“In contrast with (my) generation, which had spent most of its time online learning to code so that it could add crude butterfly animations to the backgrounds of its weblogs, the generation immediately following had spent most of its time online making incredibly bigoted jokes in order to laugh at the idiots who were stupid enough to think that they meant it. Except that after a while they did mean it, and then somehow at the end of it they were white supremacists. Was this always how it happened?”
Patricia Lockwood, London Review of Books, Feb 2019

“This is the Trump way. Fire, fire, fire with the blunderbuss and don’t worry if a shot or two hits an innocent bystander. Keep moving forwards – even as your opponents return fire. Never seriously consider the criticisims, just loose off more shots. It is a strategy that has benefitted Britain’s Trump tribute act, Boris Johnson. As an opinion columnist on The Telegraph , Johnson specialised in offence, from writing in 2002 that the Queen loved the Commonwealth because “it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving picaninnies” to his recent descriptions of Muslim women in burqas “looking like letterboxes”. Such comments are deliberate provocation, pushing the boundaries of what it is permissible for a senior politician to say. IN AN ATTENTION ECONOMY, THEY ARE HARD CURRENCY. Any backlash can be portrayed as “political correctness gone mad” or “liberal Stalinism”. Even having to say sorry can be taken as proof that once again, the liberal totalitarians have triumphed. It is a game in which every path leads to victory. Yes, it is divisive, but for every voter who is repulsed, the calculation is, another is attracted.”
Helen Lewis, New Statesman, 7th June 2019

1) SNOWFLAKE/TORNAD0 – LONDON

I’m doing a new stand-up show for the back end of 2019 and the first half of 2020.
More national dates from Feb 2020 will be announced later in the year, but I am going to do less than last time, but with longer runs in bigger rooms to hit the same demand, sadly, as the length of the last run nearly killed me, as you can see from the BBC film of the show.
The initial London dates – which I am currently halfway through – are work in progress, with a free DVD of CONTENT PROVIDER for all ticket holders and fans of obsolete physical media. Tons of fun!
I will film this show/these shows in the Summer of 2020 for offloading to whatever content platforms are still viable at that stage in late capitalism’s technologically-driven cultural decline.

David Johnson & John Mackay in association with Debi Allen/Curtis Brown present
STEWART LEE – SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO.

Double-bill of two new 60-ish minute sets, back to back nightly from “the world’s greatest living stand-up” (Times).

Tornado questions a shipwrecked Stew’s position in the comedy marketplace after Netflix mistakenly lists his show as “reports of sharks falling from the skies are on the rise again. Nobody on the Eastern Seaboard is safe.” What is anything? Is it this?
And Snowflake questions our worth in a collapsing society which no longer shares the liberal values we have for so long been keen to be seen to espouse, in a fairy-tale landscape of winter wonder.
Tons of fun!

SOLD OUT – CHECK DAILY FOR RETURNS at the Leicester Square Theatre here: https://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873600219/events/128192910

SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO Work-in-Progress and DVD LAUNCH

Leicester Square Theatre, London.
FEW TICKETS AVAILABLE CHECK DAILY FOR RETURNS AT LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE BOX OFFICE: https://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873600219/events/128192910

A run of work-in-progress gigs to celebrate the DVD launch of his celebrated last live show CONTENT PROVIDER.
Each ticket will include a very special limited edition copy of the new DVD, exclusively available to bookers of this live show.
Stewart will be signing copies after the show.

Sept 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th – 7pm start
Oct 1st , 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Oct – 8.45pm start
2 hrs including interval
£26.50 including DVD of Content Provider (RRP £19.95)

Stewart Lee – Snowflake/Tornado.
Leicester Square Theatre, London.

October – December 2019
Tues 29th October 8.45pm – Sat Dec 14th
No Mondays, No Sundays, & not Sat Nov 30th

January 2020
Thurs 2nd Jan 8.45pm – Sat 25th Jan
No Mondays, No Sundays, & not Jan 9th
8.45 pm Stewart on stage
2 hrs + interval

Tues, Weds, Thurs £27.50
Friday & Saturday £29.50

All shows are 14+ apparently. If you are under 14 you are too immature to enjoy my swearing and farts.

In the case of sold out shows, there are often returns added, & Leicester Square maintain a waiting list, so check with the venue.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Friday 27th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 28th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 7pm – SOLD OUT

OCTOBER 2019

Tuesday 1st – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Wednesday 2nd – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Thursday 3rd – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Friday 4th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 5th – WORK-IN-PROGRESS with Free ‘Content Provider’ DVD – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT

OCTOBER 2019

Tuesday 29th – SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Wednesday 30th – SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Thursday 31st – SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT

NOVEMBER 2019

Friday 1st SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 2nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT

Tuesday 5th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 6th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 7th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Friday 8th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 9th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT

Tuesday 12th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 13th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 14th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 15th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 16th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT

Tuesday 19th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 20th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 21st SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 22nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 23rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT

Tuesday 26th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 27th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 28th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 29th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

DECEMBER 2019

Tuesday 3rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 4th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 5th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 6th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – SOLD OUT
Saturday 7th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 10th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 11th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 12th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 13th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 14th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

JANUARY 2020

Thursday 2nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 3rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 4th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 7th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 8th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 10th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 11th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 14th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 15th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 16th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 17th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 18th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

Tuesday 21st SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Wednesday 22nd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Thursday 23rd SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Friday 24th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS
Saturday 25th SNOWFLAKE / TORNADO – Leicester Square Theatre, London – 8.45pm – TICKETS

“There’s no-one else to touch him” Mark Wareham, Mail On Sunday *****

“Lee remains one of the best stand-ups in the country” ***** Metro

“The world’s best living stand-up comedian” Dominic Maxwell, The Times

“He makes stand-up almost a moral pursuit, … that makes the usual (and more popular) stand-ups seem crude and obvious.” Alan Bennet, London Review Of Books.

“Proper, vicious prejudice – a self-proclaimed inhabitant of the moral high ground” Sarah Vine, Daily Mail

“A pot-bellied Bernard Manning for snowflakes” Tony Parsons, The Sun

“Woke, enlightened, professionally sensitive, BBC-approved comedian who can be guaranteed to dress to the left. The rancid tip of a cesspit.” – Tony Parsons, GQ

“If I could bring one extinct thing back to life it would be Stewart Lee’s sense of humour.” Frankie Boyle, The Guardian

“The opposite of what really good comedy should be” Toby Young, Radio 4

“Truly, he is the Oscar Wilde of our times” – Gary Bushell, The Daily Star

NB – I DID 5 MONTHS IN TOTAL AT LST OF CONTENT PROVIDER BETWEEN 2016-2018, AND THEN 4 ROYAL FEST HALLS AND THEY ALL SOLD OUT.
ONCE THESE DATES ARE DONE I AM NOT COMING BACK FOR MORE THIS TIME SO GET TICKETS IF YOU WANT THEM.

2) SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO 2020 TOUR + VIAGOGO

Currently confirmed / onsale as follows.

NOTE: This is not the complete list. More national dates are currently being added & confirmed & will be announced soon.

Not all dates are currently on sale.
As further dates are announced / go on sale, they will be listed on the Live Dates page of the website & via this newsletter as they come in.

January 2020

Tuesday 28th January 2020 – 7.30pm – Colosseum, Watford – TICKETS

Wednesday 29th January 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham TICKETS

Thursday 30th January 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

Thursday 31st January 2019 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

February 2020

Saturday 1st February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

Tuesday 4th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS

Wednesday 5th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS

Thursday 6th February 2020 – City Hall, Sheffield – TICKETS

Friday 7th February 2020 – City Hall, Sheffield – TICKETS

Wednesday 12th February 2020 – 8pm DeMontfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS

Thursday 13th February 2020 – 7.30pm – New Theatre Royal, Lincoln – TICKETS

Friday 14th February 2020 – 7.30pm – New Theatre, Peterborough – TICKETS

Saturday 15th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Opera House, Buxton – TICKETS

Tuesday 18th February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Wednesday 19th February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Thursday 20th February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Friday 21st February 2020 – 7.30pm – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Monday 24th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Tuesday 25th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Wednesday 26th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Thursday 27th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Friday 28th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Saturday 29th February 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

March 2020

Tuesday 3rd March 2020 – 7.45pm – Festival Theatre, Malvern – TICKETS

Wednesday 4th March 2020 – 7.30pm – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff – TICKETS

Thursday 5th March 2020 – 8pm – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – TICKETS

Friday 6th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Royal & Derngate, Northampton TICKETS

Monday 9th March 2020 – 8pm – Cliffs Pavillion, Southend-On-Sea – TICKETS

Tuesday 10th March 2020 – 8pm – The Hexagon, Reading – TICKETS

Wednesday 11th March 2020 – 8pm – The Hexagon, Reading – TICKETS

Thursday 12th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS

Friday 13th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS

Tuesday 17th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury – TICKETS

Wednesday 18th March 2020 – 8pm – De La Warr Pavillion , Bexhill On Sea – TICKETS

Thursday 19th March 2020 – 8pm – Corn Exchange, Cambridge – TICKETS

Friday 20th March 2020 – 8pm – Corn Exchange, Cambridge – TICKETS

Monday 23rd March 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS

Tuesday 24th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS

Wednesday 25th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS

Thursday 26th March 2020 – 7.30pm – King’s Theatre, Glasgow – TICKETS

Friday 27th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS

Saturday 28th March 2020 – 7.30pm – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS

April 2020

Friday 24th April 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Theatre Royal, York

Saturday 25th April 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Theatre Royal, York

Wednesday 29th April 2020 – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS

Thursday 30th April 2020 – 7.30pm – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS

May 2020

Friday 1st May 2020 – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS

Saturday 2nd May 2020 – 7.30pm – Lyric Theatre @ The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS

Sunday 3rd May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Machynlleth (Comedy Festival)

Sunday 10th May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Rose Theatre, Kingston

Thursday 14th May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Westlands, Yeovil

Friday 15th May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Northcott Theatre, Exeter

Saturday 16th May 2020 – 7.30pm – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS

Sunday 17th May 2020 – 7.30pm – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS

Monday 18th May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Town Hall, Cheltenham

Sunday 31st May 2020 – ON SALE SOON – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

NB VIAGOGO ETC.

