On media spongers

Recorded at the Dancehouse, Manchester, 2011

More Doug Stanhope videos

Stanhope says he was living off fraud telemarketing and the kindness of strippers in Las Vegas, when he first ventured onto the stage of an open mic comedy night at a seedy bar called the Escape Lounge II.

When all the strippers left for band guys, Doug traipsed down to Phoenix on the tail of a woman and landed a gig as a house MC at the Comedy Cove, a club as doomed to failure as the relationship. The girl left him nine months later for the lighting guy from Cheap Trick . The club shut down around the same time, but not before Doug had enough contacts to start a life on the road.

In December of 1992, Doug packed his few belongings in a 1981 Dodge Omni and spent the next three years living on the road like a pig, getting drunk, chasing women and spewing "dick jokes" across America like a crop duster until his break at the 1995 San Francisco comedy festival enabled him to move to Los Angeles.

Doug Stanhope in London 2011
Live Review
Leicester Square Theatre

How lovely  to see Doug Stanhope back in Leicester Square Theatre, even if he clearly feels he’s slumming it after doing a night at the Hammersmith Apollo back in April. He made several references to ‘slinking back’ and being  mystified that we all come back as well.  

This was the second show in a month’s run and he’s still clearly finding his sea-legs, it took him a few minutes and a couple of vodkas to relax into fluency.  Initially there were some pauses, with expectant silence, as he adjusted himself into the set, enjoying the awkwardness. This wasn’t all new, but it felt as fresh as paint, and I think the show will evolve as he’s looking to have a new hour by the end, for DVD purposes.  

He’s great with the drunken anecdote, describing a woozy arrival at Halifax, Canada, in the middle of the night, where his fancy-dress jacket and girlfriend’s pyjama’d appearance got them picked for drug carriers, painting a vivid picture of her sleepy contribution impeding proceedings as they were politely interrogated by mild Canadian border security.   

Not currently a drug user, he warned against advertising that you were, by bombing around in a flower-power decorated VW camper van or as a biker, where the smart thing to do would be to appear ultra conservative and straight, as a cover, leading to some entertaining speculation about Mormons and Amish folk. From the drug dress code, to the Muslim dress code to extremism and the contradictory nature of having a hierarchical approach to becoming a terrorist instead of just independently  ‘blowing shit up’.  He makes Al Qaeda hilarious, which is properly subversive.  

And then he moves into a dissection of  organisations, charities, philosphies, the futility of rehab – every 12-step programme is  all about a God, and the disgrace that medical profession gives up on science and turns to ‘a higher power’ to treat addiction.  There’s a beautiful bit about celebrity rehab shows, where the actual rehabiliation is always off camera, what we enjoy is watching some bloke stumbling around bashing into the furniture before he’s whisked away to be rescued.  

He’s not an advocate for drugs and alcohol, but he’s all for honesty, so he doesn’t hesitate to keep us apprised of his physical and mental decline, the constant need for sleeping tablets, the consistency of his faeces, his faltering memory and utter lack of libido, but this isn’t plaintive and whinging, it’s a factual , comical and vulnerable all once.

Because he’s so brutal on himself, he’s equally outspoken about Amy Winehouse – ‘not a genius’ – and Russell Brand and other subjects popularly held dear without examination.

At the same time as commentating on   atheism, the economy and addiction, he literally brings it right home, talking about small town life in Bisby, Arizona, (pop. 6,000) and the etiquette of living among  a community of artists and what being an artist means – making stuff other people don’t want to see or hear, pretty much like the children they want to bring to his parties.  

He was on great curmudgeonly form and concluded with a wonderful and disgusting soliloquy about the true indicator of a poor economy can be measured by the degradation of prostitution.  He doesn’t shy away from difficult areas, but makes them vivid and grotesque and above all funny, fuelled by an angry sense of a world that has skewed priorities.  

Anyone who had seen Stanhope before will have relished this performance as covering some favourite topics and on top form – not yet exhausted by his loathing for London and being away from home. Any newcomers will have seen why his brand of filthy, angry, half drunk utterance is so popular. If current form is anything to go by, and your curiosity is piqued, make sure you see him this month.

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Just a note from America: Doug Stanhope is the funniest and most intelligent person on the planet. Period. Hicks, Bruce, Carlin, and Kinison are all great, but Doug is totally original. And he very rarely has to make things up. See him at all costs.

Namgar, January 2020

Saw Doug last night, a Wednesday show, outstanding. The theater was only 30 per cent full, and he seemed pretty upset about it, and too many dudes! Even though, he was on for an hour and forty with little lag. Most of the material was topical, from the recent riots, to Amy Winehouse, to whatever he had seen that day you felt like you were going through the process of comedy, most bits were fresh and aggressively funny. You could feel him becoming more acerbic as the double and quadruple shots made their way to the stage, on top of the vodka and redbulls and beers...this man performs better wasted. Will be checking out a weekend show, I doubt that I'll hear a repeat bit.

Luke, August 2011

He was great on Friday night at the Leicester Square Theatre (although I had seen some of that show at Hammersmith in the Spring). I hope the 5Live controversy doesn't adversely affect his run as he actually seemed to be enjoying himself this time.

Stephen, August 2011

Went and saw him on Saturday. Brilliant show but was very disappointed he was only on stage for 55 minutes. Didn't seem al lot for the £25 price tag

ken campbell, September 2010

Definitely not one for the casual comedy-goer. We saw him at the Pimms Summerfest, where some of the more sensitive of the audience left (presumably in disgust at his more extreme material). His set was truly filthy/disgraceful in places, but with elements of gut-wrenchingly funny, insightful comedy.

Jo Phelan, August 2008

I saw Doug a the Kilkenny Cat Laughs too...but I was there exclusively to see him and I have to say it was without doubt the funniest show I've ever seen, a lot of people were clearly shocked because the more beers he had the more obscene he became, but I thought it was hilarious, the man's a genius. Keep it up Doug.

karen walsh, January 2007

He is wonderful as a has been.

American fan, November 2006

This is how a stand-up comic should be. Bill Hicks once said 'I want my rock stars dead' - well I want my stand-up comedians stinking pissed and heavily irate by the time they get on-stage (carrying three bottles of lager and a full shotglass). Not for the faint hearted but definitely for the open minded, Doug Stanhope controlled the room with various well placed rants . I've not seen much stand up comedy but I know I've seen one of the most important comics ever. See this guy, you won't be disappointed. amen.

danny, October 2006

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