“No one is equipped to review me,” said Stewart Lee towards the end of a comedy masterclass that pushed the audience at a packed Royal Concert Hall to the limit.
He was joking, obviously. Well, I think he was. And that sums up the tightrope he walked throughout his lengthy show (he came on just after 8 and there was a 20-minute interval but it was still after 10.35pm when he leapt off the stage and ran up the aisle to sign autographs). Even to describe the material betrays it. What sounds snide written down was often joyous in the room.
He was at his most devastating in the first half, brilliantly taking on the frequent “anti-PC” question: “Why don’t any of you lefty comedians make fun of Muslims?” This was thrillingly intelligent stuff, with Lee forensically lampooning “observational” stand-up, telling wannabe “Islamophobic” jokes in the voice of Roy “Chubby” Brown and launching into an inspired, hysterically ill-informed, rant against Quakers.
He jokily divided the audience into the brighter “hardcore fans” who had bought stalls tickets and the rest of us – “chaff”, only there because he’d been on telly. This led to a spiralling riff on the pressures facing comedians and the fact that so many comics have taken their own lives. This was frequently uncomfortable but never less than hilarious. “It’s audiences like you that essentially murdered Robin Williams,” he said, justifiably bringing down the house. You had to be there.
The second half, about the lunacies of nationalism and home life, was more relaxed and rambling – exactly right after the peaks of part one. Lee, one of the best live comedians I’ve ever seen, is using this tour to develop material for a new series of his BBC Comedy Vehicle shows. On this evidence, it’s going to be unmissable.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, 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
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.