The semi-apologetic nature of much of Stewart Lee’s latest set, in which he ambles through three half-hour TV episodes’ worth of new material before finishing with a supposedly optional 30 minutes of fully unpasteurised fodder partly read from notes, is by no means unique among standup comedians. Comedy clubs and similar venues will often function as a safe haven for some famous gag behemoth to try out new stuff in sort-of secret, without knobheads who come along to shout the catchphrases. This show isn’t secret, it’s in a big and healthily-sold venue, and it’s called Much Astew About Nothing, which is a somewhat crap and dashed-off title but no worse than those unwieldy Rhod Gilbert type ones or DVDs with titles like Live And Laughing.
Stewart Lee can get away with selling this as a ‘proper’ show because the disjointed, self-analytical nature of the beast is intrinsic to what he does. If he just did jokes – most of his jokes are belters, and if we don’t laugh enough at one he deems a belter we get to hear about it – he’d be less popular with his live audience, although he’d also anger less internet commenters. A lot of tonight’s material is political: from Thatcher’s death to the modern Labour Party’s atrophying of their ideals to a long absurdist routine about UKIP’s immigration rhetoric to racist taxi drivers to a brilliant bit about campaigning to keep open a jazz club in Hackney. (Stew tries to get his black neighbour onside by noting that jazz is an historically black musical form; she replies, “yes, but not the sort that you like.”)
A comic who was schooled amidst the ‘alternative comedy’ boom of the 80s, the endlessly self-aware Lee knows that even among a four-figure crowd of people who likely have similar ethics to you, being politically earnest in your routine can spell death. Thus, he gets to have his cake and eat it, delivering the firebrand stuff but pulling away the rug before po-facedness threatens. Not that this stops people applauding things which aren’t even jokes, just opinions they agree with.
The second part of the show, following an initial half-hour and an interval, delves into unusually personal territory – the non-fantastical parts, at least. The phrase “impotent vasectomised functioning alcoholic 45-year-old father of two” is the crux of the issue: Lee has rendered himself unable to further spawn, and spends much of his day listlessly childcaring and handling the fallout of his bigoted drunk Irish wife. (The audience should be credited here for playing along with this, despite presumably knowing it’s an oblique reference to recent Foster’s award winner Bridget Christie. No-one shouts out a bit off the telly, either.)
A fair bit of the final stretch is partially reworked material from last year’s Carpet Remnant World set, including bits about Scooby Doo and the very final joke, concerning his grandfather’s biggest regret. Parts of it should be on a BBC2 near you early next year, and should maintain the sort of loyal-without-being-whoopingly-servile audience that makes a notionally half-arsed show in front of 1,400 people an actual good thing.
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com