😆 Comedy genius

Saw Stewart Lee about 6 weeks ago. He was brilliant but was honing his act for his next TV series apparently.

I’ve recently fallen in love with Adam Hills

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Never heard of Stewart Lee (though I might have), but based on the Bill Hicks clip he’s not very good. The serious discussion is quite interesting as it’s more in depth than much else I’ve come across in this subject. Actually it’s very interesting but certain things about certain people are well known. In fact one of those he mentions c 24 mins would be someone who would not be allowed back in certain venues on the circuit due to it being known that they’d nicked others’ material.

We do have auteur writer performers - would think most are, but I understand his view that there is (in some way) a shift back to the golden days of Hollywood where the writers would be in the background writing for the mystical Star to showcase *their* talent - albeit I’ve taken what he’s said and what’s said here and extrapolated somewhat.

The channel 4 gig is obviously scripted.

Ok, Stewart Lee’s been covered :slight_smile:

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Don’t seem to be able to find the whole thing in YouTube so here it is in dailymotion

Clive Anderson and Peter Cook

From the superb Big Train

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I’m hoping that this is one of the reasons for your username! :laughing:

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Slightly late to the party, but to give the Stewart Lee piece a bit more substance - that Bill Hicks piece is approx a sixth of that routine and you need to hear the lot for it to make sense.

I saw him do this earlier this year, I’m a great Hicks fan and it wasn’t insulting him at all.

It started off as something to do with the death rates of comedians, depression, the pressure of producing new stuff and the suicide rate among performers - mainly because of us.

It might even have referenced musicians who die young and never have to produce that third or fourth album.

Cheery stuff!

It’s all part of Lee’s consistent demand that the audience ups its game and gets jokes - he then blames performer deaths on stupid audiences.

From what I vaguely recall he then explained how every night he is pushed onto the stage by the ghosts of dead comedians, and picks his way between their spirits to get to the microphone - some of whom encourage him to end it all and he hears their voices.

This bit really works when a joke fails and you see him look around at one of these ghosts who in his mind is obviously telling him to end it all and he argues with them.

It is subtle stuff that needs more than a snatch of Youtube to justify, though i understand that some people still won’t like it, it just needing some explaining.

You had to be there!

Either way, the legend of Hicks survives.

And boy does the world need him now!

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Thanks for that RB (hope it’s ok to shorten you). I had understood that the clip was incomplete because the editing was poor: the beginning was essentially the end of the last part and often with comedy the flow is important: hence the use of callbacks and choosing which part of the set goes where.You also need to buy into the performance because without immersion you hear it differently.

It does then tie in with the piece he did where he talks to the Oxford Union about writing and does reflect my view that he seems to be a writer who has a quite high level and register. I didn’t know there was a high death rate among comedians.

Have just quickly looked up Bill Hicks on wiki and from a cursory glance understand him.

On the subject of, if you will, pure comedy should you have the chance do see Milton Jones’ 5 minute gig with the flags. There’s one bit that doesn’t work but the rest is an excellent example of how to play with preconceptions/stereotyping/cultural mores and a little knowledge and make it go a long way - aside from my verbosity, it is bloody funny. It was part of his latest tour this year if that helps. Otherwise the only comedian I know is Eddie Izzard who wasn’t very good last year when I saw him.

Always found these very funny.

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Yes Ant :slight_smile:

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Top choices there, Ted.

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Christ’s Chin! … Alf Ramsays porn Dungeon. Astonishing bumqueen nowhere sadly :frowning:

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Ah, Big Train!

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Ah, Brass Eye!

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