Dear fans!

I hope you are all well. I had a great summer of weird music and Welsh mountains, but I have been a bit ill with covid or something and had to cancel some warm-ups, so sorry of that affected your plans. I went into a bad acid world of wet cement and sat still for days staring at Italian ‘70s cinema. I ate only sausages, I think because Keir Starmer mentioned them in a speech which reminded me how much I love them, and that I don’t eat them enough, so well done Sir Keir.

One of my cats is really pissing me off as he will never let me catch him for flea and worm treatment, but to be fair he was a rescue kitten and his siblings were pretty much all killed by foxes so he is jumpy. My other cat was found abandoned in a box on a busy road, but you wouldn’t know it as he is cool.  It makes you think about nature and nurture, as does the book Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? by Jakko M Jakszyk, who I am interviewing in London in November. We are all dust in the wind.

In September I had a great night with the American gentleman musician Steve Wynn, of Dream Syndicate, and his partner the drummer Linda Pitmon, when I hosted an event for Steve’s new book I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True. The book reminded me how I was shaped by the things I was sold on as a teenager, how lucky I was that one of them was Steve’s work, and what a quiet inspiration his art and attitude has been for four decades.

In August, I realised I was much blinder than I thought and got some new glasses for reading which has changed my life and pushed me back into books again with glee. The newfound funnelling of information will hopefully bleed out on the stage, as I am struggling more than usual with the new show, as you will see.  Now I am blind, deaf, and with a heart condition. I don’t ever need to see a Samuel Beckett play again.

“The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. The same is true of farts.”

1) VOTE IN THE NATIONAL TRUST A G M

This may seem a strange start to a comedian’s newsletter, but just because the government has changed ongoing attempts by sinister organisations and individuals to infiltrate and influence our cultural and educational institutions have not ended.  Every year a mysteriously funded, Tufton St associated astroturfed, fake grass roots pressure group called, plausibly, Restore Trust tries to get its candidates onto the board of the National Trust. Their previous candidates have included the ‘Reverend’ Stephen Green, the homophobic far right evangelical who attempted to close down Jerry Springer The Opera. The group enjoys the support of Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg and benefits from sympathetic, if often inaccurate and legally actionable, pieces in The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail etc.

If Restore get control of board of the National Trust they could free up – for God knows what use – land and property and artwork that has been held in trust on our behalf since the 19^th c. We don’t know exactly what they want because, typically of Tufton St afiliated groups, they won’t say who funds them.

So if you are a National Trust member you MUST VOTE for the National Trust’s recommended candidates by Nov 2^nd (online below), and of you are not maybe join and vote to protect our environment, our inheritance and our history from those who would repurpose such things for their own financial and political ends. You’ve seen what they did to the BBC.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/annual-general-meeting/how-to-vote-in-your-agm

2) MARCH FOR CLEAN WATER, LONDON, OCT 26^th

Do you agree with the high keening complaints of Feargal ‘Teenage Kicks’ Sharkey that British seas and rivers should be shit-free, so we can swim and so living things can live, and that the private companies that have profiteered from them should pay up and clean up, or pack up and clear off? Then go on the march for clean water – it’s a basic right! Make Keir Sausages Starmer hear the song of the sea!

https://marchforcleanwater.org

3) AN EVENING W JAKKO JAKSZYK, WEST HAMPSTEAD ARTS, OCT 11TH

West Hampstead Arts Club – 32 Mill Lane, London, NW6 1NR Doors 7.30pm | 8.30pm start Limited tickets available to purchase from here

Stewart Lee is to host An evening with Jakko Jakszyk, that celebrates the release of Jakko’s new memoir – ‘Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? The Unlikely Memoir of Jakko M Jakszyk’.  Jakko is best known as lead singer and guitarist for the founding fathers of progressive rock, King Crimson, since 2013. Jakko…“I’m a huge admirer of Stewart, so I’m thrilled he’s agreed to be part of this evening. Indeed he once wrote of my one man show in Edinburgh, that I should ‘stop wanking on about being an orphan like a loser’ So he’s clearly the right man for the job!”  In his new memoir – ‘Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? The Unlikely Memoir of Jakko M Jakszyk’ Jakko tells the story of his life, from finding and meeting his birth mother and self-proclaimed ‘white supremacist’ step-siblings, to encounters with Michael Jackson, Kate Bush, Cliff Richard, Jack Charlton, Audrey Hepburn, the Dalai Lama and Millwall Football Club’s dodgy director Reg Burr. It is about how his journey to discover his family allowed him to reflect on who he could have been had he not been given away at birth.  Pre-order ‘Who’s The Boy With The Lovely Hair? The Unlikely Memoir of Jakko M Jakszyk’ here

4) SAMHAIN RITUAL, EARTH, HACKNEY, LONDON OCT 29^TH

Weird Walk magazine presents Stewart Lee introducing wyrd musicians headlined by Daisy Rickman, 6pm Earth, Hackney, London. Tickets: https://thesamhainritual.eventbrite.com There may be Were-action, costume pending.

5) TALES OF THE WEIRD BRITISH LIBRARY NOV 2^ND

I’m hosting an event with the novelists Daisy Johnson and Andrew Michael Hurley as part of this folk-horror lit fest at the British Library on Nov 2nd

https://thebritishlibraryculturalevents.seetickets.com/event/tales-of-the-weird-an-autumnal-festival/british-library/3154227

6) BEVIS FROND FILM, LONDON DALSTON RIO NOV 3rd

Rob Curry and Tim Pleister (Way Of The Morris, The Ballad of Shirley Collins) are in the process of making a charming film about a day in the life of the enduring septuagenarian British legend of psychedelia Nick Saloman, of the group Bevis Frond, Little Eden, which may or may not be finished.
I will be hosting a screening, and the group will play a rare acoustic set, on Sunday Nov 3^rd at 5pm at the Rio Dalston in London. There is also another screening and acoustic set, but without me kakking on, the next day in Brighton at the Duke of York’s cinema at 6.15pm

https://www.docnrollfestival.com/films/little-eden-the-bevis-frond/.

7) SO WATT! LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL FILM SHOW NOV 16^TH

So Watt: Jazz and Improvisation on British TV Jazz on Screen Sat 16 Nov 2024, 14:30, BARBICAN, LONDON Cinema 2. Diving into the British TV archives of the 70s!

Stewart Lee (Host): Lee’s passion for the genre ensures a thoughtful exploration of the themes and historical context behind these films.

Maggie Nicols (Special Guest): Celebrated jazz vocalist and improviser Nicols has been a prominent figure in the British jazz scene for decades.

Ian Greaves (Co-Curator) is a writer and researcher whose books include edited collections of the work of Dennis Potter, Jonathan Miller and Ivor Cutler.

Open Door: Musicians’ Action Group (1974) is introduced by the inimitable Spike Milligan and features rare footage of The Tony Oxley Unit, Stan Tracey, Norma Winstone and Maggie Nicols. Aquarius: Sounds Amazing (1975) features saxophonist Evan Parker, percussionist Paul Lytton, Max Eastley, David Toop, and Hugh Davies.  There will also be the earliest known footage of Derek Bailey performing for Omnibus (1973). And Richard Williams speaking to Ornette Coleman on an early edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test (1972).

https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/jazz-on-screen-so-watt-jazz-and-improvisation-on-british

8) OXIDE GHOSTS AT FINSBURY PARK NOV 21^ST

Michael Cumming’s Oxide Ghosts, a blurred documentary about Chris Morris’ Brass Eye, is on the road again. Michael and I are both appearing at the 21^st Nov event in Finsbury Park, London. Other dates, and other guests, are available

OCTOBER

28 LONDON – CROUCH END PICTUREHOUSE
29 LONDON – EALING PICTUREHOUSE
30 LONDON – CLAPHAM PICTUREHOUSE+HOST: RICH FULCHER
31 LONDON – THE GATE, NOTTING HILL

NOVEMBER

1 EPSOM – PICTUREHOUSE
2 BRIGHTON – DUKE’S AT KOMEDIA
3 WORTHING – CONNAUGHT
6 LONDON – EAST DULWICH PICTUREHOUSE
7 OXFORD – PHOENIX+HOST: RONNIE ANCONA
8 BIRMINGHAM – MAC
9 CHESTER – PICTUREHOUSE
9 LIVERPOOL – FACT
10 MANCHESTER – CULTPLEX
12 LANCASTER – DUKES
13 KENDAL – BREWERY ARTS+HOST: LOU GEORGE
16 YORK – CITY SCREEN
17 NEWCASTLE – THE STAND+HOST: ANDY DAWSON
18 GLASGOW – THE STAND+HOST: STEVEN DICK
19 EDINBURGH – CAMEO
21 LONDON – FINSBURY PK PICTUREHOUSE+HOST: STEWART LEE
22 LONDON – GREENWICH  PICTUREHOUSE
23 CAMBRIDGE – ARTS CINEMA
25 LONDON – CHISWICK CINEMA+HOST: JONATHAN MAITLAND
26 LONDON – BRIXTON RITZY
27 LONDON – HACKNEY PICTUREHOUSE

9) BASIC LEE IS ON NOW TV

https://www.nowtv.com/ie/watch/entertainment/collections/ultimate-comedy/asset/stewart-lee-basic-lee…/A5EK6949itCVNKaChrDXN

You’ll have to subscribe though.

This review of the TV version, by the cartoonist David Waywell, is what I hoped people would say about it. https://eandtbooks.com/authors/david-waywell/

“Reviewing a new Stewart Lee show is the easiest work in the world if your audience already knows who Lee is and what he does. Then you just stand by the side of the road, maybe dressed in the uniform of the typical Stewart Lee fan (all London media-hipster-type denim waistcoat and caramel twill rollups, topped with a herringbone baker boy) and you point the traveller in the right direction (Basic Leenow streaming on Sky Comedy until 24th August).You can also reassure them and say it’s “more of the usual” and, in that smug way that all true fans of Lee are said to display, give them a knowing wink and say it’s fearsome stuff and blisteringly good.

But if your audience doesn’t know Lee, then the work becomes more difficult…

You begin by mumbling “Lee is kind of like… but nothing like…”

Daniel Kitson and Simon Munnery are widely cited as his main similarities but it’s also Tony Hancock’s pathos with a dash of Steve Martin’s eclectic brilliance; the misanthropy of George Carlin with a hint of Don Rickles willingness to jump off the stage and pick a fight. Then again, it’s nothing like that. Lee is uniquely Lee; the beats are familiar but the paths taken on his long rambles are entirely his own.

Basic Lee is Lee’s attempt to return to pure standup after some higher concept (and more expensive) shows, including his last (Snowflake/Tornado) which involved a large shark’s head. He presents an argument about the evolving nature of standup comedy, starting with the oldest material he’d written, and working his way to the present day. But that’s not really “the show”.

Skim the surface and you might describe the show as a series of encounters between Lee and his audience. What you don’t get are jokes or punchlines, or, certainly, not in the traditional sense. Jokes are there but delivered as if through a meat grinder. It’s up to you to pick the bones from the gristle.

The fun is in the asides, the digressions, and the continual baiting of the audience. “It’s like jazz,” says Lee at one point, adopting the voice of those insufferable types who constantly whine on about how watching Stewart Lee is like listening to jazz.

But it is like listening to jazz. He plays with motifs and form, and then, just in case you missed the influence, riffs on the history of jazz. We should only be thankful that he doesn’t break out a trombone and give us a 20-minute exploration of the Phrygian Minor scale (maybe on his next tour when he promises to adopt a Wolfman mask).

Gary Winogrand, the great(est) American street photographer, once said, “I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed”. With Lee, you sense he’s performing material to see what it looks like when performed as standup. He constantly talks about himself doing standup; reminding us thatThe Timesonce described him as “the world’s greatest living stand-up comedian”. He talks about the role he’s played in popularising long-form stand-up and delivers a particularly biting (but fair) verdict on Phoebe Waller Bridge’s breaking of the fourth wall inFleabag. Yet Lee draws back how insufferably egotistical this would be by leaning into the insufferable character he’s playing.

This gives rise to the tension underlying the drama on stage; that of an artist trying to create art inside a genre unaccustomed to art and against an audience hostile to the entire venture. It’s tightly crafted, even as it often feels like it’s falling apart. At one point, he liberally takes the old Pagliacci joke, made most famous by its appearance in Alan Moore’sWatchman, and offers it as his own. It’s theft but I’m constantly reminded of Lewis Hyde’s seminal book on the nature of disruptive imagination,Trickster Makes This World. “Trickster isn’t a run-of-the mill liar and thief. When he lies and steals, it isn’t so much to get away with something or get rich as to disturb the established categories of truth and property and, by so doing, open the road to possible new worlds.”

At which point, I can hear Lee’s voice pointing out that only “another monotonous, passive-aggressive man” would reference a little-known book on anthropology to recommend a standup special.

But that’s just it. To love Lee’s work is to loathe yourself for enjoying comedy pulled apart so you can see how it’s done. I am that monotonous passive-aggressive man. Why the hell can’t I just enjoy jokes? Why can’t I just go see Tim Vine, like everybody else?

I saw “Basic Lee” four times on tour, proving (as if this needs proof) that I am that insufferable bore. I can explain why each one was so very different. I first saw it at the start of the run, in the Leicester Square Theatre in Soho. Lee had just broken his foot and hobbled around the stage with a large protective boot on his foot. He kept wincing in pain, which lent the show pathos. That night he thanked the audience for helping make it the best show of the run (to that point). I saw it again once again in Salford, and twice in Liverpool, including the show that Lee would claim to have been his worst.

From my place in the audience, ranging from the front row to almost the back row, the standard never dipped. Some nights, Lee extemporised more than he would on other nights, but it was never easy to spot which bits were new. “That bit normally doesn’t get a laugh,” he’ll say, though, of course, that bit always got a laugh.

The version ofBasic Leenow showing on Sky Comedy is perhaps the purest distillation of the run’s material. It also adopts a few of his familiar tricks you might know from his TV series and other specials, especially the commentary he addresses straight to camera. It’s another of the things he does so well, creating a paratext to the main text; asides functioning like footnotes and adding another layer of abstraction to the entire proceeding.

And, still, none of that really explains Lee, which is why his comedy is worth return visits. Compared to many stand-ups who play familiar games (“blah, blah, rhythm of a joke” as Lee puts it), Lee deliberately places himself on the edge between success and failure. But even writing that is to borrow from Lee, who mocks those of us who point out that it’s best when it’s failing. But that’s why Stewart Lee remains a paradox. The closer you get to enjoying his work, the more he pushes you away; the more you loathe his work, the more he wants to draw you closer.

See if you’re on the inside or the outside of his comedy on Sky Comedy.”

10) STEWART LEE VS THE MAN-WULF

John Mackay & Sally Homer, in association with Debi Allen/Curtis Brown present
STEWART LEE vs THE MAN-WULF BRAND NEW SHOW
LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE, LONDON

3^rd December 2024 – 17^th January 2025
AND UK TOURING THROUGHOUT 2025

NB: TICKETS FOR THESE SHOWS WILL REMAIN AT THE ADVERTISED PRICE. SURGE PRICING IS IMMORAL AND TICKETMASTER AND OASIS ARE WANKERS, ENCOURAGED BY SUCCESSIVE TORY CULTURE SECRETARIES IN THEIR CRIMINAL ENDEAVOURS.

In this brand-new show, Lee shares his stage with a tough-talking werewolf comedian from the dark forests of North America who hates humanity. The Man-Wulf lays down a ferocious comedy challenge to the culturally irrelevant and physically enfeebled Lee. Can the beast inside us all be silenced with the silver bullet of Lee’s unprecedentedly critically acclaimed style of stand-up?

Stewart Lee, (“the world’s greatest living stand-up comedian” The Times), is in danger of being left behind. He’s approaching sixty with debilitating health conditions, his TV profile has diminished, and his once BAFTA award winning style of stand-up seems obsolete in the face of a wave of callous Netflix-endorsed comedy of anger, monetising the denigration of minorities for millions of dollars. But can Lee unleash his inner Man-Wulf to position himself alongside comedy legends like Dave Chapelle, Ricky Gervais and Jordan Peterson at the forefront of side-splitting stadium-stuffing shit-posting?

Opening at Leicester Square Theatre in December 2024 the new show will tour to UK cities throughout 2025.

Leicester Sq Theatre, London 3^rd Dec 2024 – 17^th Jan 2025 7pm, except for 6pm and 8.30 pm Sat 4^th Jan.
0207 734 2222 www.leicestersquaretheatre.com

STEWART LEE vs THE MAN-WULF 2025 TOUR SCHEDULE

January 2025

Sunday 19th January 2025 – Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – TICKETS
Monday 20th January 2025 – Dorking Halls, Dorking – TICKETS
Tuesday 21st January 2025 – Dorking Halls, Dorking – TICKETS
Wednesday 22nd January 2025 – The Alban Arena, St. Albans – TICKETS
Thursday 23rd January 2025 – The Alban Arena, St. Albans – TICKETS
Friday 24th January 2025 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS
Saturday 25th January 2025 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS
Sunday 26th January 2025 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS
Tuesday 28th January 2025 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS
Wednesday 29th January 2025 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS
Thursday 30th January 2025 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS
Friday 31st January 2025 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS

February 2025

Saturday 1st February 2025 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS
Monday 3rd February 2025 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Tuesday 4th February 2025 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Wednesday 5th February 2025 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Thursday 6th February 2025 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Friday 7th February 2025 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Saturday 8th February 2025 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Monday 10th February 2025 – The Marlowe, Canterbury – TICKETS
Wednesday 12th February 2025 – Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford – TICKETS
Thursday 13th February 2025 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Friday 14th February 2025 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Saturday 15th February 2025 – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – TICKETS
Sunday 16th February 2025 – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – TICKETS
Tuesday 18th February 2025 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Wednesday 19th February 2025 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Thursday 20th February 2025 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Friday 21st February 2025 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Saturday 22nd February 2025 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS

April 2025

Tuesday 1st April 2025 – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – ON SALE SOON
Wednesday 2nd April 2025 – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – ON SALE SOON
Thursday 3rd April 2025 – New Theatre, Peterborough – TICKETS
Friday 4th April 2025 – Palace Theatre, Southend – TICKETS
Saturday 5th April 2025 – Palace Theatre, Southend – TICKETS
Sunday 6th April 2025 – Palace Theatre, Southend – TICKETS
Tuesday 22nd April 2025 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton – TICKETS
Wednesday 23rd April 2025 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton – TICKETS
Monday 28th April 2025 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Tuesday 29th April 2025 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Wednesday 30th April 2025 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

May 2025

Thursday 1st May 2025 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Tuesday 6th May 2025 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS
Wednesday 7th May 2025 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS
Thursday 8th May 2025 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS
Friday 9th May 2025 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS
Saturday 10th May 2025 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS
Monday 12th May 2025 – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton – TICKETS
Thursday 15th May 2025 – King’s Theatre, Portsmouth – TICKETS
Friday 16th May 2025 – The Forum, Bath – TICKETS

September 2025

Monday 8th September 2025 – Lighthouse, Poole – ON SALE SOON
Tuesday 9th September 2025 – Lighthouse, Poole – ON SALE SOON
Wednesday 10th September 2025 – Hall For Cornwall, Truro – ON SALE SOON
Thursday 11th September 2025 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – ON SALE SOON
Friday 12th September 2025 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – ON SALE SOON
Saturday 13th September 2025 – Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil – ON SALE SOON
Sunday 14th September 2025 – Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil – ON SALE SOON
Tuesday 16th September 2025 – New Theatre, Cardiff – TICKETS
Wednesday 17th September 2025 – New Theatre, Cardiff – TICKETS
Thursday 18th September 2025 – New Theatre, Cardiff – TICKETS
Friday 19th September 2025 – New Theatre, Cardiff – TICKETS
Saturday 20th September 2025 – New Theatre, Cardiff – TICKETS
Wednesday 24th September 2025 – Hippodrome, Darlington – ON SALE SOON
Sunday 28th September 2025 – His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen – ON SALE SOON

October 2025

Wednesday 15th October 2025 – Grand Theatre, Swansea – ON SALE SOON
Thursday 16th October 2025 – Grand Theatre, Swansea – ON SALE SOON
Friday 17th October 2025 – Bristol Beacon, Bristol – TICKETS
Saturday 18th October 2025 – Bristol Beacon, Bristol – TICKETS
Tuesday 21st October 2025 – Storyhouse, Chester – ON SALE SOON
Wednesday 22nd October 2025 – Storyhouse, Chester – ON SALE SOON
Thursday 23rd October 2025 – Opera House, Buxton – ON SALE SOON
Friday 24th October 2025 – Opera House, Buxton – ON SALE SOON
Wednesday 29th October 2025 – Cast, Doncaster – ON SALE SOON
Thursday 30th October 2025 – Cast, Doncaster – ON SALE SOON
Friday 31st October 2025 – Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate – ON SALE SOON

November 2025

Saturday 1st November 2025 – Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate – ON SALE SOON
Sunday 2nd November 2025 – Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate – ON SALE SOON
Monday 3rd November 2025 – Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS
Tuesday 4th November 2025 – Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS
Tuesday 11th November 2025 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – ON SALE SOON
Wednesday 12th November 2025 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – ON SALE SOON
Thursday 13th November 2025 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – ON SALE SOON
Friday 14th November 2025 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – ON SALE SOON
Saturday 15th November 2025 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – ON SALE SOON
Monday 17th November 2025 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – ON SALE SOON
Tuesday 18th November 2025 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – ON SALE SOON
Wednesday 19th November 2025 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – ON SALE SOON

11) SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO

Stewart’s 2019 touring show Snowflake/Tornado, which was originally broadcast as a BBC Special in Autumn 2023 is now available to buy or rent “on demand” from www.mediagarageproductions.com

Both shows also appear to be free as part of the current Amazon Prime rosta.  Hopefully I can give them a physical release at some point so you are slaves to the whims of licensing but you know what it’s like. These days.

12) HEADLINERS WITH NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE

I did this podcast with Nihal who really knew his stuff and was a great interveiewer! People seem to have loved it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002342s

13) I ARROGANTLY RECOMMEND SOME HAPPENINGS

ALFIE BROWN
The very good stand-up comedian Alfie Brown tours his OPEN HEARTED HUMAN ENQUIRYshow. alfiebrowncomedian.com

SEPTEMBER

WED 18, 8PM, NORWICH, Arts Centre, 01603 660352, norwichartscentre.co.uk
FRI 20, 7.30PM, CHESTER, Storyhouse, Garret Theatre, 01244 409 113, storyhouse.com
SAT 21, 7.30PM, CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge Junction, 01223 511 511, junction.co.uk
WED 25, 7.30PM, CHELMSFORD, Chelmsford Theatre Studio, 01245 606 505, chelmsfordtheatre.co.uk
THU 26, 7.30PM, WORCESTER, Huntingdon Hall, 01905 611 427, worcestertheatres.co.uk
FRI 27, 7.30PM, TAUNTON, Brewhouse, 01823 283 244, tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk
SAT 28, 8PM, FALMOUTH, The Poly Theatre, 01326 319461, thepoly.org

OCTOBER

WED 2, 8PM, BORDON, Phoenix Arts, The Phoenix Theatre, 01420 472664, phoenixarts.co.uk
THU 3, 7.45PM, BRACKNELL, South Hill Park Arts Centre, 01344 484 123, southhillpark.org.uk
FRI 4, 8PM, PORTSMOUTH, Guildhall, The Lens Studio, portsmouthguildhall.org.uk
SAT 5, 7.30PM, MAIDSTONE, Hazlitt Theatre, Exchange Studio, 01622 758611, parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/hazlitt-theatre
WED 9, 7.30PM, LEEDS, The Wardrobe, thewardrobe.co.uk
THU 10, 8PM, HULL, Social, socialhumberstreet.co.uk
FRI 11, 7.30PM, DARWEN, Darwen Library Theatre, 01254 582579, bwdvenues.com
SAT 12, 7.30PM, LEICESTER, Firebug, 0116 255 1228, firebugbar.net
TUE 15, 7.30PM, LYTHAM ST ANNES, Lowther Pavilion, 01253 794221, lowtherpavilion.co.uk
WED 16, 7.30PM, STAFFORD, Gatehouse Theatre, The MET Studio, 01785 619080, gatehousetheatre.co.uk
THU 17, 7.30PM, BRADFORD, The Studio, 01274 432000, bradford-theatres.co.uk
FRI 18, 7.30PM, STOURBRIDGE, Town Hall, The Wollaston Studio, 01384 812812, boroughhalls.co.uk
SAT 19, 7PM, LIVERPOOL, Hot Water Comedy Club, hotwatercomedy.co.uk
SUN 20, 7.30PM, SCUNTHORPE, The Plowright Theatre, 01724 296296, scunthorpetheatres.co.uk
WED 23, 8PM, SOUTHAMPTON, The Attic, theatticsouthampton.co.uk
THU 24, 9PM, BRIGHTON, Brighton Dome, Studio Theatre, 01273 709709, brightondome.org
TUE 29, 7PM, READING, Just the Tonic, 020 3740 3700, justthetonic.com/reading-comedy/
WED 30, 8PM, BRISTOL, Hen and Chicken, 01275 375 056, henandchicken.com

NOVEMBER

FRI 1, 7.30PM, HARPENDEN, The Eric Morecambe Centre, 01582 767525, the-emc.co.uk
WED 6, 7.30PM, SHREWSBURY, Theatre Severn, Walker Theatre, 01743 281281, theatresevern.co.uk
THU 7, 8.30PM, NOTTINGHAM, Canalhouse, ncfcomedy.co.uk
FRI 22, 7PM, ABERDEEN, Lemon Tree, 01224 641122, aberdeenperformingarts.com
SAT 23, 4PM, GLASGOW, The Stand, 0141 212 3389, thestand.co.uk
SUN 24, 8.30PM, EDINBURGH, Monkey Barrel Comedy, monkeybarrelcomedy.com
MON 25, 8.30PM, NEWCASTLE, The Stand, 0191 232 0707, thestand.co.uk

DECEMBER

FRI 6 & SAT 7, 9.30PM, LONDON, Leicester Square Theatre, 020 7734 2222, leicestersquaretheatre.com
SUN 8, 8PM, NORTHAMPTON, Filmhouse, 01604 624811, royalandderngate.co.uk
SAT 14, 9.30PM, LONDON, Leicester Square Theatre, 020 7734 2222, leicestersquaretheatre.com

MUDHONEY Grunge godheads still growling OCT 1^st Bristol Academy, 2^nd London Electric Ballroom

LONG RYDERS Another final chance to see the resurrected and now seemingly immortal Alt Country Punk pioneers – like the Clash gone Nashville – The Long Ryders.

OCTOBER

10^th Glasgow Oran Mor,
11^th Birkenhead Future Yard,
13^th M’cr Band On The Wall,
14^th Nottingham Metronom2,
16^th London 229,
18^th St Leonards Piper

MARK RADCLIFFE AND MARC RILEY LIVE Slack muthafuckas shoot the breeze. NOV 3^rd Shrewsbury Severn, 5^th Crewe Lyceum, 10^th Warrington Parr Hall.

TIRZAH GARWOOD: Beyond Ravilious, Dulwich Picture Gallery London, 19 November 2024–26 May 2025. The first major exhibition devoted to the artist and designer Tirzah Garwood (1908–1951) since 1952. Best known until now as the wife of Eric Ravilious and as the author of the autobiography Long Live Great Bardfield, Garwood excelled as a fine artist and printmaker. Her diverse and enchanting works are gems of the mid-20th century.

THE DAMNED Black Album/Strawberries line-up, with hard-wristed Holy Grail headhunter Rat Scabies back on drums.

DECEMBER

4^th Newcastle NX,
5^th Glasgow Barrowlands,
6^th M’c Academy,
8^th Leeds Academy,
9^th Nottingham Rock City, 1
0^th W’hampton Halls,
12^th Bristol Beacon,
13^th S’hampton Guuildhall,
14^th Eastbourne Winter Gardens,
16^th Cambs Corn X,
18^th London Roundhouse

CHUCK PROPHET  Chuck’s last live tour was on of the greatest rock and roll shows I ever saw – real huckster guitar slinger stuff that they don’t make anymore. The Mount Rushmore of sandblasted country noir is on the road here again in 2025. Don’t miss. Honestly.
February 19 – Oxford – The Bullingdon
February 20 – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
February 21 – Manchester – Yes Pink Room
February 22 – Newcastle – The Cluny
February 23 – Glasgow – St Lukes
February 24 – Sheffield – Greystones
February 25 – Leicester – The International
February 26 – Nottingham – Metronome
February 27 – Cambridge – Portland Arms
February – 28 Norwich – Arts Centre
March 1 – Hassocks – Mid Sussex Music Hall
March 2 – Bristol – Lantern
March 3 – Birmingham – Hare & Hounds
March 4 – Southampton – 1865
March 5 – London – The Garage

14) IN OUR LAMENTATIONS 2024

Tony Oxley (Sheffield’s Sunny Murray, 1938)
John M Burns (His modesty blazed, 1939)
John Pilger (News terrier, 1939)
David Soul (The covered man, an inspiration 1943)
Annie Nightingale (Gateway drug, 1940)
Pitchfork (Signal to noise, 1996)
Mary Weiss (She led the pack, 1948)
Chris Karrer (Archangel’s Thunderbirdman, 1947)
Iasos (Greek space muso, 1947)
Phil Niblock (NY art noise, 1933)
Pluto Shervington (Ram Goat Liver Eater, 1950)
Tisa Farrow (Zombies ripped her flesh, 1951)
Norman Jewison (Rollerball Superstar, 1926)
Neil Kulkarni (Era-enhancing music critic, 1972)
Wayne Kramer (He kicked out the jams motherfucker, 1945)
Steve Brown (He left Avalon and taught the world to sing, 1954)
Christopher Priest (Dorset future-ist, 1943)
Aston “Family Man” Barrett (dub bass headcase, 1946)
Ian Lavender (Don’t tell him, Pike, 1946)
Damon Suzuki (Krautrock witness cuddled me & Noel Fielding, 1950)
John Rotheroe (Shire Book Seer, 1935)
Steve Wright (massive old-skool pro made it look easy, 1954)
Alan Tomlinson (Jazz trombonist, dry northern wit, beatnik, 1947)
Ewen Mackintosh (Office secondary superstar, 1973)
Jenni Nuttall (Chaucerian)
Richard Lewis (Worthwhile American comedian, 1947)
Nick Dimbleby (Sculptor of note, scholar, gentleman, comedy fan, 1946)
Edward Bond (Whitehouse-infuriator, 1934)
Karl Wallinger (Waterboys’ prime period pianist, 1957)
Eric Carmen (Raspberry sensation, 1949)
Wally Shoup (Hard-blowin’ hero, 1944)
The Wye Salmon (pollution-fucked fish)
Paul Brett (Crazy World guitarist, 1947)
Shane Baldwin (Vice Squad drummer and punk scribe, 1963)
John Sinclair (Beatnik, 1941)
Carl Andre (None more brick, 1935)
Graeme Naysmith (Pale Saint)
Marian Zazeela (Eternal Musician, 1940)
Shelley Ganz (Unclaimed but claimed, at last, 1959)
Steve Albini (Big blackhead, 1962)
Dennis Thompson (He also kicked out the jams motherfucker, 1948)
Gary Floyd (Double happy dick punk, 1953)
Roger Corman (King of the Bees, 1926)
Doug Ingle (The Iron Butterfly, 1945)
Gerry Conway (Folk drummer for hire and tool of anti-CND propaganda, 1947)
Nicholas Ball (His house bled to death, 1946)
Larry Page (Wild thingy, 1936)
Francois Hardy (Chanteuse genieuse, 1944)
Arthur Gaps Hendrickson (Selectaman under pressure, 1951)
James Chance (He contorted himself, 1953)
Donald Sutherland (Kilroy was here, 1935)
Dexter Romwebber (Guitar jet, 1966)
Clarence Frogman Henry (Anthropomorphic blues amphibian, 1937)
Randy Fuller (He fought the law also, 1944)
Lucy Rimmer (She fell briefly on a birthday)
Callum The Highland Red Deer (Killed by twat tourists)
Mark Found (Sound recordist and model railway specialist)
Shelly Duvall (She shone, 1949)
Wendy Ritson (Centipede violinist, 1934)
Jean Williams (Complex Feminine bassist, 1951)
Bob Newhart (I ripped him off, 1929)
Toumani Diabate (Mali kora master, 1965)
Jerry Miller (He was purple and lived under the sea, 1943)
John Mayall (Bluesbreaker broken at last, 1933)
Irene Schweizer (German jazznius, 1941)
Jack Karlson (Succulent Chinese meal, 1942)
Catherine Ribeiro (Oh! My heart is broken! An angel! A true star!1941)
Anthony O’Neill (Brú na Bóinne architect)
Pete Bailey (Josefus/Stone Axe vox)
Brian Trueman (Dangermouseman, 1932)
Rebecca Horn (Concerto anarchist, 1944)
James Earl Jones (He made shit sparkle, 1931)
Dean Roberts (Thela-maturgist, 1975)
Brother Marquis (He had 99 problems and a bitch weren’t one, 1966)
Zoot Money (Ran madly towards Tim Kirkby’s dad’s beach hut, 1942)
Herbie Flowers (He walked on the wild side, 1938)
Pat Collier (He vibrated,1952)
Steve Kille (Dead Dead Meadow Man)
Gavin Webb (Master’s Apprentice,1947)
Alan Delon (Man In A Girl On A Motorcycle, 1935)