He was appearing at the Lawrence Batley Theatre at the culmination of the Huddersfield Literature Festival.
“You’re all a bit too close for comfort,” added the Manchester bard in his laconic Salford drawl.
“But leave the lights shining on the first couple of rows...I don’t want to feel like I’m talking to myself yet again!”
Johnny was in fine form and delighted his Huddersfield fans with his superb no-nonsense, sharp delivery concerning northern folk and his take on all aspects of life in general.
His diverse routine included gags about golfers, growing older, Burnley and the thriftiness of the Scots and, of course, Yorkshiremen.
“I met a bloke once who was so tight he wouldn’t buy underpants with an elastic waistband because they might give!” All got the Johnny treatment.
In fact, the Irish didn’t escape his sharp wit either as he pointed out the irony of the place name Limerick, in Ireland, which in fact, is exceedingly hard to make rhyme!
JCC’s stand-up delivery is pretty chilled nowadays.
It’s certainly a far cry from the heady heights of the Seventies when he confessed to jumping on the angry Punk bandwagon, turning out as a support act for the likes of the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Fall.
And yet his slightly mellowed approach somehow makes his routine even funnier.
He effortlessly links traditional comedy ‘stand-up’ with recitals of some of his legendary poems.
And he certainly didn’t disappoint on this count.
He saved the best until last with banging renditions of Evidently Chickentown and Beasley Street.
Long live the great bard, long live JCC!
