but it just seemed to capture the imagination and I had venues ringing up asking for more dates. Plus I was really enjoying doing it, so here we are, 18 months from the first dates still going strong."

The tour is scheduled to finally come to an end next month so next week's show in Oswaldtwistle will be one of the last chances to catch Dave.

Although anyone who has seen the show already should note that it is a very different show from when it first set out.

"I'm always writing," said Dave. "You can't just switch off noticing things and finding things funny.

"I'm not one of those comedians who stores things up or puts material aside for the next tour. For me if it fits and more importantly if it's funny I just put it straight in.

"It also keeps things fresh for the audience and for me and, as I said, I'm still really enjoying the show."

The basic premise for Punchlines hasn't changed.

"It's a celebration really of our use of language," said Dave. "People are all wired differently and I do love the result of that.

"If you get a group of people together you can almost guarantee they'll start laughing.

"A night out will become a punchlines competition with everyone trying to top the last comment.

"With the show I set out to challenge the audience and say that even though you might know a punchline for a joke you will still laugh."

For the show Dave has seven or eight punchlines for jokes on a screen for the audience to see.

"They know what's coming but it's all down to the way you tell the joke, how you use the language.

"The audience likes being part of the show too."

For all his experience, Dave loves the unpredictability of a stand-up show.

"The other night I got a big laugh and even now I've no idea why," he said. "You have to abandon all logic when it comes to laughs.

"That's the wonderful thing about human nature, it's so unpredictable."

Like many comedians, Dave believes northern audiences are ripe for comedy.

"I think we have this laugh or cry mentality," he said, "we like a joke."

When the Punchlines tour finally comes to an end, Dave is already looking ahead to a new tour next year.

"I'm working on a title Juggling on a Motorbike," he said. "That was the first gag I ever told on stage which will be 30 years next year."

After a number of comedy club slots, Farnworth born Dave made comedy his career after quitting his job in the haematology department at the Bolton General Hospital.

From there he hasn't looked back having had several sold out UK tours as well as co-writing Phoenix Nights with Peter Kay.

"I'm currently working on a script for the BBC with Bolton playwright Jim Cartwright," he said. "And I've also got a series called Hitman which is really a drama with comedy moments which I'm working on for Steve Coogan's production company so we'll see what happens there.

"But I'm never really not working. I just see things and make notes all the time."

Dave Spikey, Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre, Thursday, May 26. Details from 01254 398319.

But The show has taken Dave around the country for the past 18 months and he's