The little-known act which is currently leading the public vote for the Edinburgh Fringe “Comedy God” award has made a triumphant return to the city.
Comedian Stewart Lee brought Frank Chickens onto the stage in front of a packed crowd at the Festival Theatre.
The Edinburgh Comedy Awards, formerly the Perriers, are in their 30th year and new sponsors Foster’s launched a vote to find an all-time “comedy god”.
Lee’s e-mail rant against the award went viral.
About 100,000 people, 50% of the vote, have so far chosen the obscure Anglo-Japanese act over household names such as Michael McIntyre, Eddie Izzard, Lee Evans and Jimmy Carr.
There is just over a week before the award, which is open to all the acts nominated for the Fringe award since 1981, is announced.
Lee, who has been appearing in Edinburgh since 1987, said the Fringe should be about “art for art’s sake”.
He told BBC Scotland: “It should not be about attaching a brand to a high-profile celebrity.”
But Lee, who as the writer of Jerry Springer The Opera is used to controversy, said he did not intend to launch a campaign.
He said: “I literally sent one e-mail when I was annoyed by the competition.
“I don’t have a twitter account or blog or anything like that.
“Then it kicked off and hundreds of thousands of people have been voting for Frank Chickens as all time comedy god.
“The first thing I did was to try to get in touch with them to apologise, in case they had been pushed into something they did not want to be part of.”
Kazuko Hohki, lead member of Frank Chickens, told BBC Scotland she was “amused” by all the attention.
She said the group, which currently has 14 members, was a collection of Japanese “misfits” who sought her out in London.
Hohki said she did not understand stand-up comedy, mainly because her English lanaguage skills were not good enough to listen to someone talking for an hour.
She said Frank Chickens were not comedians, they are a band of performance artists.
Hohki, who said that the Chickens only performed a handful of times each year, said she would be very pleased to pick up the award if they were to win.
“We have a saying in Japanese,” she said.
“Dumpling from the shelf – It is something than runs over you without you expecting it or knowing it even existed.
Lee, whose Festival Theatre show was launching his new book How I Escaped My Certain Fate, added: “The interesting thing about communication these days is that when some big company blunders into something without really thinking about it there is the possibility now for the public to voice their annoyance, which never used to exist.”
“I think increasingly you are going to get large swathes of the public saying. Let’s just wreck this.”
The Foster’s Comedy Awards will be announced on 28 August.
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, 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
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter