Playing to a not-quite-full Just the Tonic, much of his set consisted of world-weary grumblings about being on the road in Blighty, sleeping in bus stations, failing to fill theatres and how the only thing keeping him sane is watching his friend Henry have to experience British peculiarities for the first time. He even surprised us all by featuring a lengthy section on how great it is to live in America (needless to say, I was mortified!).
These curmudgeonly observations were mixed in with some more intelligent, 'social commentary' bits, but for me the high points were a couple of blisteringly filthy segments, including one fantasy about an American football player which had the audience hooting uncontrollably at the grotesquely detailed mental picture being painted.
A lot of people seem to see Doug Stanhope as something of a natural successor to Bill Hicks, and yes there are similarities in their approach to comedy. But I don't think either performer really benefits from the comparison, and if you haven't seen Stanhope yet I strongly recommend doing so, but without expecting him to be like anyone else. He is a unique performer and is justifiably thought of as a stand-up legend in his own right.
Also worth checking out is Stanhope's friend and support act Henry Phillips, whose 'amiable slacker' persona and wonderfully silly comic songs warmed the audience up nicely. My favourite has to be "Just Say 'Oops' and Move On" - check out an early version of the song here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAp4O9dxWbg
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