“No one is equipped to review me,” said Stewart Lee towards the end of a comedy masterclass that pushed the audience at a packed Royal Concert Hall to the limit.
He was joking, obviously. Well, I think he was. And that sums up the tightrope he walked throughout his lengthy show (he came on just after 8 and there was a 20-minute interval but it was still after 10.35pm when he leapt off the stage and ran up the aisle to sign autographs). Even to describe the material betrays it. What sounds snide written down was often joyous in the room.
He was at his most devastating in the first half, brilliantly taking on the frequent “anti-PC” question: “Why don’t any of you lefty comedians make fun of Muslims?” This was thrillingly intelligent stuff, with Lee forensically lampooning “observational” stand-up, telling wannabe “Islamophobic” jokes in the voice of Roy “Chubby” Brown and launching into an inspired, hysterically ill-informed, rant against Quakers.
He jokily divided the audience into the brighter “hardcore fans” who had bought stalls tickets and the rest of us – “chaff”, only there because he’d been on telly. This led to a spiralling riff on the pressures facing comedians and the fact that so many comics have taken their own lives. This was frequently uncomfortable but never less than hilarious. “It’s audiences like you that essentially murdered Robin Williams,” he said, justifiably bringing down the house. You had to be there.
The second half, about the lunacies of nationalism and home life, was more relaxed and rambling – exactly right after the peaks of part one. Lee, one of the best live comedians I’ve ever seen, is using this tour to develop material for a new series of his BBC Comedy Vehicle shows. On this evidence, it’s going to be unmissable.
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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John Robins, Comedian
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Idrie, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum