If you’ve ever played dominoes, you’ll know that while the first number has to match with the next, the last may not match with the first. I’m afraid this came to mind when I went to see Stewart Lee and Friends at his one-off Silver Stewbilee show at the Festival Theatre on 18th August.
There is an assumption that if someone makes you laugh, whoever makes them laugh will make you laugh too. Eh, no! Going by the comedy crowd laughter, I was in the minority but mostly the rest of the acts failed to reach my funny bone. There was neither programme nor flyer so the guests on the bill were a mystery. Some were a great surprise and a real pleasure to see, like the daft and novel Bridget Christie as A. Ant and amazingly Franz Ferdinand, both of whom gave terrific performances. Apart from them, I’ll move on.
This was Stewart Lee’s night. The evening was a celebration of his 20-odd years in stand up and to promote his book , How I escaped my Certain Fate: The Lives and Deaths of a Stand up Comedian. The title, How I escaped my Certain Fate, comes from a punk song by Mission of Burma and was played at the end of the gig by Franz Ferdinand. Nice touch!
I came across Lee by chance on his late-night TV show Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle and immediately liked his style. He is observant and topical. He uses repetition like a fairy tale in his own comic flights of fantasy, maybe to make sure the audience stays up to speed with his sharp, self-referential Borgesian style.
He used old and new material in the gig with his intelligent melding and observation of societal bigotry and liberalism. He covered the urban myths around country living, Gaelic as an ancient Scottish polari, Braveheart, crisps, charity and a certain topical news team named as the Seven Dwarves. Clever, original and funny.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, 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
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter