Stewart Lee is the absolute master of manipulating time, be it repetition or an incredibly long shaggy dog story, but it's never wasted, it's always to drive home a particular point beautifully.
@@diplodocusstevenson7182 Ianmundo probably means #1, but it could be any of: 1. The way he divides the audience into 2 groups.. Smart and stupid. 2. The way his stage persona hates the audience that is 'beneath' him. 3. The way he toys with audience expectations, explains jokes, and draws out unexpected humour by subverting typical delivery and punchlines.
these weird half-plausible stories that turn out to not be true are some of my favourite parts of his routines. he did a similar routine surrounding david cameron; the two were actually at oxford at the same time
I just saw his latest show in Canterbury and there was a glorious bit about nobody having ever faced the audience until 2016 when Fleabag did it, and then he did a whole section with his back to the audience "pre-fleabag". Brilliant.
"Just imagine waking up & realising you are Mexican." = Just imagine waking up and realising you are Richard Hammond… Which he did after that car crash.
He takes us on these surreal journeys, some deliberately up a blind alley but always entertaining. Whipsmart and knowing, he is the master of his trade.
Shouldn't lee be at the hague? Maybe all the-more likely now, due to his recent smug progressonazi goose-stepping complicity with the media-pervasive obscene manifesto of the tyrannous medico fascism, mediated by the absurdo'-o'clock '''vaccidental coinci-dology''' of the the pseudo elites'' and their soviet schills and pseudo 'intellectual'' pawns... Who, would be on the dumb ass verge another Kristallnacht if they'd only had what it takes... Merely reproducing the toxic feminine, passive -atrocious, and characteristically cowardly and unprincipled, soviet lockstep with 'any means necessary' and everything thats at the apex of patience testing razz 😒 ...that being said, as an an adoptee myself, I respected the '''''''' out of his comedy, up to a point. Shame. He brings plenty talent. Gs,... Though the dummas would call me a '''denier'''' on things that he believes... with all the self awareness of a David Cameron rat wearing chinos 😒
I know he already said it fuckface. I was quoting it. Its got nine thumbs up and is in fact in the top comments so I'm obviously not that "retarded". Plus if you look at when I posted it it was two years ago, so why bother replying to it now?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solihull_School#Arts_and_entertainment Arts and entertainment[edit] William Shenstone, poet Richard Jago, poet John Taylor, classicist Stewart Lee, comedian Richard Hammond, journalist and television presenter Mike Bullen, writer Michael Buerk, broadcaster and journalist Philip Achille, harmonica player Simon Mayo, BBC radio DJ and author of two books David Briggs, organist and composer Laurence Cummings, harpsichordist, organist, and conductor Paul Hale, organist and Rector Chori of Southwell Minster James Barralet, cellist Johnnie Walker, radio DJ Andy Dickens, jazz musician Ritchie Neville, musician Neil Andrew Megson AKA Genesis P-Orridge, musician Lizo Mzimba, journalist and television presenter Richard Batchelor, singer and guitarist of Ricky Spontane Adrian Nicholas Godfrey AKA Nikki Sudden guitarist and vocalist of Swell Maps, and collaborator with R.E.M. Kevin Paul Godfrey AKA Epic Soundtracks drummer of Swell Maps, These Immortal Souls, and Crime And The City Solution Miles Ratledge drummer of Napalm Death Kenneth Spiers of '70s punk band Spizzenergi, covered by R.E.M. Richard Wolfson, musician of Fischer-Z and Towering Inferno Brian Cuthbertson Operation Julie LSD guru
George, Stewart Lee was born in April 1968 and Richard Hammond in December 1969. So they wouldn't have been in the same year but they would definitely have been at the Solihull school at the same time (and closer together than 5 years as Lee says in the routine). And Nicholas Bullen of Napalm Death was from Birmingham and must have gone to school with Lee & Miles Ratledge (and is the Nick Napalm that Lee refers to) even though he is not listed on Wikipedia at the school.
Im now really intrigued as to wheather Stewart ever met Richard. Sure enough Wiki has them both attending Solihull school and they are only a year apart in age.
I think he is the unintelligent person's idea of an intellectual, as someone once said of Aldous Huxley. Apparently Lee tries to use Brecht's Alienation effect in his comedy. I'm pretty sure Brecht would have despised him.
Ok, with that logic I think he`s an utter kunt and a massively over rated shyte comedian........but he`s undeniably the best............righty ho then 🤔🤔🤔🤔
@@hyywe240 They pretend to know. Don`t try and make out he`s the new George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce or even the late great Bob Monkhouse, the best stand up I have been privileged to see on a stage because I have news for you.....he ain`t
Stewart Lee born 5th April 1968 in Wellington, Shropshire, Richard Hammond born in Solihull, 19th December 1969. Both did attend Solihull school. Lee plays fast and loose with the truth but as with many of the other great creative minds there is nevertheless more than a smidgeon of reality behind his fiction. I didn't expect Napalm Death and orienteering in the Brecon Beacons- lovely area, that, by the way- any more than I would originally have expected the Spanish inquisition before their popping up became not exactly predictable but much less surprising.
I can't remember the name of a single person in the year below me at school, I struggle to believe he actually remembers Hammond when he was 5 years below him, they barely spent much time in that school together and they wouldn't have interacted in any way, unless Lee bullied him which I can believe.
This is a letter sent to me by Stewart Lee, who went to school with the originators of Napalm Death, here are his comments on this experience: “I went to the private fee-paying boys’ school in Solihull, West Midlands from 1979-1986. Napalm Death were all in the year above me, apart from Nic Bullen, who I think was then known as Nic Scab. “The Rat” was a really nice bloke called something Ratledge, who I think left over musical differences when he got into early posi-punk stuff like Southern Death Cult. I think he was called Nick Ratledge (Actually his name is Miles!). He was the drummer I think (Yes, Mick Harris confirmed this). He was thin and small and often had a runny nose, but was one of those people who could always make a school uniform look like a scarecrow’s outfit. I remember, after the first Southern Death Cult single came out he wanted Napalm Death to go in more of that direction. You have to remember, all music was shit in the early 80’s, and even though Southern Death Cult ended up as the awful Cult, it was a veritable wilderness back then and they seemed brilliant. I thought he was really cool and was impressed that he spoke to me. Other members of the band were this guy who had a leather jacket with a picture of The Damned, who played a fisherman in a school production of the Agatha Christie play 10 Little Indians (…) he just had a European kind of name. I remember now it was Darren or Daryl Fideski. Maybe he had a Russian family. I dunno. He played guitar with early Napalm Death for a bit, or it might have been bass. His hero was Captain Sensible from The Damned. (…) after he left Napalm Death he was critical of what he called their “Crass style instrumental pieces”. (…) and a blonde boy with a freckly face (…) He was called Rob something (and) I used to go mountain walking with in Wales. At about the time they appeared on the Bullshit Detector compilations Napalm Death were about 15 years old. it’s worth explaining that Napalm Death in 1982/3 weren’t operating out of some urban nightmare landscape. Aprt from Nick, who I didn’t know at all, they were all living in a middle-class, semi-rural suburb of Birmingham, Solihull. It’s closer to Stratford, the pretty tourist town associated with Shakespeare, than to the centre of the city. Most of Napalm Death were nice, middle class kids that you’ be happy to introduce to your grandmother. They weren’t urban warriors. Also, speed metal, death metal etcetera were genres that just didn’t exist back in the early 80’s. The early Napalm Death were in the vein of Crass, and the difference between songs like Traditional Society or Punk Is A Rotting Corpse on their first demo tape and the album Scum is incredible. Also bands just didn’t have names like Extreme Noise Terror, Cradle of Filth or Napalm Death back then. I remember the name causing much amusement at school - it seemed so absurdly over the top. I imagine there may have been an element of humour in choosing it, but it would be presumptuous to say so. (No itwouldn’t, you are probably right Stewart - Web) This meant nothing to me at the time, but the Napalm Death lot and their mates were the cool older kids who liked good music, whilst