The intention of this live slice of comedy history was to commemorate some of those who shaped a new comedy scene in Britain, but it served mainly as a reminder that “alternative comedy” was often not as funny as it thought it was.
In character as the luvvie Nicholas Craig, Nigel Planer of The Young Ones kicked things off by sneering down his nose at alternative comedy as “pointless and adolescent”. First up to dispel this idea was Arthur Smith. While often good value – “A bag for life? I don’t want that kind of responsibility” – Smith’s indulgent performance of Leonard Cohen’s “I’m Your Man” numbered among the occasions when a largely game audience felt nonplussed.
Another such moment came with The Oblivion Boys (Stephen Frost and Mark Arden), whose knockabout charm remains as slight as it ever was. “That’s fighting talk where I come from,” says Frost in one sequence, to which Arden replies: “Why don’t you hit me then?” “I’ve moved,” flourishes Frost.
Similarly Norman Lovett’s style felt unique in the Eighties, but the passage of time has obscured the seemingly inconsequential nature of material that included weak, prop-assisted gags where a kazoo replaces a referee’s whistle and a shower cap is likened to a jellyfish.
Alexei Sayle hosted the second act, but fought shy of reprising his old routines, choosing instead to muse upon how much had changed since he “invented alternative comedy”, adding: “as comedians we were soldiers in the same war; obviously Jim Davidson was in the Waffen-SS.”
Sayle’s charges included writer and actress Pauline Melville, updating her role as Eydie the Radical Housewife, and Arnold Brown, who gave his absurd one-liners a rather too sedate outing.
Stewart Lee hosted the final section in which he inflicted upon us the tedious musings of Kevin McAleer, using a series of unconnected slides to tell the story of his life. Celebrated punk poet John Cooper Clarke floundered in his effort to pick up the pace, while livelier offerings came from The Greatest Show on Legs, avant-garde Japanese outfit Frank Chickens and Chris Lynam, who ended the show with his trademark firework-up-the-bum gag.
Overall, the feeling prevailed that comedy is no country for old men (or women) – even if some of these acts helped to lay the terrain for today.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, 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
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter