Malcolm Hardee (the “father of British Alternative Comedy”) was a comedy agent / manager / club owner and he died on 30^th or 31^st January 2005 (he drowned in the River Thames after leaving a pub at 6am on the 30th). There is a good overview of some of his antics, the comics he discovered and how much he was revered on this site (you won’t believe half of it!!).

On February 20^th 2005 there was a tribute show, held at a club he had founded – Up The Creek in Greenwich. Jimmy had gigged there a fair amount, in the early days of his career – see here.

Some of the people performing at the tribute show (which was to raise money for his funeral) included:

• Arthur Smith
• Jimmy Carr
• Jools Holland
• Jeremy Hardy
• John Hegley
• Chris Lynam

The latter, apparently, was amongst a “stage full of dancing naked men” that completed the night’s entertainment. And he replicated Hardee’s traditional “sticking a firework up his bum and lighting it” (see here and video below).

The funeral was attended by most of the above performers and also Jo Brand (his ex), Harry Hill, Johnny Vegas, Jenny Éclair, Bill Bailey and Vic Reeves (Jim Moir) – see here.

There is some Hardee tribute footage in this video (which is age restricted) and it features him in the “Naked Balloon Dance” and also Chris Lynam doing the “banger up the bottom” (ending with Malcom’s son reading at his funeral).