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
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, 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
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk