1. T-SHIRT FRENZY – STEWART LEE “I DON’T THINK THAT’ T-SHIRTS

WAX FACE return to the crowded official Stewart Lee t-shirt marketplace with their most self-consciously cool design yet, cynically targeted at the ageing indie-hipster audience that make up Stewart’s delusional following.

“I don’t think that. I think the opposite of that.“, is Stewart’s philosophy of comedy boiled down to one zen-sized nugget, serving as a chest-sized signal to other secret adepts, and offering protection against psychic attack.

‘I Don’t Think That, I Think The Opposite Of That’ is the Stewart Lee T-Shirt available on Pre-Order now via https://wax-face.com/stewart-lee
The T-Shirt available in two colourways.
Silk Screened and hand printed on Anthem Organic t-shirts.

2. TV SNOWFLAKE TORNADO

Snowflake and Tornado are both on the BBC iplayer now.

Snowflake is here. & Tornado is here.
AVAILABLE FOR 18 MORE DAYS.

3. BASIC LEE

The tour of the new stand-up show, BASIC LEE, resumes active service at the Leicester Square Theatre in December and nationwide from January 2024

December 2023

Saturday 9th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 10th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 10th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Monday 11th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Tuesday 12th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Wednesday 13th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Thursday 14th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Friday 15th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Saturday 16th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 17th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 17th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Monday 18th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Tuesday 19th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Wednesday 20th December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Thursday 21st December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Friday 22nd December 2023 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

January 2024

Thursday 4th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Friday 5th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 7th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 7th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Monday 8th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Wednesday 10th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Thursday 11th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Sunday 14th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Monday 15th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Tuesday 16th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Wednesday 17th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Thursday 18th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Friday 19th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Saturday 20th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Saturday 20th January 2024 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS
Monday 22nd January 2024 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – TICKETS
Tuesday 23rd January 2024 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – TICKETS
Wednesday 24th January 2024 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – TICKETS
Thursday 25th January 2024 – Westlands, Yeovil – TICKETS
Friday 26th January 2024 – Westlands, Yeovil – TICKETS
Saturday 27th January 2024 – The Forum, Bath – TICKETS
Sunday 28th January 2024 – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton – TICKETS
Monday 29th January 2024 – The Marlowe, Canterbury – TICKETS

February 2024

Friday 2nd February 2024 – The Hawth, Crawley – TICKETS
Saturday 3rd February 2024 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS
Sunday 4th February 2024 – William Aston Hall, Wrexham – TICKETS
Tuesday 6th February 2024 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS
Wednesday 7th February 2024 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS
Thursday 8th February 2024 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS
Friday 9th February 2024 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS
Saturday 10th February 2024 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS
Sunday 11th February 2024 – Theatre Royal, Newcastle – TICKETS
Sunday 18th February 2024 – DeMontfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Sunday 18th February 2024 – DeMontfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Tuesday 20th February 2024 – Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate – TICKETS
Wednesday 21st February 2024 – Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate – TICKETS
Thursday 22nd February 2024 – The Baths Hall, Scunthorpe – TICKETS
Friday 23rd February 2024 – Opera House, Buxton – TICKETS
Saturday 24th February 2024 – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry – TICKETS
Sunday 25th February 2024 – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry – TICKETS
Monday 26th February 2024 – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – TICKETS
Thursday 29th February 2024 – The Hexagon, Reading – TICKETS

March 2024

Friday 1st March 2024 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton – TICKETS
Saturday 2nd March 2024 – The Beacon, Bristol – TICKETS
Sunday 3rd March 2024 – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS
Monday 4th March 2024 – Hall For Cornwall, Truro
Wednesday 6th March 2024 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Thursday 7th March 2024 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Friday 8th March 2024 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Saturday 9th March 2024 – Storyhouse, Chester – TICKETS
Tuesday 12th March 2024 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Wednesday 13th March 2024 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Thursday 14th March 2024 – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – TICKETS
Friday 15th March 2024 – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – TICKETS
Saturday 16th March 2024 – Hippodrome, Darlington – TICKETS
Sunday 17th March 2024 – King’s Theatre, Glasgow – TICKETS
Thursday 21st March 2024 – King’s Theatre, Portsmouth – TICKETS
Friday 22nd March 2024 – Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford – TICKETS
Saturday 23rd March 2024 – Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford – TICKETS
Sunday 24th March 2024 – Theatre Royal, Norwich – TICKETS
Tuesday 26th March 2024 – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff – TICKETS
Wednesday 27th March 2024 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS
Thursday 28th March 2024 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS

April 2024

Thursday 18th April 2024 – St. George’s Hall, Bradford – TICKETS
Monday 22nd April 2024 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Tuesday 23rd April 2024 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Thursday 25th April 2024 – The Alban Arena, St. Albans – TICKETS

4. SHORT SETS AND BENEFITS

15-30 min sets at the following

SEPT 17^TH Greenwich Comedy Festival, Londin w Fern Brady, Celya AB, Ivo Graham, Ray Badran https://www.greenwichcomedyfestival.co.uk/sunday-late

OCT 5^TH Bike Project Comedy Fundaiser Union Chapel, London w After Life’s Kerry Godiman, Lou Sanders, Nabil Abdulrashid, Rosie Holt, Jack Barry & Erika Ehler. https://unionchapel.org.uk/whats-on/the-bike-project-comedy-fundraiser-2023-jokes-and-spokes

OCT 7^TH Peckham Playground, London w Simon Munnery, Thanyia Moore, Fin Taylor https://peckhamplayground.seetickets.com/event/peckham-playground-stewart-lee/copeland-park/2733355

DEC 8^TH Hackney Comedy Experience w Jessica Fostekew, Desiree Burch, Rob Auton & Fathia El-Ghorri.

https://earthackney.co.uk/events/hackney-comedy-experience-with-stewart-lee-8th-dec-earth-london-tickets-yb3kp/

5. MACBETH

I rewrote the Porter scene for Wils Wilson’s brilliant new production of Macbeth at the RSC in Stratford. The show is open now and runs until the 14^th Oct.

It is ace, with lots of things done in radical ways I have never seen them, under the heavy manners of  a pervasive folk horror feel, and it’s a great entry point for Shakespeare. There’s only the odd seat left but give it a go… https://www.rsc.org.uk/macbeth/tickets

6. I ARROGANTLY RECOMMEND SOME 2023 HAPPENINGS AND THINGS

Botallock O’Clock If you are near Mousehole Cornwall on 16th Sept see Eddie Elks’ excellent play about the artist Roger Hilton, performed by Dan Frost, here in the Solomon Brown Hall at 7.30, doors 6.30
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thesolomonbrownememorialhallassociation/980851
A rehearsed reading of Botallack O’clock written by Eddie Elks and performed by Dan Frost and Jason Calder For the last two years of his life, Roger Hilton took permanently to his bed, in his cliff top cottage on the coastline of Botallack, Cornwall. Here he continued to work, painting over the side of his bed on sheets of paper laid on the floor. A small downstairs room became his bedroom, living space and studio, where Roger would work through the night with only his thoughts, his imaginings and a temperamental radio for company. Botallack O’Clock is a funny, moving and thought–provoking journey into the creative mind of one of the most unique voices in post–war British art. Having premiered at the Half Moon, Herne Hill in 2011, Botallack O”Clock transferred to the Edinburgh Festival 2012 and then on to the 59E59 Theaters, New York as part of the Brits Off Broadway Festival 2013. Botallack O”Clock returned to London in 2016 and 2018 at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington.

