Stew pens CD sleeve notes for a selction of stuff by Alt Comedy Godfather John Dowie, An Arc Of Hives
REVIEW FROM CHORTLE’s STEVE BENNETT:
‘The most influential stand-up comedian you’ve probably never seen.’ That’s how comedy writer Dave Cohen described John Dowie in a piece for Chortle earlier this year; and it’s hard to disagree.
Born in Birmingham in 1950, Dowie was an alternative comedian before there was a label for such things. Like Billy Connolly and Jasper Carrott he came up thought the music scene, but while he was born into the folk clubs, it was punk that was his making.
He mixed poetry and stand-up with tracks performed either solo or with his rock band, Big Girls’ Blouse, and even got a deal with Manchester’s influential Factory Records.
But as alternative comedy – as born in the Comedy Store in 1979 – caught up with his genius, he slowly withdrew from the genre, save for the odd Edinburgh show. It was there in 1991 that he performed Why I Stopped Being A Stand-up Comedian, and he stayed true to his word. He wrote a West End hit with the play Jesus My Boy – a great vehicle for Tom Conti – and went on to write for children, as comedy was left further behind.
There is little tangible proof of his legacy. An excellent book based on his stand-up called Hard To Swallow was published in 1988, beautifully illustrated by Hunt Emerson and, still available second-hand thanks to Amazon Marketplace. But his live video and audio releases are impossible to find, and a few scraps on YouTube is all we have left.
Until now that is. Arc Of Hives is a 21-track collection of his witty music tracks, culled from demos, sampler albums, the odd 7in, and three tracks from his Good Grief show recorded at the Zap Club, Brighton, in 1985 and containing snippets of his stand-up.
It’s a great taster for a genius lost to comedy, riddled with great lines from the surreal to the poignant to the cheesy. In Beer, a story about alcoholism, he laments: ‘I wake up every morning with a stranger. And it’s me.’ And that poetry shares disc space with a silly song entitled It’s Hard To Be An Egg…
Highlights are the sardonic I’m Here To Entertain You, explaining how he will channel his misery into comedy, No More Fucking about middle-aged loss of libido, and Snail Tamer, which directs a powerful punk energy at ridiculous lyrics. And British Tourist, subtitled I Hate The Dutch, was a minor 1977 novelty hit – though not, apparently, in the Netherlands.
Musically, the bite-sized tracks are simple and efficient, just a delivery method for the lines, perhaps close in style to the similarly vintaged John Otway, who’s still performing his self-deprecating rock. Musos might also want to know that guests on An Arc Of Hives include Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, The Smirks and The Poodles – the New-Wavy band that featured Tony De Meur, now known on the comedy circuit as Ronnie Golden.
But for real comedy credentials, you need only note that Stewart Lee wrote sleeve notes for this CD, in which he ponders: ‘If someone were thinking of doing something inc omedy as radical as Dowie did in the Seventies, would they be able to? And if they did, would we even know about it.’
We might not know that much about Dowie today, but this is a welcome step in the right direction. Now if only his stand-up were to be released, too…
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk