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Howard Marks - The Shepherd's Empire Strikes Back

Author: Hypermadge
Saturday, November 30, 2002
Howard Marks claims he wants to focus on stand-up. This night at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, isn't his first on the tour and his comedy's good, based mostly on cosy repetition, the gentle tweaking of audience expectations, and numerous feel-good dope references. He'd probably argue that 'feel-good' would be the only kind of reference worth making on the subject. And, of course, all the jokes and readings are delivered in that benign, low accent, one of his greatest performing assets.

But, yeah, comedy aside, the man's an evangelist.
That's what happens to social activists cast out into the political wilderness. They can't grab the pen and rewrite the books of law themselves, so they go out into the hills and preach.

In fact, Howard Marks isn't really so far out in the sticks. He has gigs all over, hefty book deals, television appearances - discoursing live with politicians, even. All this must be great fun, and also acts as ballast for his unofficial title of ambassador for the legalisation of cannabis. There aren't many household names in cannabis-related issues, but thanks to chain bookstores like W.H.Smiths, and television programmes like Newsnight and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, a fair number of people have heard of Howard Marks.

Every time Marks gets airtime, every time he points out his completed physics degree and benign, drug-enhanced outlook, he is making an effort to smooth away at the 'dope fiend' arguments of prohibition. Some comedians (Rory Bremner, Ben Elton) are politically funny. In his attempts to achieve social change, Howard Marks can join the ranks of those such as Bill Hicks, or Michael Moore, for being hilariously political.

Howard Marks has made attempts to step into the political arena to change the law. He stood for election in Norwich on a 'legalise cannabis' platform. He applied for, and was denied, the position of drugs tzar, on the grounds of having had extensive personal experience. However, he has always had to stand on the edges of politics. His genuine aspect and good manners hold him back from hogging the microphone, or communicating at length with politicos more used to the dirty tricks of verbal combat.

Working with an appreciative crowd at the Shepherd's Bush Empire is easy work in comparison. It's preaching to the converted, but everyone needs an appreciation top-up now and then.

The stage folds around him comfortably as he walks on. He asks the question of the audience, 'are there any plain clothes coppers here-' and he asks several times, emotions ranging through to joke to plaintive enquiry, through to paranoia pastiche.

The gig consists mostly of Marks alone on stage, with only an array of whistle-wetters and throat-clearers for support (spliffs from generous audience members, cough syrup, red wine, cheap lager and a whiskey, the last being ignored until the end, when we realise - no! Howard has simply forgotten about it, and having reminded himself of its existence, reunites with it like a long-lost friend). Yes, apart from the props, it's mainly a one-man show. But he's not greedy for the audience's attention. He splices the act by going twos-up with a couple of great singers, and by sharing the stage with kitted-out and acting-up co-readers for the readings from his autiobiography.

Howard Marks is at pains to clarify - with a punchline, bearing in mind that this evening has been reserved for comedy - that he feels a failure. As a drug dealer, since he got caught, and, more importantly, as a force for legalisation. He has unsuccessfully applied for the role of drugs tzar - clearly a joke, though a publicity-friendly one. He has also issued a challenge to the establishment that carries some weight. He is willing to be offered any argument for the need to criminalise cannabis, by any political figure, on air, while consuming any given quantity of cannabis (which ought, by their reckoning, to give his adverseries a considerable advantage) and expects<
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