TIME OUT CRITIC’S CHOICE ★★★★★ “Dazzlingly eloquent yet always just beyond sense… Botallack O’Clock is a stunning miniature; surprising, profound and very very funny… a phenomenal and uncompromising performance by Dan Frost”. Matt Trueman, Time Out

Running time: approximately 50 minutes Doors open at 6:30pm -Bar Open for Refreshments: Show starts at 7:30pm

Evelyn De Morgan – The Gold Drawings. Leighton House, London until October 1st. Sometime visionary, sometime cheesey, Victorian mystic. https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/evelyn-de-morgan-gold-drawings YO LA TENGO Gods of American indie APRIL 10TH Dublin Olympia, 12th M’cr New Century, 13th Bristol SWX, 14th London Palladium,

SECLUDED BRONTE The performance art boy band are back on Sept 13th at Shift, Cardiff with James Holcombe projecting 16mm films https://shiftcardiff.org/secluded-bronte/, and on September 14th at Le Pub, Newport https://www.lepublicspace.co.uk/shows

ALAN WILKINSON Europe’s second greatest livi8ng fee jazz saxophonist has some dates;
Sunday, September 10th – Alan Wilkinson/Oren Marshall/Steve Noble at Hundred Years Gallery, London, from 15.30. Wilkinson/Marshall/Noble HYG £8 cash on door;
Thursday, 14th September – Alan Wilkinson/Oren Marshall/Steve Noble at Robyn’s Rocket, Cafe Oto, London 8.30pm Robyn’s Rocket at Cafe Oto £10;
Friday 15th September – Alan Wilkinson/Dominic Lash/Steve Noble at Finch Café, London. Dominic will be playing electric guitar. 8pm. £8 cash on the door. Wilkinson/Lash/Noble Finch Cafe

FALLEN LEAVES Punk-mod showmen. OCT 7th London West Hampstead Arts; Nov 11th Kingsdton Upon Thames Fighting Cocks; Jan 27th Brighton Hope & Ruin

SCIENTISTS Sydney Swamp Punks OCT 5th Leeds Brudenell; 8TH London 100 Club; 9th Northampton Black Prince; 10th Newcastle Cluny 2

CARLTON MELTON California sunshine boys OCT 12th OSP Fest London; 13th Glastonbury King Arthur; 14th Hebden Bridge Trades; 18th Bristol Crofters.

CHRIS STAMEY Power pop progenitor at 69 OCT 30th – 31st London Betsey Trotwood; NOV 1st Glasgow Glad; Nov 9th Dublin Wheelans

HAWKWIND This current Hawkwind iteration channels their classic ‘70s space rock sound unashamedly, with keyboardist Thighpaulsandra of Coil, Cope and Spiritualised clearly living out a childhood dream. OCTOBER 29TH Royal Albert Hall.

MARTIN CARTHY Venerable and invaluable folk veteran DEC 8th London Mycenae House

TREEBOY & ARC Televisionary young post-punks OCT 18th London Moth Club

THE BOO RADLEYS Reformed 90s psychedelic Britpop era fish out of water OCT 32st B’ham Institute, NOV 4th Islington Academy

EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD Plangent no wave influenced serial minimalists. Have to be seen! Cut here SEPT 15th London St John on The Green

DISCHARGE Hardcore punk pioneers SEPT 3rd Derby Victoria Inn, 8th Bristol Fleece, 9th Exeter Phoenix, OCT 20th London New Cross Inn, 21st Stamford Mama Liz’s, 28th Bournemouth Anvil, DEC 23rd B’ham Castle & Falcon

RED GUITARS / THE ROOM Hull’s Afro-inflected political indie rock innovators, Red Guitars, reform, supported by returning and massively underrated Liverpool scallydelia also-rans The Room.
BRISTOL Exchange, 13 SOUTHAMPTON The Joiners, 14 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy 3, 16 NORWICH Waterfront, 17 LONDON 100 Club, 18 OXFORD The Bullingdon, 20 BRIGHTON Chalk

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN Another tilt at the infinite horizon from the cosmic scallies SEPT 12TH Nottingham Royal Concert Halls, 14th Edinburgh Usher Halls, 16th L’pool Bank Arena, 18th London Royal Albert Hall

DEATHCRASH Youthful slowcore revivalists

SEPT 14th Leeds Mill Hill Chapel, 15th Glasgow CCA, 16th Salford White Hotel, 17th Bristol Cube, 23rd Dublin Workman’s Cellar, 28th London Fabric

BEVIS FROND – Psychedelic survivors of epic grandeur. Cut here 11th M’cr Aatma, 12th Leeds Hyde Park Book Club, 14th Bristol Louisianna, 15th Leytonstone Social Club, 17th St Leonard’s Piper’s.

ELIZA SKELTON – Album Launch + Special Guests, Brighton Unitarian Church, 22.09.2023
Doors 7pm / Start 7:30pm, £12 + booking fee / £16 on the door
Brighton-based singer songwriter and accomplished multi- instrumentalist Eliza has been quietly making music in the south coast for many years. Known for The Desperate Ones, her collaboration with Paul Simmons, and a long-serving member of Oddfellow’s Casino, Eliza has now produced this magnificent, fully-fledged debut solo album of beautiful material.

Eliza’s songs are a genre bending blend of atmospheric, gothic tinged folk rock, electronica and lush pastoral vocal harmonies, complimented with visionary narrative lyrics.  ‘The Lookerer’ is out now on Blue Matter records.
‘The Lookerer is the twenty-first century filmic folk rock album everyone needs.’ – Stewart Lee. ‘**** An entrancingly good debut.’ – Shindig Magazine

BLUE AEROPLANES/WAVE PICTURES Superb double bill of classic indie intellectuals. SEP 29th London Electric ballroom

THE SONICS ‘60s garage punks of ‘Have Love Will Travel’ and Strychnine fame, still slogging on OCT 12th Bristol Fleece, 13th London garage, 14th Glasgow Room 2, 17th Leeds Brudenell

KID CONGO POWERS & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS. California garage punk guitar legend of Fur Bible non-fame. OCT 24th – Newcastle Cluny; 26th Nottingham Boat; 27th London Oslo.

DETROIT COBRAS Garage punk party band NOV 3rd London Forge; 4th Birmingham Crossing; 5th Bristol Lost Horizon; 6th Southampton 1865; 8th Leeds Old Woolen; 9th Glasgow Oran Moor; 10th Edinburgh Liquid; 11th Blackpool Bootleg; 12th M’cr Rebellion.

AN 80TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT FOR BERT JANSCH. Show to celebrate the late Bert, South Bank London, Nov 4th w Martin Simpson, Jacqui McShee, Robert Plant, Bernard Butler, Kathryn Williams, Sam Lee and me hosting it. https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/gigs/80th-birthday-concert-bert-jansch

NECKS Nov 20th Kings Place London one-off for down under jazz ambience miniminalists

LARGE PLANTS Cheesecloth hairy funk-folk Vertigo-flavoured revivalists return to London Grace Nov 25th

CRIME & THE CITY SOLUTION Australian cinematic blues punks of Wenders cameo fame return NOV 24th London Moth, 25th Bristol Cube, 26th Colchester Arts

BLUE ORCHIDS Dishwater visionaries NOV 21st Glasgow Hug & Pint, 24th Newcastle Cumberland Arms, DEC 1st London 229, 2nd St Leonard’s Piper, 3rd Leicester Musician

CYANIDE PILLS Power-poppy punks DEC 15th Londin Hope & Anchor, 16th Leeds Brudenell

CALEXICO Tucson’s cinematic desert rock band NOV 1st Bexhill-on-Sea Pavillion, 2nd London Electric Ballroom, 3rd Sunderland Fire Station, 4th M’cr New Century, 5th Dublin Helix

SLEAFORD MODS Shouting men NOV 22nd B’ham Academy, 23rd Glasgow Academy, 25th Dublin Academy, 28th Leeds Academy, 29th M’cr Victoria Warehouse, 30th Bristol Academy, DEC 2nd London Alexandra Palace (with me as support at the final one)

