This is the thread for comedy recommendations, particularly stuff that’s easy to watch online.
My starter for ten is Three Fights, Two Weddings and a Funeral.
There’s an earlier vid, Paul Calf’s Video Diary , which is well worth seeking out, especially if you’re into that whole continuity thing, but this, I love this. It’s just packed with decent jokes, once again playing middle class social climbers off beautifully against Paul and Fat Bob’s rough Northern “charm”.
Watch everything by Stewart Lee.
Scoop your lungs back in (you’ll have laughed them out, y’see).
Come back here and thank me.
That’ll get you started.
His old sparring partner Richard Herring has slightly more patchy output, but his Leicester Square Theatre podcast is reliably great and features some fantastic guests.
ant, as the site butler, it is officially my job to welcome you to papsweb (See unique to me Butler Badge in the profile!).
Welcome to papsweb!
I just wanted to ensure that you have all you need for a pleasant stay.
His papship asked me to remind you that he doesn’t get Stewart Lee - but suggests that you keep trying as it’s surely just a matter of time before he gets over Mr. Lee’s dissing of Bill Hicks.
Anyway, Let me know if there’s anything you need during your stay.
I’ve taken the liberty of asking Louise to bring you up a nice cup of cocoa, to turn down your sheets and press your trousers ready for the morning.
Sleep well.
Originally posted by @saintbletch
I’ve taken the liberty of asking Louise to bring you up a nice cup of cocoa, to turn down your sheets and press your trousers ready for the morning.
Cock off!
Thou shalt not smite the Hicks, bletch. Especially when one is talented enough to take aim at much worthier targets.
Actually, I’ve seen enough of Lee’s stuff to guess that he did the Hicks thing precisely because people accuse him of going after the same people all the time.
Thanks, Belch Taints! I can’t recall having ironed a single garment in my lifetime, so that’ll be a nice treat.
That clip of Stew, in isolation, could be taken in completely the wrong way - in much the same manner that if you extracted a section of him lampooning observational comedy, you may be able to make him appear a run-of-the-mill panel show jester. Really you need to watch his shows wholesale, as it’s rare for there not to be a narrative pinning it all together.
I may not laugh as often at Stewart Lee shows, but when he eventually reaches the crescendo of a joke it’s a wonder I make it out alive.
No problem, erm, tan/nat/tna?
You’re preaching to the choir here - not that you’re ordained, and I’m no longer allowed in church since The incident.
I’m a big fan of Stewart Lee’s - although I haven’t seen him live. It was his papship that has the issue with Lee. I remembered pap commenting in the other place, that he wasn’t sure about Lee before, but having seen his joke at the expense of Bill Hick’s memory, he had no inclination to investigate any further.
papster, please correct me if I’m misrepresenting you.
Personally, I can only see the Bill Hick’s routine as an attack on lazy critics and a back-handed compliment to Hicks.
If you’ve got an hour to spare, here’s an excellent video of a lecture he gave to his old Oxford college. He talks about how much effort he puts into his stand-up routine, and it’s really interesting to see him outside of his comedy ‘character’.
You are misrepresenting me, but only a little bit. I really like Stewart Lee’s stuff, know the bloke’s history, his and Herring’s feud with Patrick Marber, and I’ve actually seen this speech before. I don’t agree with his choice as Hicks as target, even though I suspect Hicks may have.
Anyway, this video is interesting because he demolishes the myth that we have writer-auteur performers. He’s one, and deserves a lot of respect for it. The likes of McIntyre, Whitehall and Carr all use writers. Frankie Boyle used to write for Carr.
I love Jack Dee. Can be a bit lazy sometimes, and recycle a bit of material. This is his pre-independence referendum plea to a Glaswegian crowd.
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
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.
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!
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.
