Dave Gorman, Old Market, Hove, April 4

12:44pm Monday 7th April 2008

Dave Gorman's new book, Unchained Across America, is cause for celebration. It charts his progress as he attempts to travel across the US without using chain stores, hotels, Holiday Inns, supermarkets or petrol stations.

Oozing charm and armed with a calm manner and a frog puppet, the writer and comedian was keen to point out he's no Michael Moore.

The book, he said, was neither a sermon condemning corporations nor an ethical stance on consumerism.

Instead, it was a genuine effort to seek out the enclaves of diversity which he suspected may still exist outside the generic US cities.

And find it he did, in spite of the one-man camera crew he believed would distort his intentionally directionless road trip.

With his previous adventures - Are You Dave Gorman, a world tour to discover the attributes and regional densities of others named Dave Gorman, and Important Astrological Experiment, an investigation into the practical application of horoscopes - this journey did not disappoint.

Pacing the stage, he brought to life threatening encounters with unruly gunslingers, police officers with shotguns and twoday detours to towns that barely exist.

A generous portion of the talk was set aside for the crowd's questions, which all received delightfully detailed replies.

The striking originality and honest approach which runs throughout Gorman's work was so engrossing that 90 minutes seemed to slip by before the audience could even say, "Googlewhack".

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