Tickets have started appearing at up to 4 times face value on the ticket-bastard website Viagogo, specifically for the Sheffield shows, with doubtless more to follow.
I know which seats these are and I will come down from the stage and find anyone who has bought from Viagogo, or Stubhub, and I will throw them out personally and I will not refund them at a later date.
If you want to buy illegal tickets and have the money refunded go and see soft-hearted Rhod Gilbert, who will do this out of his own money. I will not. There is no need to cooperate with these criminals.
Tickets will be available at normal rates from the venue and I will endeavour to add on extra dates to meet any demand.

3) CONTENT PROVIDER DV

Content Provider is out on modern d/l, available now, and as a dvd with an extra disc of an early work-in-prog show, which at present is only available at shows, but may soon land in whatever physical media outlets remain.
It is ace.
Here is the Amazon d/l link. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-Lee-Content-Provider/dp/B07Y6Q49J2/

4) King Rocker Doc

Michael Cumming (Brass Eye), James Nicholls (Fire films) and I are now 2/3rds of the way through filming and editing and are looking for donations to complete the film below, which is about Birmingham post-punk survivors The Nightingales. Everyone who donates, no matter how big or how small*, will be featured in the end credits

*(I think this sentence, written by James from Fire, relates to the size of the donation, not the donor.)

https://www.kingrockerfilm.com/

There is now a podcast radio thing you can listen to of me and Michael talking about The Nightingales here.

5) Sleaford Mods

Sleaford Mods are playing the Hammersmith Apollo, London on Friday 15th November 2019.

I am bottom of the bill supporting them on a line-up that also includes Viagra Boys and Horse Meat Disco (DJ Set). Then I am rushing off to Leics Sq.

You can get tickets here.

6) NEW BOOK – March Of The Lemmings

March of the Lemmings – Brexit in Print and Performance 2016-2019

Released on 5th September 2019, Faber will publish comedian Stewart Lee’s next book, March of the Lemmings, based on his newspaper columns, providing “the scathing, riotous record the Brexit era deserves”.

“As a Metropolitan Elitist Snowflake, Stewart Lee was disappointed by the Brexit referendum result of 2016. But he knew how to weaponise his inconvenience. He would treat all his subsequent writing, until we left the EU, as interrelated episodes of a complete work. The cast of characters include Lemming-obsessed Michael Gove, violent tanning-salon entrepreneur Tommy Robinson and Boris Piccaninny Watermelon Bumboys Letterbox Cake Disaster Weightloss Haircut Bullshit Johnson.”

There is also a “a dramatic chorus is made up of online commenters and Kremlin bots” with Lee cast as the “defeated, unreliable narrator-hero, whose resolve and tolerance would gradually unravel as the horror show dragged on.

Drawing on three years of newspaper columns, a complete transcript of the ‘Content Provider’ stand-up show, and Lee’s caustic footnote commentary, March of the Lemmings is the scathing, riotous record the Brexit era deserves.”

There is a book launch event on 16th October at THE SOCIAL through THE QUIETUS, tickets £12 here https://www.seetickets.com/event/the-quietus-social-presents-stewart-lee/the-social/1439435

7) HAVE A BLEEDIN’ GUESS

How exciting for me! I have written an introduction to Paul Hanley’s brilliant informative and funny new book about my favorite album ever, The Fall’s HEX ENDUCTION HOUR.

Have A Bleedin’ Guess in available in ltd edtn hardback on Oct 23rd here
https://routepublishing.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/have-a-bleedin-guess/

8) I ARROGANTLY RECOMMEND

Kate Tempest, young people’s performance poet. Oct 14th Oxford Academy, 15th Hammersmith Apollo, 16th Birmingham Institute, 18th Leicester Academy, 19th Brighton Dome, 20th Bristol Academy

Melt Banana, enduring Japanese pop art noise. Oct 16th Camden Dingwalls, 18th Edinburgh Caves, 19th Glasgow Stereo, 20th Newcastle Cluny, 21st M’cr Gorilla, 25th Bristol Exchange, 27th Oxford Wheatsheaf, 29th Nottingham Bodega, 31st Cambridge Portland Arms, 1st Nov Brighton Chalk

Thurston Moore, immortal Sonic Youth. Oct 19th ULU London, 20th Portsmouth Wedgewood

FREE IMPROV ALL STARS. SARAH GAIL BRAND / STEVE BERESFORD / JOHN EDWARDS / MARK SANDERS – ALBUM LAUNCH – MATINEE – Café Oto, London, 2pm, SUN 20TH OCT.

Dream Syndicate, secret masters of psychedelia. Mon 21st Oct, London Scala

Sun Ra Arkestra, afro-futurist jazz veterans. Mon 21st, Tues 22nd Oct, Jazz Café London.