When Stewart Lee tells his audience towards the end of his show that he is the comic that cannot be reviewed, he may have a point.
It might be a cliché to say that he is the stand up comedian for people who don’t like stand up comedians, but in truth I’m not a stand up fan but I love Stewart Lee. His Marmite approach to comedy is certainly unique, and after 25 years in the industry he is as tricky to pigeonhole as ever.
He lays his craft bare, informing us at the start of the show of what routines he will be doing, for how long and even that we get a bonus encore (but he won’t be leaving the stage). When he rips into the audience with full force for 15 minutes before the interval for not getting his jokes, he makes sure he apologises in the second half reassuring those who’ve not seen him before, it was just for a laugh.
A Room with a Stew is Lee’s current show that is a test run of material for his upcoming fourth BBC series of Comedy Vehicle, so it is a piecemeal affair that doesn’t run as smoothly as some of his other shows such as 2012’s Carpet Remnant World, but he admits to the fact that it is shoddy by weaving this into his act, highlighting the difference of £4 on the ticket price so he can afford to park his van full of backdrops.
Lee doesn’t strictly tell jokes and finds pleasure in putting down the comedy hierarchy. No-one is safe, from Lee Mack and Russell Brand to Tim Vine and Jimmy Carr. Roy Chubby Brown might be an easy target but Lee manages to do it so well it’s forgiveable. His playful reluctance to sell himself as a laugh out loud comedian is evident on his poster for the tour that includes a quote from the Telegraph stating that “Stewart Lee is not funny and has nothing to say”.
He relishes the fact that he is unlike his comedy peers at one point telling us that we will be asked later on, “Did you laugh at Stewart Lee?” our response will be “No but I agreed the fuck out of him”. Despite his protestations, Lee is hilarious even when stretching out half an hour’s worth of material about his cat who he has named “Paul Nuttalls from Ukips”.
Stewart Lee is a craftsman and he loves to explain to his audience how he is making them laugh, talking us through his art and trying to catch them out at every turn. This approach is never po-faced and is fascinating to see. In his book, How I escaped my fate: The Life and Deaths of a stand-up comedian (highly recommended), he breaks his act down into the finest detail.
When you consider the work that he puts into making his audience squirm and laugh in equal measure it is easy to believe his faux bitterness at losing the best comedian BAFTA to Graham Norton, who Lee points out “just tips member of the public off a chair”. Much like The Fall’s Mark E Smith, of whom Lee is an outspoken follower, he doesn’t yearn to be popular like the mainstream Norton’s and McIntyre’s of this world, just to be heard.
Lee has given over two nights of his mammoth five month tour to The Phil, when he does return he is well worth a look. His new series of Comedy Vehicle screens in the New Year. Once experienced, you’ll never watch Live at the Apollo again.
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com