A crowd who may, as Stewart surmised, be largely new to him and his different brand of material.
Stewart is a clever man. An angrier Charlie Brooker he deals less in tricky riddles and more in brutal honesty. So yes, while there is a lot of thinking to be done when listening, he isn’t afraid to drop it all and pull off a crass laugh with a profanity or sexual reference.
So the crowd at first seemed slow to warm to him – perhaps the stretched and less-than-comfy arena hampered our ability to unite as one and enjoy the collective humorous experience.
But as he went on his honest approach to what he saw around him, his keen eye for a decent visual punchline after decades in the business and his sheer warmer-than-you-would-think personality slowly won everyone around.
By the time the second half of his set drew to a close there was more laughter and more shaking of seats on their secure rails as shoulders involuntarily rocked to the vibrations of humour.
Stewart was looking at how technology has changed the way we get our enjoyment. How the internet has taken our wider view of existence and clipped it down to 20-second clips of cats falling over on endless loops.
He derided the under-40s, the computer generation. And perhaps what made me laugh so hard was, as a 29-year-old, I completely agreed with the majority of what he was saying. The downfalls of my own generation were hard to deny, and there was plenty I fell foul of myself.
The routine on fads and how stupid they make us was excellent, especially when delving into how our grandparents may have sought to spice up their sex life in the 1930s countryside.
He bemoaned Brexit, lambasted the decision for America to vote Trump in. And there was also time to take a swipe at the all-encompassing TV phenomenon that is Game of Thrones.
His stage was a collection of his rivals’ live DVDs all ‘picked up for 1p online’. As he stamped across their faces with mock venom and anger, the message of his set was really hammered home. Comedians come and go in fads, as has technology such as the DVD itself.
Yet the one thing that has endured is laughter. And we all left with it ringing in our ears (and a reminder to learn about the triangles of jokes).
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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John Robins, Comedian
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Mpf1947, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Idrie, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Joycey, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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World Without End, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Richard Herring, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter