Now what's going on in Rob's brain?

These are the big questions asked by comedian Rob Newman in his new show ‘The Brain Show’ which sold out at the Edinburgh Festival and is now on tour across the UK.

In the show Rob takes a sceptical approach to some of the grand claims made by neuroscience and explores everything from the thought processes of stripy spiders to the neurobiology of romantic love, from Alan Turing in a fortune-teller’s tent to Isaac Newton having a meltdown at a country fair.

He said: “I talk about Stonehenge, robot co-workers, the right hemisphere of Paul Weller, the evolutionary origins of smiles and laughter . . there’s also a tricky, ins inuating character called Brian Scanlon, and my doomed attempts to impress a neuroscientist called Natasha.”

‘The Brain Show’ features weird and wonderful electronic props such as a live brain-imaging EEG hat which gives the audience a read-out of Rob’s fluctuating mental state during the show. In October Rob’s new book ‘The Entirely Accurate Encyclopaedia of Evolution’ was published and he has also featured on BBC Radio 4 in a new series.

Rob will be at Square Chapel arts centre, Halifax, on Saturday, February 20 at 8pm. Tel: 01422 349422.

lOver at the Victoria Theatre on Thursday (February 18, doors 7.45pm gig starts 8.30pm) is a treat for David Bowie fans as local band Ziggy Sawdust celebrate the maestro’s Golden Years.

The gig takes place in the Green Bar room. Details as ever from the box office on 01422 351158. Tickets cost £5.

lEnjoy more than 11 hours of music while raising money to help the victims of flooding the length and breadth of the Calder Valley.

That’s the billiant idea of Gary Ellis and Phil Ward the landlord of the Junction Inn, Rastrick.

Flood Aid (Feb 20) features a raft of bands and soloists including Bellaruse, Michelle Veasey, Oil City, Mick Brown, Junction 35, Stephen J Bolton, The Surge, Georgia Farrar, Olds Cool, Belt of Celts, Matthew Farrington and Stonefall.

The event starts at 1pm and entrance costs £3. Food will be available all day. For more details call the Junction pub.