In his trademark cap, jeans and trainers, Michael Moore cuts an unlikely figure as a radical of the people.

But make no mistake, the American satirist recently packed in the crowds at Bristol's Old Vic for a two-hour tub-thumping on Ikea, the Royals and, mostly, the war in Iraq.

On this, he wouldn't let go.

Much of his vitriol was reserved for Tony Blair, who "should have known better".

And some was kept back for the British public, as a warning not to slip into apathy during George Bush's recent state visit to the UK.

But the man is an optimist - although he acknowledged he may have been preaching to the converted - and genuinely believes people can make a difference if they make the commitment.

This is a refreshing tonic to the apathy that often characterises political debate, and sits comfortably with Moore's appeal as an accessible man of the people.

Anti-American?

The talk was clearly meant to empower its audience into doing something, anything, to break a political status-quo that Moore believes benefits only the few, and not the many.

It was also a wry reflection on certain English and American stereotypical characteristics - dour and ignorant, respectively - and a very funny, Bill Bryson-esque dissection of some parts of English life (sport, for example) that we take for granted.

But on a more serious note, it raised important questions on the eve of President Bush's visit to the UK, and the trend to dub opposition to the war in Iraq as anti-American.

Can an American be anti-American?

Especially one who professes a solid patriotism for certain aspects of the world's most powerful nation?

Moore is anti-Bush and anti-Bush's administration, just wanting something better for the average American.

His critics would do well to remember that.

For Bristol, Moore reserves a particular affection: BBC Bristol produced his first TV show,TV Nation, and for this, he said, he thanked us all.