A mate invited me to join him on Saturday as he had a spare ticket for the show.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I have seen the fellow on a few panel shows and the BBC 4 music of the south so expected a rather dry delivery but one full of insight. I was expecting something that may not necessarily be laugh out loud funny but at least something humorous.

Sure enough it started slowly and there were a few funny gags, but after just 30 minutes he took a 25 minute break! When he returned it just continued along the same path rather predictable, dare I say boring, path

For some strange reason he kept raising the house lights and asking people to raise their hands to answer seemingly banal questions. Maybe this kind of thing would work with an American audience, who knows? All I know is that the response in Cambridge was muted, at best. The result of his pointless polls didn't seem to have any effect on the routine or add any comedic value!

In the publicity blurb he had said that he expected his tour and routine would upset some people. Sadly I suspect he will be right. but for all the wrong reasons

That's disappointing. Like you, I've only ever seen him on panel shows and he comes across quite well. Perhaps he needs other people to feed off.

The way you've described the experience, he sounds a little like Stewart Lee. I can sit with my brother in law for hours watching Lee's stand up but my wife (his sister) just doesn't get it.

Bob, I think stand-up comedians have a bit of a shelf-life. As you get to know their approach and style, it lessens the comedy impact, as - obviously - does a dwindling of original material.

Much of Reginald D Hunter's humour (to me, anyway) came from his background and delivery - I found him really funny, observing UK life from the perspective of a black American from the deep south.

But I think that is going to wear thin for both audience and artist alike. I saw an excellent TV show recently with him tracing the roots of Blues music in his native Mississippi (the river not just the state) area. In it, he talks of a reconciliation with the culture he despised and that partially drove his self-imposed exile to the UK.
I'm guessing that promoters and indeed his bank manager would like to milk his original comedy style dry, but quite possibly his heart is no longer in it and that's what you saw.

Edited to add: I heard almost exactly the same story from a friend about the second time he saw Jimmy Carr; the first had almost caused him to expire with laughter, but the second was a lashed-together affair with Carr getting the audience to suggest gag-subjects.

It's a shame (and a waste of ticket money), but I think that's how it goes.

Regarding Jimmy Carr he always like a bit of audience participation and whilst I wasn't at the same show as your mate I think it was only one section of the show not the whole show. He does have patterns/ a format to his shows though which grow tiresome.

He is much more of a small theatre/comedy club type comedian and I think that comes out in his shows.

I confess I had to google this one, but I immediately knew who he was. Seen him on telly on talks shows & I honestly din't know he was a comedian. I did find him odd even for an American & way off mark, for even the slightest bit of humor. Then again I'm not a huge Yank fan.

There are numerous so called stand up comedians out there at the moment & to my mind really not funny at all. I've always considered myself with a wicked sense of humor & when I find something to really laugh at, there's just no stopping me. Sadly there does not seem to be really funny comedians on the go at the moment, I think anyway. I'm a bit surprised to say the least that this geezer is regarded as a funny man.

There was some reference to the music from the show on BBC4. It was regarding him being asked to attend a civil war reconstruction dressed as a confederate officer. It didn't go too well apparently.

"I was glad I went but I wouldn't go again" was how my mate summed up the show. I guess I could go with that.

Try Jim Jefferies, best I've heard in a long time, might work for you too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3tM5UvvKKE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwSnpuz1h0U

Jim Jefferies is excellent.

Also worth checking out;

Louis CK
Stewart Lee
Richard Herring
Doug Stanhope

Haven't been to much comedy recently, but loved Dylan Moran back in February.

Hard to believe now, but some of the finest stand-up I've ever seen was by Eddie Izzard. Dress to Kill, Definite Article and a couple of others - just genius.

I'm perfectly fine with him wearing his political heart on his sleeve, but his recent stand-up has just been too self-referencing and rehashing his old stuff. If you've reached the lower end of the barrel, call it a day! (Insert own cheap Labour gag here).

Bob, our experience was very similar - having liked his unique drawling contributions to the likes of Have I Got News For You we thought that his one-man show in the Festival Fringe a few years ago was a must.

Not so - it gave the impression of a "lazy" routine and the hour's running time extended to around 50 mins tops.

We left very disappointed. Having said that he's still funny to listen to in short soundbites!

I agree, Jim.

His earlier stuff was brilliant. But I too have struggled to relate to anything he's done recently.

A shame, but perhaps that's just how comedy works.

That's a shame, I saw him a few years ago in Oxford and he was very funny.

Might go and see him again....

I've booked a ticket to see him in Vegas!

Oh hum

Saw Milton Jones last night, he was very funny again.

Eddie Izzard is a very clever comedian. He has a way of delivering things that others fail do so & very entertaining, although I feel not side splitting funny, respect though. I come from a time more sedate when Tommy Cooper was king & Morcame & Wise were at their best, classics of their time. I'm no prude & can do all the sweary bits. Connolly in his early days was a joy to witness, sadly he lost all credibility when he became too pally with the royals & talked a load of bollocks.

I know there are loads out there that are funny & entertaining, but I still feel no one stands out head & shoulders above anyone else. Just my thoughts...

Just to add. Kevin Bridges, I've just remembered his name although not side splitting funny, his observational humor about Scotland & all it's insecurities & problems with drink etc, does strike a chord & is very true & funny at the same time. I saw him for the first time on telly late one night, & thought this young chap has got something. His story about the Englishmen on a night out trying to communicate with a Glasgow taxi driver & how one of the guys say hey I can speak Scottish & Bridges precedes to have a Glasgow/very English accent had me in stitches. You have to see this to appreciate the humor.

Ross Noble. Seen him there times and never been disappointed. And Steward Lee has always been good but appeals to a certain kind of person.

Saw Dylan Moran a couple of days ago and he was a little bit off form.

Ross Noble, not for me. I don't find him the slightest bit funny. Obviously he has a following, but certainly not me.

We saw Dylan Moran on the warm-up gig of his tour, along with my step-daughter, who works at the venue. She then saw him in Bristol a couple of weeks later and said the "proper" tour version wasn't as good as the warm-up. Shame, because he was really good. I do think he is probably a comedian that needs to be on form though; sounds like you got him on an off night.

I like Ross Noble when he goes off on his surreal monologues (reminiscent of Paul Merton, Noel Fielding and - to an extent - Monty Python), but I didn't really get the thing when he goes around the country randomly. Would still like to see him live, though.

Early Billy Connolly was comedy royalty; I guess he was one of the first "rock'n'roll" comedians who made stand-up the modern art-form it is (in the UK, anyway.

I like Kevin Bridges, too, though I haven't seen his whole act, just snippets on Live at the Apollo.

Seen Bill Bailey a few times and he was really good, as was Peter Kay. Many years ago I saw chubby Brown which I found funny, then. Cant blooming stand him now.

I'm really quite interested in comedy in any shape or form. Stand up is a very lonely place, realistically any comedian will tell you this, even the greats of yesteryear & of the moment. It's one thing to be even naturally funny, it's a different thing being hilarious for a living. Scottish humor for instance may not be appreciated by those that don't understand the language for starters, but we Scots are so bad to each other it's very funny indeed.

To be honest there are times I have to be in the right mood to listen to any comedian, where in the past I would laugh at practically anything that was funny. Sweary stuff does not = funny all the time, although there are times a good F word is the only way to go in as many instances...