Jeremy Hardy

Si and I went to see Jeremy Hardy last night at the King's Lynn Art's Centre. It was very ver' good.

For those of you who don't know him (philistines and foreigners) he is a stand up comic, perrier award winner in 1988, frequent News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue contestant and lefty.

I always know that the News Quiz is is likely to be something special when he is taking part, he frequently goes off on one about something producing marvelous semi surreal rants round the subject of the question. If he doesn't have a rant during the New Quiz my mother automatically assumes that the powers that be have censored him!

Unfortunately superb comedian that he is, Jeremy Hardy is not the complete rounded entertainer - he can't sing for toffee. He is awful, thin reedy and only vaguely aware of the key. Which makes One Song To The Tune of Another or Pick Up Song both exquisite and unique listening experiences when Hardy is called to take part.

(as an aside I think C30 C60 C90 by Bow Wow Wow would be good for pick up song)

So it was with an air of anticipation and excitement that Si and I took our seats last night.

He started with a few obvious although funny Norfolk jokes. Had we elections this last Thursday? No? Obviously the franchise hadn't reached this part of East Anglia, and from there he was off, mostly on tangents but always coming to his eventual point.

It wasn't always laugh out loud funny, don't think it was meant to be, Jeremy Hardy isn't like that smug faced git Jimmy Carr or Jim Davidson, firing off one liners like a constipated elephant. He relies only on his story telling skills, a plain stage no props or music,. We were educated as well as entertained and Jeremy didn't stick to the obvious targets of Blair, Bush and Cameron he also took swipes at the smug left too.

Anyways he is next performing in Bournemouth. To the people of Bournemouth my message is simple, rise up, get a ticket and go see him. That, and don't go to that awful Weatherspoons in the centre of town.

Photo from the BBC website