CityLife

Jeremy Hardy

 

EVERYONE'S favourite left-wing comedian brought his most recent tour to a close with two dates at The Lowry this weekend, and as ever it was his usual captivating blend of insightful social comment tinged with a world-weary melancholy.

After 25 years on the circuit Hardy has perfected the art of making his audience think as well as laugh. A quarter of a century on from when he started, he is still confused and irritated by the state of affairs he sees before him in both the UK and beyond. Hardy is never noticeably angry during his live performances; his delivery is driven more by bemusement than rage, and the air of futility that surrounds his show only adds to the enjoyment.

Tonight he wastes no time in presenting his own viewpoint on current affairs, as the De Menezes case, Tory MP Damian Green and Britain’s economic plight are all covered remarkably quickly.

Hardy also comments on Greater Manchester’s failure to vote in the congestion charge, before linking it to the wider problem of society’s failure to act in order to improve our treatment of the environment.

Soon he is re-treading familiar steps, as the Tories and Thatcher receive their usual berating.

Hardy is renowned for his staunchly anti right-wing stance, and he bemoans the attempts by the Conservatives to appeal to a younger demographic who perhaps do not remember what the Tories are all about.

After all their focus recently on environmental issues, Hardy is pleased to see them falling back into their old ways and promising spending cuts across the board.

Angriest

Perhaps the angriest we see Hardy tonight comes when addresses the likes of David Cameron trying to appear ‘hip’ by liking music they should not be allowed to like.

According to Hardy, Tories cannot like The Jam, they cannot like The Clash, but they can like James Blunt.  “We’ll give them Blunty”, he jokes.

The second half of Hardy’s set focuses more on his personal life as he discusses the problems he faces growing old, as well as providing an interesting insight into the day to day life of a self confessed “semi-successful” comedian.

Discussing at length his life on the road as well as his experiences on TV, it was refreshing to see Hardy being brutally honest about his embarrassment at some of the TV quiz shows he has done, most of which he confesses to having never seen.

Hardy knows he is a refined taste and has what one might call a selective audience. As a large portion of his audience derives from his BBC Radio 4 work, it is inevitable that his fan base consists mostly of educated types over the age of 50; “One harsh winter, and I’m finished” he despairs at one point.

At times, his show may seem a bit too polemical for its own good, but in many ways this is the core of Hardy’s charm. He is not a traditional comedian as such, not one for simple gag telling, but he is extremely adept at delivering biting satirical anecdotes.

He has seen how relatively little has changed in society since he first started out in stand-up, and this helps fuel his irritability with the world around him.

It cannot be denied that after 25 years on the stage, Hardy’s social commentary remains as topical and as vital as ever.

What did you think of Hardy's set? Have your say.

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