In April this year, I rammed my forty-six year old self into the 150 capacity 12 Bar club in Denmark Street, Soho. On stage, a tall haunted man bobbed to the beats of his laptop like an aging rave survivor lurking in a municipal park, and another twitched and ranted like the cash-cadging last orders…
As a stand-up comedian I am often told that stand-up is the hardest job in the world. I am told this by firemen, soldiers, nurses, surgeons, pit ponies, chimney sweeps, bees and Colombian drug mules – all of whose jobs are demonstrably harder than mine. The worst thing that will happen to me at work…
On Wednesday evening a high-level spook I had known vaguely at Oxford, a former Etonian and a Bullingdon Club chum of David Cameron’s, rang me up with interesting findings and a resistible offer. “You’ve been following this Birmingham schools thing, Lee?” “Yes,” I replied. “It’s outrageous. No child should have to go to school in…
Last week it was confirmed that Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard “the duck” Donald, the key talents of legendary rock’n’rollers Take That, hid £63m in the Icebreaker tax avoidance scheme. Barlow’s crime may cause short-lived shame, but it could guarantee the Take That frontispiece an eternal place in the rock’n’roll annals that his music…
Last weekend, the world woke to find Morrisons had projected an image of a cut-price baguette on to the outstretched wings of Antony Gormley’s iconic public artwork The Angel of the North. The stick of bread was the perfect shape to occupy the Angel‘s wingspan, and one wonders what other products Morrisons might have filled…
As homemade fruitcakes continue to rise in the nation’s ovens, the political and culinary establishments are sinking to even greater depths to smear them. In some Birmingham schools, traditional Christmas cake, the famous fruitcake of English festive celebration since Dickens’s day, has even been banned. But moist fruitcakes composed of dried fruit, flour, margarine, eggs…
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, 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
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com