Favourite Stand-Up

[Cobra]

Just found out that Stewart Lee is in Scotland in March and there's nobody I'd rather see live. Also a fan of Billy Connolly, Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges and Bill Hicks. Who do you consider the best stand-up comedian past or present? 

[JoeCovenant]

William Melvin HIcks,

Billy Connolly

Richard Pryor

George Carlin

Stuart Lee / Richard Herring

and *young* Eddie Izzard... (Pre movie Izzard... when he was funny)

Elayne Boosler

Paula Poundstone

and many many others

[Jamma]

I'm going to Kevin Bridges in Glasgow. He is currently my favourite, I can relate to everything

[Ludo*1]

Lack of Ken Dodd in this thread.

[JoeCovenant]

Lack of Ken Dodd in this thread.

It may just be deliberate!  ;' )

[Gedee]

There wsa time when I could easily name 100 comedians on the top of my head. Now I struggle to name 10 that I honestly find funny.

I'd like to think I have not lost my sense o'humour. I think it's more to do with the style of comedy the last few years. Sometimes I think the only !! guys who find them really funny are themselves !!

Stewart Lee isn't just good. In my opinion, he is outstanding !!

There ar others, who are good, but for me, he is unique. And well ahead of the pack.

[Ludo*1]

JoeCovenant, on 14 Dec 2014 - 9:56 PM, said:

It may just be deliberate!  ;' )

How dare you!

[chomp my root]

William Melvin HIcks,

Billy Connolly

Richard Pryor

George Carlin

Stuart Lee / Richard Herring

and *young* Eddie Izzard... (Pre movie Izzard... when he was funny)

Elayne Boosler

Paula Poundstone

and many many others

Call me a big old fashioned sexist but I don't generally find female comedians that funny although to 'fess up, I've not heard this pair so basically pre-judging. For some reason I'm not a fan of them as radio DJ's either but in my defence Mrs Root isn't big on lassie comedians/DJ's either, at least we've got 1 thing in common. 

[dodgy_dundee]

Love to see Stewart Lee of Frankie Boyle, funniest I have seen live is Jerry Sadowitz. Superb.

[JoeCovenant]

Call me a big old fashioned sexist but I don't generally find female comedians that funny although to 'fess up, I've not heard this pair so basically pre-judging. For some reason I'm not a fan of them as radio DJ's either but in my defence Mrs Root isn't big on lassie comedians/DJ's either, at least we've got 1 thing in common. 

Margaret Cho is another.... ya big, old-fashioned sexist, ye!

[JoeCovenant]

Some interesting names  above, one that I generally hold high is Frankie Boyle, but what prevents me from putting him in the top flight is his apparent reliance on the "audience insult" - it seems to be creeping more and more into his act. Which is a shame because when he is actually riffing on a subject he is damned funny - I just get a bit fed-up of the "insult the people who can't actually argue back" style that a lot of comics seem to take on.

Jimmy Carr is of a similar vein, (forgot about him until I started writing this!)

Special mentions for Steven Wright, Emo Philipps, Doug Stanhope, Dylan Moran and yes.. good ol' Dundee-Hating Jerry Sadowitz! :-)

Robin Williams (in his day and with his own material) could kill a room, and Eddie Murphy (much like Eddie Izzard) was amazingly funny... till he became a *star*.

(Just a note: Connolly... on the list due to loyalty to the man, and his back catalogue- went to see him last month - and yes he was funny.. but the puir b****r isnae well, it shows - an awful lot of rehashed material (which he has never really done before) and you have to think it is down to the fact that at least he can remember it!)

Met him after the show, and - having met him before, during the filming of "Mrs Brown" - I was shocked at how frail he seemed.

Very softly spoken, still a wee bit of fire there, but it was a little bit sad...  :-(   )

[chomp my root]

Margaret Cho is another.... ya big, old-fashioned sexist, ye!