In February 1994, pancreatic cancer ended the short life of Bill Hicks and a comedy career that was more a one-man war against mediocrity and hypocrisy than an assortment of gags and punchlines. Now, 15 years on, Hicks's dissenting voice still carries, as abrasive and darkly funny as ever. Russell Crowe is rumoured to be playing the Texan comic in a biopic directed by (cue fan horror) Ron Howard. Hicks was always more warmly embraced in the UK than at home and this Jongleurs tribute night of video footage and live stand-up, with no big names on the bill, sold out in two days.
The live element turns out to be Robin Ince, who administers the requisite dose of righteous rage, flanked by Canadians Tony Law and Sean Collins. The latter apologises to tonight's charitable cause - the Bill Hicks Foundation for Wildlife Rehabilitation - before delivering a hilarious anecdote about how he destroyed a cat in the Canadian woods. The footage of Hicks performing, shot by his brother Steve, here for a Q&A, has never been shown before, we are told, but much of the material is familiar - the evils of non-smokers, why advertisers and marketers should kill themselves. The adulation goes on too long, at a pitch that Hicks might have found a tad uncomfortable, but it's good to see that 15 years hasn't diminished his vital, cantankerous appeal.