everyone in my year liked shit like Saxon, Iron Maiden, and New Wave of British Heavy Metal (obs: the owner of this page doesn’t necessarily agrees with this opinion, even though I do think that most of Saxon’s records are SHITE! And i don’t hate Iron Maiden or anything, I actually like them a bit - Web), even though they’d deny it these days. Last time I saw D Fideski was in about 1984 at a Sisters of Mercy concert (oh dear - I was young) and he was on magic mushrooms I only saw them (live) once. It was at Dorridge Village Hall in about 1982 or 1983. Dorridge was a little village just outside Birmingham (…) (It) was the kind of place where you would have Cub Scout Meetings, Infant School plays and local Christmas pantomimes. This was very small scale. Napalm Death performed in front of a banner that said “Punk Is A Rotting Corpse” and this was the title of one of the songs the performed. The music was like Crass. They were supporting Nobody’s Heroes, a Stiff Little Fingers covers band fronted by my friend Tim Collingwood’s brother. As usual in the early 80’s there were some hard punks there who kept hitting my friend Pete Davis on the head during the Nobody’s Heroes set so, being 14 or so, we had to run away. The violence at the gig was not part of some wider trend within a “grindcore” scene or anything. There wasn’t a scene. It was just 14 year olds fighting. I used to have a copy of the demo tape from this era but I taped over it. When I saw Napalm Death they were children aping their idols, and being spat at by a small audience of middle class teenagers who thought that was a ‘punk’ thing to do. But what was impressive about it was they’d got on a record and shown you could do stuff. For me, Napalm Death was a link from our tiny closetted community out to a wider world of possibilities. And I still sometimes find myself singing Traditional Society, although the only words I can remember are the chorus - “Traditional Society, Traditional Society, Traditional Society, Traditional Societ-eeeee!”. I don’t know how interesting this is to you, but whenever I read about or hear about Napalm Death, grindcore originators, it always amazes me to remember them playing Dorridge Village hall as pubesecent public schoolboys. Even at their worst, they were an inspiration.” Source: disposableunderground.com/early-napalm-death-old-school-content-from-long-dead-fan-site/ Notes: Ghirotti introduces the letter. He had inserted parenthetical comments to it.
Fantastic read, thanks. I suspected a lot of what Stewart said (I.e. seeing them at Dorridge Hall) was legitimate. Only disappointing thing is Iron Maiden being labelled as shite when they are far from it.
Good find...and agreed ..Saxon are shite....They were the main inspiration for Spinal Tap (and I believe also 'Bad News' too who were even before Spinal Tap)
I love how each comedian has their signature style. Stewart Lee is so dry and laconic yet compelling. Compare him to Russell Kane, who is also very funny but completely different.
Anybody know what special this is from? So many of my favorite jokes are from it, with the blue lighting and the guitar in the back. Pear cider etc. Anyone know which special?
@@jlc7841 I'm not sure what your comment means? I find it sad that a man I've watched and admired for thirty years now spends 90% of his time onstage criticising other people..... and you're like... "..... meh blah blah Michael Macintyre.... shopping trolleys...." What is your point??
Maybe I'm out of touch with British comedy but this was just impossibly boring all for a story he then says is untrue... a lot of build up with no actual punchline just to jab at someone more famous than him? at least the crowd seemed to enjoy it I guess
He really isn’t. Modern stand up is not great. Not in the UK, anyway. There’s a trick these guys have somehow managed to pull off - namely they’ve somehow managed to convince audiences that their unfunniness kind of ironically funny. For some of the audience. For the rest of us…he’s just a smug, tedious, half-smart dickhead with a superiority complex. Who isn’t funny.
“I used to go orienteering with Napalm Death.” I’m going to enjoy that sentence for a very long time.
Love Napalm Death lol they're touring the US now..
‘The Original LineUp’!
@@68Bards if i remember rightly, Napalm Death are one of those bands who have no original members left in the current line-up
You suffer but why is a bit drawn out though???
@Macavity that's the joke pal and it's only 3 seconds
Stewart Lee is the absolute master of manipulating time, be it repetition or an incredibly long shaggy dog story, but it's never wasted, it's always to drive home a particular point beautifully.
@Fight Culture nope
That’s correct. I agree the f*** out of that! 😅👍
@Fight Club MMA I'm genuinely curious why you would bother to watch this video then
@Fight Club MMA if you think about it for more than a moment, surly has an E in it, surely ?
@Fight Club MMA: You’ve got the cheek to call other people boring whilst typing out some of the most tedious, dull drivel imaginable? Fucking hell. 😂
I remember never meeting Stewart or ever speaking with him, and we still remain in contact just as much to this day...
I have never met you either. Thanks for all the Xmas cards you didn't send me.
Stop boasting about which celebrities you're not in touch with. I'm only not in touch with Andi Peters.
once you latch on to Stewart Lee’s competition with the audience it just becomes so addictive
What do you mean?
Latch?
@@diplodocusstevenson7182
Ianmundo probably means #1, but it could be any of:
1. The way he divides the audience into 2 groups.. Smart and stupid.
2. The way his stage persona hates the audience that is 'beneath' him.
3. The way he toys with audience expectations, explains jokes, and draws out unexpected humour by subverting typical delivery and punchlines.
I can tell you from experience as an edinburger Glasgow audiences are the funniest in the uk and they are pretty brutal if they don't like you.
@@xxxxSylphxxxxhe's also doing this in Glasgow, and sets them against Edinburgh for laughing at libraries
When you realise the three older boys symbolise Clarkson, May and Willman...
_Forget Richard “The Hamster” Hammond._
*_I wanna hear about Stewart’s times with Napalm Death._*
The space freighter "Scorpio" from the fourth and final season of Blake's 7 has let itself go
Was just listening to napalm death and it reminded me of this sketch.
Napalm Death have let themselves go.
"I used to go orienteering with the original line up of napalm death" is one of the hardest lines I've ever heard
They really did go to the same school, Solihull.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solihull_School#Notable_alumni
these weird half-plausible stories that turn out to not be true are some of my favourite parts of his routines. he did a similar routine surrounding david cameron; the two were actually at oxford at the same time
Drinking th piss and vomit
I just saw his latest show in Canterbury and there was a glorious bit about nobody having ever faced the audience until 2016 when Fleabag did it, and then he did a whole section with his back to the audience "pre-fleabag". Brilliant.
I’ve seen Stew loads of times. His battle with the audience always has me crying.
He gives it to us straight, like pear cider that's made from 100% pears.
*pear
That’s an appalling mis use of a traditional family saying
I used to know Ian's parents, Mr & Mrs Napalm.
Guys a genius, met him at Lancaster University years ago. Such a funny fella.
Jeremy Clarkson has let himself go
Yup...very much so !!
"Just imagine waking up & realising you are Mexican." = Just imagine waking up and realising you are Richard Hammond… Which he did after that car crash.
He takes us on these surreal journeys, some deliberately up a blind alley but always entertaining. Whipsmart and knowing, he is the master of his trade.
Yeah he's funny, nuff said.
and the master of his tirade.
A Top Gear Joke of a blind alley of course
Saw Stewart at the stand this year in Edinburgh,still absolutely hilarious.
He actually did go to Solihull School with Richard Hammond and Napalm Death. Simon Mayo and the guys from Swell Maps went there aswell.
Love this Sardonic,Intelligent man-Brilliant, Richly-observed Standup!
Shouldn't lee be at the hague? Maybe all the-more likely now, due to his recent smug progressonazi goose-stepping complicity with the media-pervasive obscene manifesto of the tyrannous medico fascism, mediated by the absurdo'-o'clock '''vaccidental coinci-dology''' of the the pseudo elites'' and their soviet schills and pseudo 'intellectual'' pawns... Who, would be on the dumb ass verge another Kristallnacht if they'd only had what it takes... Merely reproducing the toxic feminine, passive -atrocious, and characteristically cowardly and unprincipled, soviet lockstep with 'any means necessary' and everything thats at the apex of patience testing razz 😒 ...that being said, as an an adoptee myself, I respected the '''''''' out of his comedy, up to a point. Shame. He brings plenty talent. Gs,... Though the dummas would call me a '''denier'''' on things that he believes... with all the self awareness of a David Cameron rat wearing chinos 😒
@@beakfordclakington1337 using big words doesn't make you look intelligent.
@@FPSIreland2 Myfanwy Cliodhnadh!
You can use sardonic but you can't use a hyphen correctly
A-ha would kill Napalm Death in orienteering...what can I say, Norwegians love orienteering 😉
Norwegians love planning a route to walk and then walking along that pre planned route? and who knows where that being boring stereotype came from?
Orienteering with the original lineup of Napalm Death.
I know he already said it fuckface. I was quoting it. Its got nine thumbs up and is in fact in the top comments so I'm obviously not that "retarded". Plus if you look at when I posted it it was two years ago, so why bother replying to it now?
Because he's a twat.
14 thumbs up and three years ago now lol
and how many people think your funny?
Well I didn’t see it. RUclips never alerted me about the reply. I only saw it by chance after randomly watching this video.
Ian Napalm has let himself go
This is what happens with kids who grow up without the fundamental joy of ice cream. Let that be a lesson to yourselves, children.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solihull_School#Arts_and_entertainment
Arts and entertainment[edit]
William Shenstone, poet
Richard Jago, poet
John Taylor, classicist
Stewart Lee, comedian
Richard Hammond, journalist and television presenter
Mike Bullen, writer
Michael Buerk, broadcaster and journalist
Philip Achille, harmonica player
Simon Mayo, BBC radio DJ and author of two books
David Briggs, organist and composer
Laurence Cummings, harpsichordist, organist, and conductor
Paul Hale, organist and Rector Chori of Southwell Minster
James Barralet, cellist
Johnnie Walker, radio DJ
Andy Dickens, jazz musician
Ritchie Neville, musician
Neil Andrew Megson AKA Genesis P-Orridge, musician
Lizo Mzimba, journalist and television presenter
Richard Batchelor, singer and guitarist of Ricky Spontane
Adrian Nicholas Godfrey AKA Nikki Sudden guitarist and vocalist of Swell Maps, and collaborator with R.E.M.
Kevin Paul Godfrey AKA Epic Soundtracks drummer of Swell Maps, These Immortal Souls, and Crime And The City Solution
Miles Ratledge drummer of Napalm Death
Kenneth Spiers of '70s punk band Spizzenergi, covered by R.E.M.
Richard Wolfson, musician of Fischer-Z and Towering Inferno
Brian Cuthbertson Operation Julie LSD guru
George, Stewart Lee was born in April 1968 and Richard Hammond in December 1969. So they wouldn't have been in the same year but they would definitely have been at the Solihull school at the same time (and closer together than 5 years as Lee says in the routine). And Nicholas Bullen of Napalm Death was from Birmingham and must have gone to school with Lee & Miles Ratledge (and is the Nick Napalm that Lee refers to) even though he is not listed on Wikipedia at the school.
I don't get taken in by anything. but this was brilliant! SL is a genius.
I fucking loved Napalm Death...
Suggs has let himself go
Im now really intrigued as to wheather Stewart ever met Richard. Sure enough Wiki has them both attending Solihull school and they are only a year apart in age.
Everyone has met Richard Hammond. I once chatted to him on the steps of Liverpool St. Station while he was waiting for a lift.
Funny thing is, Stewart mentioned that Richard Hammond looks like Skeletor in comparison.
there are no punchlines, just constant jabs, even in the gaps, which are punchlines
Orienteering with Napalm Death has let himself go.
Are you the real Rod Hull ?
I'd love to meet a person who is a real hamster.
😅😅😅😅👍
Hearing this made me so angly!
Napalm Death have let themselves go
That’s because in Edinburgh, there version of a hard man is a library monitor. 😂
You come across about as hard as a damp eclaire.
@@GingerDrums aayyy claaaaer. By the way.
The BBC have let Top Gear go.............
Genius!
Not his funniest material. I was underwhelmed I'm afraid. Some of his Hammond stuff is better than this.
RUclips's choice of algorithmically selected adverts on Stewart Lee videos: Castrol GTX and Jordan's Country Crisp.
He makes me laugh, I don't care about anything else, end of.
Silly Silhillians!
He opens with NINE jokes in one minute.
And hes a laconic deadpan too!
Napalm Death have spruced themselves up, unlike the mic. holder who looks like a festive Alexei Sayle these days 😉
😴
The worst Observational comedian in the best way possible! Stewart is a stone cold killer with that mic.
90% of his act goes over the crowd's head he's a very intelligent man .I think he amuses himself more than anything else
I'd say that's more than patronising.
@@sevensixes7 I'm also rude and ignorant but it's offset with me being very bad temperd so no one notices the rest
No it didn't, he literally stopped when they laughed at the fake Library bit.
I think he is the unintelligent person's idea of an intellectual, as someone once said of Aldous Huxley. Apparently Lee tries to use Brecht's Alienation effect in his comedy. I'm pretty sure Brecht would have despised him.
You mean it goes over your head
Aaargh! 2nd best joke crashes + burns now what for Stewart ? Brecons beacons = no laughing matter
It doesn't matter if he isn't your favourite comedian, he is undeniably the best
Ok, with that logic I think he`s an utter kunt and a massively over rated shyte comedian........but he`s undeniably the best............righty ho then 🤔🤔🤔🤔
@@hissingsidll750 yeah that's what I'm saying, even if you don't understand it, enough people do to know its the best
@@hyywe240 They pretend to know. Don`t try and make out he`s the new George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce or even the late great Bob Monkhouse, the best stand up I have been privileged to see on a stage because I have news for you.....he ain`t
@@hissingsidll750 he is
@@hyywe240 If you think that you want your head looking at. You obviously know nothing about comedy stand up
I've been watching this again this week 😜 I had forgotten how near the knuckle it is ⚡
I checked the Wikipedia and feel happy now
I know Dorridge village scout hut.
Stewart lee = doc martin' character off that show.... doc martim
Pure Gold.
Top gear nuthuggers assemble
My old Library Monitor’s let him self go a bit
Those twin brothers from BROS, have really let themselves go!
Bloke from UB40 has let himself go.
good to see Dorridge get a namecheck!
Orienteering with Napalm Death 👊😂
Kim Kardashian has let herself go.
This is a Napalm Death story, even better!
5mins in and an ad pops up.
That is so Richard Hammond
2020 anyone???
Stewart Lee born 5th April 1968 in Wellington, Shropshire, Richard Hammond born in Solihull, 19th December 1969. Both did attend Solihull school. Lee plays fast and loose with the truth but as with many of the other great creative minds there is nevertheless more than a smidgeon of reality behind his fiction. I didn't expect Napalm Death and orienteering in the Brecon Beacons- lovely area, that, by the way- any more than I would originally have expected the Spanish inquisition before their popping up became not exactly predictable but much less surprising.
mizofan I mean it’s a stand up joke to be fair
These are jokes built on a foundation of lies.
@@shelbyvillerules9962
It's stand-up. No fucking shit it's made up. Did you think you discovered penicillin by making that observation or something?
@@Micho55 It was just a joke, you know like on Top Gear?
What gave it away, the fact that he explicitly said he wasn't true after?
Genius
Class act.
People who dont find him funny are the lower half of iq average.
I assume you must find him terribly dull then, judging by your lack of grammatical command.
I think the words "Ian Napalm" are probably the funniest ever uttered in the history of comedy.
I had a mouthful of water right before the ian napalm line
I can't remember the name of a single person in the year below me at school, I struggle to believe he actually remembers Hammond when he was 5 years below him, they barely spent much time in that school together and they wouldn't have interacted in any way, unless Lee bullied him which I can believe.
Sometimes I fear Stewart Lee is just wasting his time…
Tell em Martyn!
They were a year apart. And he says the joke is fictional.
I'm guessing it's a joke, considering the context
Maybe you don't understand his comedy. In which case, jog on!
that's 10.15 seconds of my life i wont get back
Inexplicable!
This aged well seeing as Hammond has just released a book about a tree about a crash to make more money before he becomes more irrelevant
This is a letter sent to me by Stewart Lee, who went to school with the originators of Napalm Death, here are his comments on this experience:
“I went to the private fee-paying boys’ school in Solihull, West Midlands from 1979-1986. Napalm Death were all in the year above me, apart from Nic Bullen, who I think was then known as Nic Scab. “The Rat” was a really nice bloke called something Ratledge, who I think left over musical differences when he got into early posi-punk stuff like Southern Death Cult. I think he was called Nick Ratledge (Actually his name is Miles!). He was the drummer I think (Yes, Mick Harris confirmed this). He was thin and small and often had a runny nose, but was one of those people who could always make a school uniform look like a scarecrow’s outfit. I remember, after the first Southern Death Cult single came out he wanted Napalm Death to go in more of that direction. You have to remember, all music was shit in the early 80’s, and even though Southern Death Cult ended up as the awful Cult, it was a veritable wilderness back then and they seemed brilliant. I thought he was really cool and was impressed that he spoke to me. Other members of the band were this guy who had a leather jacket with a picture of The Damned, who played a fisherman in a school production of the Agatha Christie play 10 Little Indians (…) he just had a European kind of name. I remember now it was Darren or Daryl Fideski. Maybe he had a Russian family. I dunno. He played guitar with early Napalm Death for a bit, or it might have been bass. His hero was Captain Sensible from The Damned. (…) after he left Napalm Death he was critical of what he called their “Crass style instrumental pieces”. (…) and a blonde boy with a freckly face (…) He was called Rob something (and) I used to go mountain walking with in Wales.
At about the time they appeared on the Bullshit Detector compilations Napalm Death were about 15 years old. it’s worth explaining that Napalm Death in 1982/3 weren’t operating out of some urban nightmare landscape. Aprt from Nick, who I didn’t know at all, they were all living in a middle-class, semi-rural suburb of Birmingham, Solihull. It’s closer to Stratford, the pretty tourist town associated with Shakespeare, than to the centre of the city. Most of Napalm Death were nice, middle class kids that you’ be happy to introduce to your grandmother. They weren’t urban warriors.
Also, speed metal, death metal etcetera were genres that just didn’t exist back in the early 80’s. The early Napalm Death were in the vein of Crass, and the difference between songs like Traditional Society or Punk Is A Rotting Corpse on their first demo tape and the album Scum is incredible. Also bands just didn’t have names like Extreme Noise Terror, Cradle of Filth or Napalm Death back then. I remember the name causing much amusement at school - it seemed so absurdly over the top. I imagine there may have been an element of humour in choosing it, but it would be presumptuous to say so. (No itwouldn’t, you are probably right Stewart - Web)
This meant nothing to me at the time, but the Napalm Death lot and their mates were the cool older kids who liked good music, whilst everyone in my year liked shit like Saxon, Iron Maiden, and New Wave of British Heavy Metal (obs: the owner of this page doesn’t necessarily agrees with this opinion, even though I do think that most of Saxon’s records are SHITE! And i don’t hate Iron Maiden or anything, I actually like them a bit - Web), even though they’d deny it these days. Last time I saw D Fideski was in about 1984 at a Sisters of Mercy concert (oh dear - I was young) and he was on magic mushrooms
I only saw them (live) once. It was at Dorridge Village Hall in about 1982 or 1983. Dorridge was a little village just outside Birmingham (…) (It) was the kind of place where you would have Cub Scout Meetings, Infant School plays and local Christmas pantomimes. This was very small scale. Napalm Death performed in front of a banner that said “Punk Is A Rotting Corpse” and this was the title of one of the songs the performed. The music was like Crass. They were supporting Nobody’s Heroes, a Stiff Little Fingers covers band fronted by my friend Tim Collingwood’s brother. As usual in the early 80’s there were some hard punks there who kept hitting my friend Pete Davis on the head during the Nobody’s Heroes set so, being 14 or so, we had to run away. The violence at the gig was not part of some wider trend within a “grindcore” scene or anything. There wasn’t a scene. It was just 14 year olds fighting. I used to have a copy of the demo tape from this era but I taped over it.
When I saw Napalm Death they were children aping their idols, and being spat at by a small audience of middle class teenagers who thought that was a ‘punk’ thing to do. But what was impressive about it was they’d got on a record and shown you could do stuff. For me, Napalm Death was a link from our tiny closetted community out to a wider world of possibilities. And I still sometimes find myself singing Traditional Society, although the only words I can remember are the chorus - “Traditional Society, Traditional Society, Traditional Society, Traditional Societ-eeeee!”. I don’t know how interesting this is to you, but whenever I read about or hear about Napalm Death, grindcore originators, it always amazes me to remember them playing Dorridge Village hall as pubesecent public schoolboys. Even at their worst, they were an inspiration.”
Source: disposableunderground.com/early-napalm-death-old-school-content-from-long-dead-fan-site/
Notes: Ghirotti introduces the letter. He had inserted parenthetical comments to it.
Fantastic read, thanks. I suspected a lot of what Stewart said (I.e. seeing them at Dorridge Hall) was legitimate. Only disappointing thing is Iron Maiden being labelled as shite when they are far from it.
Nice one for that, that's fuckin awesome
Excellent.
Good find...and agreed ..Saxon are shite....They were the main inspiration for Spinal Tap (and I believe also 'Bad News' too who were even before Spinal Tap)
Nick Napalm - that wasn't his real name Ladies and Gentlemen, it was Ian Naplam. Is that what you want - just epic brilliance
Yawn
I love how each comedian has their signature style.
Stewart Lee is so dry and laconic yet compelling.
Compare him to Russell Kane, who is also very funny but completely different.
Let me just check out Russell in his hutch
He does a brilliant sketch about Russell Kane, but don't watch it if you're a fan!
@@MontySimon1 I know he famously sent up Russell Howard, but didn't know about the Russell Kane one - is it on here?
@@Knappa22 You're absolutely right, my mistake. Apologies Mr Kane!
Do you know what laconic means?
Solihull School Alumni - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solihull_School
Genesis P, and thank you.
I like this-a lot.
Anybody know what special this is from? So many of my favorite jokes are from it, with the blue lighting and the guitar in the back. Pear cider etc. Anyone know which special?
+ChefMark 'If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask For One'.
Thanks!
Don’t know how I missed him all these years.. I’m crying with laughter.😂😂bloody great.
he's much taller than i imagined.
Stewart Lee or Richard Hammond?
Why would Hammond be 5 years below you when he is only a year younger than you?
if you listen to the end he says its not true
What a genius.
What school did you went to, mate?
my thoughts entirely!! 🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
wikipedia says hammond is 1 year younger than stewart, and they were at solihull school. lizo mzimba may have been in stewart's year
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
SL DoB 5/4/68 RH DoB 9/12/69 5 year difference??
Kinda sad that Stewart spends so much time slagging people off.
Rupert Evans: Huh?
@@MontyCantsin5 huh?
@@jlc7841
I'm not sure what your comment means?
I find it sad that a man I've watched and admired for thirty years now spends 90% of his time onstage criticising other people..... and you're like... "..... meh blah blah Michael Macintyre.... shopping trolleys...."
What is your point??
A comedian for intelligent people.
ie for smug guardian reading pricks
*people who aren’t as intelligent as they think they are…
Yeah totally agree,pro censorship intelligent people.
That audience daft laughing spoils it. It’s not all that funny.
Maybe I'm out of touch with British comedy but this was just impossibly boring all for a story he then says is untrue... a lot of build up with no actual punchline just to jab at someone more famous than him? at least the crowd seemed to enjoy it I guess
Steward Lee is superb.............................. for getting to sleep.
its too pedestrian to be funny any more. depressing slow comics are a bit 2005
Orientiering with Napalm Death.
He's just not very funny.
Yes he is
He really isn’t. Modern stand up is not great. Not in the UK, anyway. There’s a trick these guys have somehow managed to pull off - namely they’ve somehow managed to convince audiences that their unfunniness kind of ironically funny.
For some of the audience.
For the rest of us…he’s just a smug, tedious, half-smart dickhead with a superiority complex.
Who isn’t funny.
I like that the audience are laughing while blissfully unaware their own prejudices are the butt of the joke.
Are you sure about that?
Not funny .
Is it canned laughter?
Nope...it's live Glaswegian laughter.
@@Spirit-Of-The-Age was someone getting stabbed?