MICHAEL ROTHER Neu! noise man still motoring FEB 3rd 2024 London Barbican

7. IN OUR LAMENTATIONS 2023

Ruggero Deodato (Junk genius, 1939)
Kelly Monteith (Lucky pants stand-up, 1942)
Alan Rankine (Associate musician, 1958)
Darryl Hunt (Pogue bass, 1950)
Jeff Beck (He happened ten years time ago, 1944)
Jane Suck (punk chronicler, 195?)
Yukihiro Takahashi (Sadistic Mika Man, 1952)
Ronald Blythe (Akenfieldsman, 1922)
Piers Haggard (hack genius of Claw and Quatermass, 1932)
Van Connor (sturdy psychedelic tree, 1967)
David Sutherland (Bash Street basher, 1933)
David Crosby (Byrdmaniac, 1941)
Tom Verlaine (Sui generis genius Televisionary, 1949)
Burt Bacarach (Musical cheesnius, 1928)
Eugene Cheese (chucklin’ cheesenius moocher, 1944)
Betty Boothroyd (croaky speaker, 1939)
Wayne Shorter (Shorter no longer, 1933)
David Lindley (Kaleidoscopic guitarist, 1944)
Keith Johnstone (Improvisational Canadian, 1933)
Rolly Crump (West Coast Pop Artist, 1930)
Paul O’Grady (Proudly woke drag act, 1955)
Peter Usborne (Generation-spooking publisher, 1937)
Tony Coe (Jazz panther, 1934)
Barry Humphries (Machenalian Australian, 1934)
Mark Stewart (Bristol pre-post-punk pioneer, 1960)
Gareth Richards (Comedian, 1979)
Johnny Fean (Horslips guitar bandit, 1951)
Frank Kozik (the Giotto of grunge, 1962)
Andy Smart (Bull-running comedian, 1959)
Alan Frank (Gateway ‘70s film scribe, 1942)
Algy Ward (Damned bass Saint, 1959)
Andy Rourke (Sainted bass Smith, 1964)
Pete Brown (Battered ornament, 1940)
George Logan (The Black Cap’s breakout Hinge, 1944)
Jah Shaka (Sound system shaker, 1948)
Spot (SST soundman, 1951)
Ahmad Jamal (cool jazz piano 1931)
Harry Belafonte (anti-apartheid boat singer, 1927)
Gordon Lightfoot (Fitzgerald wrecker, 1938)
Stu James (Mojo not working, 1945)
Jon Povey (Pretty bass Thing, 1942)
Broderick Smith (Singing Dingoe, 1948)
Wee Willie Harris (2 I’s wild man, 1933)
Cliff Fish (Paper Bass, 1949)
Simon Emerson (Afro-Celt Weekender and a very nice man, 1956)
Bruce Barthol (Fish bass, 1947)
Top Topham (Yardbird & man with ‘top’ twice in name, 1947)
Renee Geyer (Voice of Sun, 1947)
Tony McPhee (Hoglord, 1944)
Martin Duffy (He Felt the keys, 1967)
Jack Lee (He nervously hung on the telephone, 1952)
Cormac McCarthy (The real writing deal, 1933)
Peter Brotzmann (Machine-gunner, 1941)
Henrietta Soames (Novelist, theatregoer, gardener, guerrilla rose grower, 1958)
Bill Allerton (Outstanding Stand Out Gentleman disc dealer)
Lord Creator (Rocksteady artistocrat, 1935)
Blackie Onassis (Urge Overkiller, 1966)
Tony Butler (Alan Partridge of Birmingham, 1935)
Jane Birkin (Je t’aime, 1946)
Adrian Street (glam wrestler, 1940)
Ron S Peno (He died pretty, 1955)
Sixto Rodriuguez (rediscovered man, 1941)
Robbie Robertson (bandleader, 1943)
Erkin Koray (Turkish delight, 1941)
David LaFlamme (It’s a beautiful violin, 1941)
George Tickner (Fruminous snatchman, 1946)
Louis Tillet (Dark poet of the keys, 1959)
Brian McBride (Star of The Lid, 1970)
Charles Gayle (Jazz sax titan, a real blow,1939)
Richard Davis (Jazz bass sidesman, 1930)
Malcolm Hay (Comedy listings magnate without whom…1941)