Malcolm Hardee was one of the most colourful legends of alternative comedy.

He was best known for running some of the toughest clubs in London, especially the notorious Tunnel Club at Rotherhithe, where most of today's biggest names died in front of the aggressive crowd. More recently, he ran Up The Creek in Greenwich.

He died on January 31, 2005 - falling off his dinghy as he made the late-night trip from the pub he owned, the Wibbly Wobbly, to his houseboat on the other side of the dock in Rotherhithe, South East London.

As a performer, he was known for getting naked at every opportunity. He was the founder of the Greatest Show On Legs balloon dance troupe, and used to do a unique impression of Charles De Gaulle, using his penis as the nose.

He was a much-loved regular at both Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Festivals. On one occasion he drove a tractor through a show in a tent, and on another he daubed his genitals with fluorescent paint and performed a bizarre juggling act. Another year he wrote his own glowing review for The Scotsman, posing as critic William Cook, and they published it.

He had a unique approach to hecklers ­ urinating on them on more than one occasion ­ but encouraging them when it came to new open mic comics he was introducing.

He took to comedy after a number of run-ins with the law, including arson and stealing a Cabinet Minister's Rolls-Royce.

The title of his autobiography reflected one of the less serious incidents: I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake.

Hardee was born in Lewisham, South London, on January 5, 1950, the son of a tug-boat worker on the Thames.

At school he became involved in petty criminality, stealing Coke from the local bottling plant, burgling a pawnbrokers and setting fire to the Sunday school piano because he wanted to see 'holy smoke'.

In the late Sixties he was a mobile DJ, going by the name of Wolf G Hardee, in between stints at various detention centres. Over the years, he was jailed for several offences, including cheque fraud, break-ins and for escaping custody.

In 1977, he came out for the last time and decided to go into showbusiness, joining with Martin Soan to form the Greatest Show On Legs ­ at the time, an adult Punch and Judy act.

It got them a regular booking at the Tramshed in Woolwich, alongside the likes of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson. Soon afterwards, the Comedy Store opened in Soho, and they became regulars there, too. Their breakthrough came in 1981, when they did the balloon dance on Chris Tarrant's OTT.

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Who else could introduce an act, nip to the Lord Hood next door , have a wank and then reappear to carry on compering. Genius. Lovely man. Lovely and crude.

Alex Mac SE, February 2020

I was just starting to really get to know the man.RIP

Lloyd

A friend and I became regulars at Up The Creek a few years ago and witnessed what i still consider to be the great heckle of all time: This guy got on stage (who turned out to be a friend of Malcom's) and said that his name was Eric. when it came to arranging his holiday he wanted to go somewhere with his name in the country, so he went to America. So malcom shouts out: 'You should have gone to scunthorpe...' After Malcom's death my friend and I saw Eric in our local pub and he told us that it was 100 per cent unplanned. Brilliant. Another time we made him a T-shirt for his birthday. On the back we wrote "fuck it". We threw it at him onstage at Up The Creek. He opened it and said: 'That's just what I wanted', blew his nose on it and threw it on the floor....

paulb, October 2006

I just heard that he's dead. What an approach to life! What a nice man! Everyone loved him from what I could tell. Helped us all by making us laugh and showing us not to take it all seriously. Very funny man.

Pool Partner, July 2005

I knew Malcolm in the early seventies. He lived just off Lee High Road and apparently lived off fencing stolen tellies. I was a kid who lived up the road who loved to play guitar, but had no money, so he took me up Bromley High Street and generously bought me my first acoustic with somebody else's chequebook. I now play professionally, and would like to thank my unwitting benefactor.

George Saint, June 2005

Malcolm, you and my father made parts of my childhood fun,thanks for letting me in Up The Creek for free with all those dodgy birds. Shame we won't chug up the river again. Oy oy.

Jack Wisemen, April 2005

I am Malcolm's sister Clare. He has left me with the greatest and most hilarious memories, Ones which I will dine out on forever and ever, But I will always miss that funny loving face.Clare.xxxx PS I still owe you £10.

Clare Hardee, April 2005

....oh yeah and he once kneed me in the bollocks apropos of nothing. As I fell to the ground I instinctively punched him back in the testicles (To no effect I might add) as I lay on the ground wincing in agony, I cried out in exasperation, "What the fuck was that for?!?" To which he replied, "Erp! Sorry I've just taken a shitload of acid. I thought you were Gina Ryan!" Why he wanted to knee Gina in the cunt I shall never know and neither will she. Just know this Gina. I took a shot that was meant for you.

Brendon Burns, April 2005

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