Walking away from the Soho Theatre after Stewart Lee’s latest show, a friend who hasn’t seen that much live comedy commented that we’ve got to see so much more. The only problem is that I worry that he’s peaked way too early. I’ve seen a lot of stand up over the years, yet I’ve never seen anything even close to being this stunningly good before.
Wow’s the one word that jumps to mind when describing Lee. It may not be the most beautiful adjective or poetic description ever used, but it does sum up just how astonishingly great his stand up is. Whilst his Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy ex-partner Richard Herring is still performing material similar to that found in their tv shows, Lee’s stepped up to a league which contains only the most legendary of comedians. From routines about 7/7, Joe Pasquale stealing other comedians jokes, having an endescopy, the effect Jerry Springer The Opera and the outrage it caused had on him, to Dan Brown’s novels and the Pope’s death last year, and how this might affect sales of Pope shaped lollipops, there isn’t a less than stunning moment in the entire show, and it’s the beauty of the language he uses, and Lee’s immaculate timing, that makes it so special.
He ties in jokes from earlier on in the set with sublime ease, and his material is so layered you’ll find yourself chuckling hours later after hearing it, still in disbelief that it’s so good. The set ends on the already infamous “Jesus Joke”.
Which I won’t describe or quote from, doing so would spoil it’s effect. But simply put, in the thirty one years I’ve been on this bastard planet I’ve never laughed so much, and so hard, at any kind of humour, as I did upon hearing this. It’s beautiful. Obscene, shocking, and beautiful comedy.
The only downside to his performance is that I worry Lee’s ruined comedy for me for good. That however great another stand up is, I’ll always leave muttering, sure, that was superb, but it wasn’t as astonishing as Stewart Lee was. I’ve no doubt that in the way people claim they saw The Beatles play the Cavern Club in the Sixties, or The Sex Pistols at the 100 Club in the Seventies, in the future many will claim they saw Lee at the Soho theatre in 2005.
The poster has a quote declaring Lee the ‘New Bill Hicks’. It’s wrong though. He’s better than the admittedly great but definitely over-rated Hicks ever was.
The live DVD of Lee’s previous show was released on October 18th, and it’s equally as good. He’s touring 90’s Comedian right now, so check out his site for details.
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter