In praise of… Stewart Lee - June 2011 The Guardian - June 2nd, 2011

His performances unfurl like a stroll on a summer’s day: scenery and good companionship take precedence over destination When praising a comedian it is generally a good idea to quote one of his or her jokes. The trouble with Stewart Lee is that he doesn’t really do gags – at least not in the traditional…

Stewart Lee’s Complete Vegetable Stew - May 2011 Morning Star - By Jack Carr - May 31st, 2011

In what seems like an act of closure on his 30 year career as it stands, Stewart Lee has crushed selected material into a three-hour evening in what could easily be termed a binge. As usual with Lee there are many levels to this show, which describes a considered arc from some of his most…

Stewart Lee – The Complete Vegetable Stew. - May 2011 Asheq.co.uk - By Ash in Art - May 28th, 2011

There’s no doubt that my favourite, living British comedian is Stewart Lee. Last night, he played to almost 2,200 people at the Royal Festival Hall. Having seen Lee a few times now, this was easily the largest crowd I’ve seen him perform to. Introduced by Armando Iannucci, The Complete Vegetable Stew lasted 3hrs 45mins (including…

Boris – Heavy Rocks 2011 - May 2011 May 25th, 2011

On Heavy Rocks, the durable Japanese trio Boris interrogate and deform standard metal, underground and hard rock moves to the point where they become borderline avant-garde gestures. Riot Sugar is a pulsating riff that resolutely refuses to evolve. Leak-Truth Yesnoyesnoyes begins with the explosive psychedelic wig out you usually find at the end of a…

The BellRays – Black Lightning - May 2011 May 25th, 2011

For two decades The BellRays have sounded like a cranked up Seventies Detroit scuzz band fronted by a Sixties soul belter. When the reformed MC5 toured with replacement vocalists The Bellrays’ Lisa Kekaula gave her best punk rock Aretha. Their fourteenth album varies the mix with the big funk of Sun Comes Down, the showboating…

Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts - May 2011 May 22nd, 2011

For over two decades, Sonic Youth’s ageless hipster Thurston Moore has pursued stylistically disparate side-projects, from jazz noise to finger-picked folk. Now he alights upon acoustic balladry, a scoundrel’s last refuge. Samara Lubelski’s pellucid cello plugs gaps gaping for guitar feedback, and Moore’s inescapable downtown sensibilities create an urban-pastoral hybrid. Circulation pulsates unamplified on the…