BBC comedy legend Stewart Lee has Liverpool crowd in stitches as he says it's his 'worst ever' show

"I wouldn't do this for a living if it went like this every night."

If it was any other comedian saying this, you'd assume they were having a nightmare evening with a tough crowd at the Philharmonic Hall. However, Stewart Lee is not just any other comic and this high risk schtick of calling out the audience is part of the uniquely brilliant alternative style of comedy he pioneered - and has now mastered.

The comedy legend has perfected the act of being frustrated with the crowd for not being on his level or - how he hilariously puts it - for "not knowing things when the whole show is about things". But the routine of hating the craft he's devoted the past 35 years of his life to is so steeped in irony that when he claimed last night was the "worst the set had ever gone", it was clear this meant it was actually going entirely to plan.

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The comedian has been honing his latest stand up tour, Basic Lee, for the past 18 months and Wednesday's show represented the fourth and final time it will be performed in Liverpool. In classic fashion, the comedian joked four shows in Liverpool was "an act of hubris" as fans in attendance yesterday were the 25% least interested ticketholders - and the most unlikely to understand his comedy genius.

However, this, of course, was not the case and the Comedy Vehicle star had the crowd in fits of laughter throughout the evening with another perfectly constructed night of stand up. The synopsis of Basic Lee promised a stripped back return to the comedian's stand up roots after the high concept Snowflake/Tornado tour.

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