FRANKIE Boyle would have you believe that comics hitting 40 lose their potency, the righteous anger that compels them to mock the Queen’s anatomy on comedy panel shows. At 41, Stewart Lee is not about to let this lie and meticulously dissects the Glaswegian’s assertion, as he does everything else in this show, with playful aggression and measured sarcasm.
One of the genuinely thrilling aspects of seeing Lee is trying to ascertain just how deep his distaste for something extends before he blows it up into one of his elaborate set-pieces, especially as some of the targets are so close – his employers at the BBC and a Sunday newspaper are guilty by association of the emergence of the “Russell comedian” and the rise of Jeremy Clarkson.
Yet it’s Clarkson’s partner in politically incorrect sniggering, Richard Hammond, who bears the brunt of Lee’s ire. And just so any tabloid newspapers or bootleggers posting out-of-context YouTube clips of him denouncing his ex-schoolmate understand, he truly wishes Hammond had died in his car crash, with all the jollying contempt the Top Gear presenters reserve for Gordon Brown’s blindness or the “myth” of climate change.
His last routine, some furious grandstanding at the vacuity of advertising, is rendered all the sweeter for taking a pop at the cider sponsors of the Glasgow Comedy Festival, which, despite flirting with self-parody, is a suitably impressive climax. As a coda, he adds something allegedly shocking in contemporary stand-up, a seemingly genuine attempt to do something sincerely and well, singing Steve Earle’s Galway Girl.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv