Lockipedia

I was slightly disappointed with Sean Lock's standup performance in Lockipedia. I usually really enjoy Sean Lock. He's one of my favorite regulars on QI and I've recently began watching TV Heaven Telly Hell and 15 Storeys High (entries forthcoming) but compared to that his standup wasn't as funny. It didn't help that before I watched Lockipedia I watched him interviewed on The Graham Norton Show promoting the DVD and so he did some of the same jokes and clips were played so I had already seen parts of it. Not that it wasn't funny but it wasn't side-splitting, piss my pants funny as 15 Storeys High is which Lock not only stars in but also wrote. Lock is aware of this that his and he points to it in the very beginning that it not entirely funny but it's not boring either which is a great description of the show. I was smiling the whole way through and enjoyed watching it but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to other people which I see as a failing. It did pick up about 3/4 of the way through but there's a lot to get through before you get to that point. It might just be that I'm not in a point in my life where I necessarily identify with what Lock is saying. He has three children and that brings lots of comedy which I think perhaps my mom would like and she could relate to but I can't. Now my favorite bit is his jokes on Madonna that is told towards the end of the show.

 

On The Graham Norton Show, Lock explained that for this tour he would call out a seat name and ask for a letter and a word that went along with that letter and he would tell a joke about it. Of course why he needs to ask for a letter and not just a word I don't understand but anyways I was quite excited about this, it seemed new and interesting but again I was disappointed mainly because he had nothing in his book about any of the words the audience members choose. It was sort of like watching a fish flail about on land which is I grant you still amusing to watch but I was expecting someone with quicker wit, like he shows on QI and TV Heaven. He seemed unprepared which he admits especially since he was surprise that a) he didn't have anything for 'tits' and b) no one else in the tour had chosen 'tits'.

My other problem with his approach to comedy is in his lying. Most comedians make things up or exaggerate the truth and its the comedian's job to make the audience believe their story and laugh at it. Common techniques are used, 'this is true' 'this genuinely happened' ect. Lock starts off saying this is true, tells the story, tells what he did and then says no I'm lying it didn't really happen. I could see him building a pattern but it just wasn't funny which was its failing.