Either Stewart Lee has been having a bad year or some people have really got under his skin.
Criticising Frankie Boyle early in an over-long show, was a brave move in Glasgow, considering the former Mock the Week star is playing to a slightly larger theatre venue for the rest of the week.
Frankie’s sin, it appears, was to say that comedians should stop at 40, as after that they “lose the anger”. Boyle is 38, Stewart Lee 41. However, if Lee managed something on Monday evening, he convinced that there was fury in the old boy yet.
Being quite a meandering and sometimes painfully-self-satisfied-in-his-own-silence comic, his set opened with a coffee shop loyalty card joke that could only have been told by a middle-class, 40-something new parent living in London. Other topics of hate included the Three Bears of Top Gear and a Richard Hammond personal anecdote that turned out to be completely falsified.
Vitriol aside, there was a feigned comedic nervous breakdown to enjoy as Mr Lee (almost) bounded around the Citz, letting people in the limited view seats see more of his maddened mug.
He ended with a cider tale about plurality, featuring a Magners advert I’d never heard of. He linked that oddly to a sing-song of his favourite song Galway Girl, which he is trying to reclaim from bad memory.
If that sounds mad, that’s because it was.
Sponsored by Magners
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com