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