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