For those not in the know, Bright Club is a late arrival in Bristol, having thrived in London over recent years with its mix of intelligent comedy and music. For tonight, its first outing in Bristol, that meant stand-up from a quantum physicist and professor of robotics, and music from the lovely Lori Campbell, all held together by Russell Howard’s amiable former flatmate John Robins.

Bright Club is science-heavy but not so much so that a total layman like myself could not have an enjoyable time. So although a few things went over my head (a head which made a national fool of itself when not able to name a single noble gas on Fifteen to One, something my science friends have never let me forget) most of the night could be enjoyed by those who only managed a GCSE science double-award.

It takes guts to go from the laboratory to the bright lights of the events room above Canteen at Hamilton House, and although all our stand-ups raised at least a  chuckle, some were markedly better than others.

For me, the best set of the night, as well as wearing the best knitwear, was quantum physicist Jacques Carolan. Shutting an imaginary miniature Brian Cox in a box was a masterstroke, as was his email to the quantum e-state agency, something I didn’t quite get the science behind but which was very funny nonetheless.

Wearing the second best knitwear of the night was Lori Campbell on the ukele, whose specially composed song for Bristol’s first Bright Club was very good indeed even without rhyming purpose and porpoise and being a tribute to Werner Herzog.

UWE robotics professor Alan Winfield (below), last seen by many at Ignite at Spike Island and by me in a jury room at Bristol Crown Court, spoke with his usual gusto about robot ethics, but relied a bit too much on innuendo when his sheer joy for his specialist subject is material enough.

A rant by psychologist Ian Walker about the car industry was very enjoyable, while Occupy Bristol spokeswoman and science dialoguer Sophia Collins opened our eyes to the frustrations of school internet firewalls. And while dressed like a burlesque dancer, Italian philosopher Ciara Ambrosio demonstrated how Picasso used the promise of the fourth dimension to seduce women.

With free sweets to get the front row particularly excited, Bristol’s first Bright Club was a resounding success. This first time, with the theme of the first time, sold out very quickly, so keep an eye on their website - brightclubbristol.wordpress.com - for details of their next event.