WHEN you bill your show as “If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One” it pays to be at least a bit shocking.
In last night’s performance, there were a few uses of the C-word, a sketch about the Queen’s privates (I don’t mean her army) but apart from those Stewart Lee was about as startling as an accountant reading the Financial Times.
Oh, there was the bit when he said he wished Richard Hammond had died when he crashed his jet-powered car and that Jeremy Clarkson’s daughters should all be blinded.
But that was because he was belabouring a point about Top Gear being unforgivingly unpolitically correct, and anyway those jokes had already been reported in the papers.
Well, he had a point.
Some of what Clarkson says in between jibing celebrities about their bad driving and undertaking madcap adventures is grossly offensive, but that doesn’t necessarily make it good material for stand-up. Actually, it sort of does, but not when you drag it out for so long that the joke becomes so familiar it’s no longer funny.
Despite there not being enough material for a 70-minute set, there were some good sketches – the faux pas of inviting a real pirate to a date at a pirate adventure castle activity centre; being accused of trying to steal two-ninths of a cup of coffee from Cafe Nero.
Lee was funniest in the parts of the show specific to Liverpool, commenting on the so-called art works covering the boarded-up houses on Edge Lane and relating a visit to comedian Jimmy Tarbuck’s home.
Maybe he’s too likeable to be shocking, or maybe, as he comments at one point, there are simply no taboos left in comedy.
Perhaps it’s because his most extreme material has had the sting taken out of it by over-exposure in the media.
But, ultimately, you can ask for a milder comedian – but you might struggle to find one.
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, 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
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net