Pea Green Boat

Just wanting to post that the both of us are going to see a bonefide comedy genius (and anti-hero) tomorrow night in Cardiffs Millennium Centre, which sounds grand, but he's playing something of a side-bar at the venue as i understand it. He is of course, many times mentioned here, stand-up comedian, stage and screen writer, satirist, sage, free-thinker; Stewart Lee.

Looking forward to this, he's recently had to re-adjust his stand-up routine; Something to do with his routine revolving around the BBC who had not granted him his pilot TV show this year, but mid-way through his current tour, have changed their mind, and filming begins mid-November, intreaguing - the pilot/series is described by him as "Hopefully, it’ll be a stand-up show with some sketches in it. I want to do something like the old Dave Allen shows. I’d love to get the series because I’d love to see if you could make proper stand-up work on telly, and also because I’ve just had a baby and it’d be really nice to get paid and then we could get an bigger flat with an extra room for him to sleep in". Lee is also said to be writing a sit-com about the Norse God Thor!

For those unfamiliar with Lee, take time-out to view the following YouTube clips and envy me and my mates going to see the man himself tomorrow night:



This next clip is a great coming together as Stewart Lee appeared on Charlie Brookers "Screenwipe" earlier this year, speaking his mind about "Skins":



A recent 2 minute audio clip here of Lee's outburst at the studio audience on a Radio 4 programme, putting politial correctness into context:



He has promised to continue this tour after filming is complete for his TV show, and will tour extensively again in 2008! If you've watched the above and still reading, book to see the man. In the meantime go find more Stewart Lee clips on YouTube here.

Pea Green Boat is also a great listen written by Stewart Lee, i've got the limited edition 10" vinyl, but it has recently been released as a CD by those wonderful Cardiffians at Go Faster Stripe, of whom i'm sure will be in attendance tomorrow night.

To post in July

To keep us with a succession of at least a post a month...

Stewart Lee. He's been getting about the media the last couple of weeks! Spotted on Channle 4's "8 out of 10 Cats" last Friday night. Randomly scanning the radio frequencies the next morning, I hear his voice talking about Joe Pasquale being a "thief of material" on Jonathan Ross' Radio 2 showwith David Baddiel and James Dean Bradfield also in the studio - a superb interview! All promoting his month long Edinburgh Festival run. I recently got his new "un-official/official" DVD (Distributed by Go Faster Stripe, Cardiff)... all totally new material, and he just keeps getting better. Stewart Lee a comic sage of the times. Those familiar with his "official" DVD release in 2004/5, will be familiar with the 9/11 opening... this time it opens with 7/7, and off into territory of why 'hopefully' Lee will always remain a relatively underground comedy circuit / BBC 3 / BBC 4 / Radio 4 / the occassional Channel 4 appearances, and controverial writer of plays, director, producer and novelist (i need to get his novel!)... figure.

Football: Just got the new Wrexham 07/08 home shirt! It'll make its debut tomorrow night, and maybe another sweaty run-out in Thursday nights 7-a-side training. I've joined the village 7-a-side team - who play in a 7-a-side league setup across Flintshire and Wrexham district (a squad of about 20 or so, so theyve got options, and are not just stuck with me as left-back!), season starts end of August! My 4th week on Thursday, it's brutal, i mean, seriously hard going... a Connahs Quay Nomad playing between the sticks though! I won't go on about Wrexhams Pre-Season stuff, or the Kaid Mohammed debate, only i can't wait for the 07/08 season to get underway!

I'm sure Dave will be on shortly/hopefully with his New York exploits. From the snippets ive heard mailed to me from some internet cafe on Times Square, i need to hear more!

Such a Beautiful Horizon

Barcelona, awesome. Gaudi buildings and monuments at each turn, business district buildings in the sunshine only yards from the Mediterranean, narrow lanes with boutiques, cafe surrounded squares every couple of hundred yards, decent bars and mostly every restaurant was newly kitted out in an art deco style all playing cool ambient music, and everything just "so". Loved it! Oh, and if you were wondering the "Sagrada Familia" is truly breathtaking, "look at the size of the thing"! Trip to Camp Nou... what a stadium, another "look at the size of that thing" moment, took the tour and got Emma to take some classic must have done pictures, including the "here's me walking down the Nou Camp tunnel", "here's me stood next to Ronaldinho's locker", oh ye! Immense place - the urge to chant "Wrexham!" repeatedly from the Presidents box was too much to supress! Other highlight was Gaudi's "Park Guell", something else!

I hadn't been abroad this century... had to get accustomed to flying again; I was a bit of a veteran back in the day, but lost my cool in a little turbulence over the Pyranees mountains last week. Kept thinking maybe Dennis Bergkamp is right, don't fly. Billy Connollys words of "We just don't fuckin' belong up there" and the line "In the event of an emergency put on your life jackets, as we'll be going into the ground like a fuckin' dart, and in years to come people will think there was once water here!" ringing in my ears, which I think is what made me laugh and regain 'some' cool. Fuckin' colliding air streams!

If I don't post before Monday - Charlie Brookers Screenwipe this coming Monday (BBC Four 10pm) features Stewart Lee, as they discuss 70's & 80's TV, a must watch!