Either Stewart Lee has been having a bad year or some people have really got under his skin.
Criticising Frankie Boyle early in an over-long show, was a brave move in Glasgow, considering the former Mock the Week star is playing to a slightly larger theatre venue for the rest of the week.
Frankie’s sin, it appears, was to say that comedians should stop at 40, as after that they “lose the anger”. Boyle is 38, Stewart Lee 41. However, if Lee managed something on Monday evening, he convinced that there was fury in the old boy yet.
Being quite a meandering and sometimes painfully-self-satisfied-in-his-own-silence comic, his set opened with a coffee shop loyalty card joke that could only have been told by a middle-class, 40-something new parent living in London. Other topics of hate included the Three Bears of Top Gear and a Richard Hammond personal anecdote that turned out to be completely falsified.
Vitriol aside, there was a feigned comedic nervous breakdown to enjoy as Mr Lee (almost) bounded around the Citz, letting people in the limited view seats see more of his maddened mug.
He ended with a cider tale about plurality, featuring a Magners advert I’d never heard of. He linked that oddly to a sing-song of his favourite song Galway Girl, which he is trying to reclaim from bad memory.
If that sounds mad, that’s because it was.
Sponsored by Magners
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube