When I lived down south in Bracknell in the 80s, we used to go to a comedy club there, and Mark Lamarr was the regular compare. This was long before he ever made it on TV. He was very often far funnier than all the comics. Like someone mentioned about Monkhouse earlier, it was how sharp he was that was impressive, he wasn't just performing an act, he'd just talk to the audience and find some humour off the cuff. His put downs to any hecklers were particularly brilliant.
Again, back in the 80s, I'd seen Punt and Dennis on TV, and I'd have put them in the same category as Hale & Pace (i.e. ****e). However the wife and I ended up going into one of their shows actually just to get out of the rain. They were hilarious live, and these days Hugh Dennis cracks me up on Mock The Week. Actually, virtually anyone that appears on Mock The Week cracks me up.