Stand-up comedy is an artform, and like any art form, it’s very subjective: not everyone will find the same things funny. There is a wave of modern comedians who want comedy to be more than simply lampooning celebrities and the news, and who want to look inside themselves at their own failings for humour.
I suppose it’s probably come about because of american sensibilities in comedy. American comedians such as Louis CK , Patton Oswalt and Dana Gould (as well as a whole bunch of others) talk about their own mistakes, their depression, and what it’s like generally living a life that doesn’t always work out in your favour. British culture and entertainment has already been affected by great deals of American television and music, and so it was only natural that American comedy would start to really influence British comedy.
Alternative comedy is a reaction to the traditional form of set-up/punch-line comedy. Yes, there are set-ups and punch lines, but they often require an audience to have an understanding of comedy to know that this different approach is intentional and designed to satirize the traditional. In some ways, you could say it’s comedy for a more intellectual audience.
I don’t really know how the strong alternative comedy scene in Leeds came to be, I just know that it happened. It probably has a lot to do with the very vibrant student scene. Young people usually want to rebel against what came before and create something new (just look at any punk band, political march, or art movement); comedy is no different. The new generation of young comics feel that comedy in this country has become predictable and feel they want to do something new. They’ve looked beyond British comedy to many of the boundary pushing American comics and liked what they’ve seen.
When doing something that is different and more personal, the best approach to take with it is to control every aspect and make sure folk receive it the way you want them to. That’s exactly what’s happening in Leeds right now. Underground comedy nights are springing up everywhere (well not “everywhere”) in venues that are often associated with other forms of expressive art. At the time of writing this, there is a night I help organise at Santiagos (HOWL – first Thursday of the month), a night at The Brudenell Social Club (Pigeon Hole – third Wednesday of the month), and a night in the cellar of Verve Bar (The Comedy Cellar – every Tuesday).
The great thing about these nights (and the personal nature of this new movement) is that they’re really creating a sense of community. As well as being nights of entertainment, they really want them to mean something to the audience: they want to make a connection to the individual and engage with people that might want to revisit them time and time again.
We might not have a comedy scene in Leeds which is as big as places like Manchester, but we definitely have a comedy scene that is trying to be innovative, personal, and most of all, a comedy scene that really cares.
This article was written by me. I am Thom Milson and I occasionally write about things. Sometimes I talk about things. I co-organise a showcase of Alternative Comedy in Leeds called HOWL Alternative Comedy Night. You can also follow me on twitter: @thommilson