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
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, 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
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph