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The Guardian
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pulp review – Jarvis Cocker's captivating comeback turns a rapt crowd rapturous
A thick velvet curtain cocoons the stage as a cool disembodied voice projects over the audience: 'This is an encore. An encore occurs because the audience wants more.' Since their initial breakup in 2002, Pulp have re-formed twice, for sold-out tours and festival sets played to loyal, rapturous audiences. Tonight, the stakes are higher: for the first time in 24 years, Pulp have a new album, More, released just one day before tonight's opening show. The audience want more – but do they want More? Any anxiety about new material is quashed when set opener and comeback single Spike Island is received like an old friend. Jarvis Cocker rises from the back of the stage flanked by cardboard cutouts of his bandmates – recognisable from the cover of 1995's Different Class – before joining their real-life counterparts, guitarist Mark Webber, drummer Nick Banks and keyboardist Candida Doyle, downstage. Continuing this mood, old and new songs on the setlist complement each other: the spacious psychedelia of More's Farmer's Market leads into the wide-eyed wonder of Sunrise from We Love Life; and the high stakes disco of O.U. (Gone, Gone) is echoed in its new counterpart Got to Have Love. With its illuminated staircase, kitschy backdrops and full string section, the stage is reminiscent of a 1970s chatshow set, with Cocker holding court in a corduroy suit, taking a seat – and occasionally laying down – during the spoken word sections, but always captivating. The setlist caters for fans of most Pulp eras, but This Is Hardcore heads are truly spoiled, with Help the Aged and The Fear both played live for the first time in over a decade. The latter sees Cocker share the limelight with four inflatable air dancers, somehow perfectly encapsulating the song's ennui in their gigantic absurdity. This Is Hardcore begins with the strings-only End of the Line mix, maximising the luxe melodrama before laying on its heavy dread. A hits-packed final run ends with Common People, somehow still thrilling – and relevant – 30 years after its release. The curtains are drawn, but the band return for a semi-acoustic version of A Sunset, the final track from More. It says a lot about this beloved group that, after playing their biggest hit, they can play an album track released yesterday to the same rapt attention. Pulp tour the UK and Ireland until 21 June
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Pulp Is Back for ‘More,' Their First Album in 24 Years. Even the Britpop Band Is Surprised
Pulp has returned with a new album, their first in 24 years. Who could've predicted that? Not even the band, it turns out. 'It took us by surprise as well,' dynamic frontman Jarvis Cocker told The Associated Press. 'Why not?' If there are casual Pulp fans, they don't make themselves known. The ambitious Britpop-and-then-some band emerged in the late-'70s in Sheffield, England, artistic outsiders with a penchant for the glam, grim, and in the case of Cocker, the gawky. Fame alluded them until the mid-'90s, and then it rushed in with the trend of Cool Britannia. Their songs varied wildly from their contemporaries, like the recently reunited Blur and soon-to-be back together Oasis. Instead, Pulp's David Bowie-informed synth-pop arrived with humor, ambiguity and intellect — songs about class consciousness that manage to be groovy, glib, awkward and amorous all at once. Then, and in the decades since, Pulp has inspired devotion from loyal fans across generations. They've charmed those lucky enough to catch band members in their heyday before a kind of careerism led to a hiatus in 2002 — and those who saw them for the first time during reunion tours in 2011 and 2022. With all that reputation on the line, it's reassuring that the band has decided to give its audience 'More,' their first new album in over two decades. Give them 'More' There were a few catalysts for 'More.' The first: 'We could get along with each other still,' jokes drummer Nick Banks. 'It wasn't too painful.' The second: The band worked a new song into their recent reunion show run — 'The Hymn of the North,' originally written for Simon Stephens' 2019 play 'Light Falls' — and people seemed to like it. The third and most significant: The band's bassist and core member Steve Mackey died in 2023. 'It made me realize that you don't have endless amounts of time,' Cocker says. 'You've still got an opportunity to create things, if you want to. Are you going to give it a go?' And so, they did. Cocker assured his bandmates Banks, guitarist Mark Webber and keyboardist Candida Doyle that the recording process could be done quickly — in three weeks, lightspeed for a band that has infamously agonized over its latter records, like 1998's 'This Is Hardcore.' Webber describes a 'reticence to get involved in a yearslong process' that was alleviated when they started to work on new songs which came 'quite easily.' That's at least partially due to the fact that, for the first time in the history of the band, Cocker elected to 'write the words in advance. ... It's taken me until the age of 61 to realize it: If you write the words before you go into the studio, it makes it a much more pleasant experience.' The 11 tracks that make up 'More' are a combination of new and old songs written across Pulp's career. The late Mackey has a writing credit on both the sultry, existential 'Grown Ups' originally demoed around 'This Is Hardcore,' and the edgy disco 'Got to Have Love,' written around 'the turn of the millennium,' as Cocker explains. 'I did have words, but I found myself emotionally unable to sing them.' 'Without love you're just making a fool of yourself,' he sings in the second verse. 'I got nothing else to say about it.' It makes sense, then, that the romantic song was held until 'More,' when Cocker believed them — coincidentally, after he was married in June of last year. A pop band reflects Maturation — the literality of growing up on 'Grown Ups' — is a prevalent theme on 'More,' delivered with age-appropriate insight. 'I was always told at school that I had an immature attitude. I just didn't see any point in growing up, really. It seemed like all the fun was had by people when they were younger,' said Cocker. 'But, as I said on the back of the 'This Is Hardcore' album, it's OK to grow up, as long as you don't grow old. And I still agree with that, I think. Growing old is losing interest in the world and deciding that you're not gonna change. You've done your bit and that's it. That doesn't interest me.' 'You have to retain an interest in the world and that keeps you alive,' he adds. 'So, you grow up. And hopefully you live better, and you treat other people better. But you don't grow old.' In addition to 'More,' 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the song that defines their career, 'Common People.' 'That one, we've never really fallen out of love with,' says Webber. 'Because of the way it affects people, really, you can't fall out of love with it,' adds Cocker. 'More,' produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C.), arrives Friday. The band will immediately embark on a UK and North American tour. Then, who knows? Is this the beginning of a new, active era for the band? 'The next one is going to be called 'Even More,'' Cocker jokes. 'Nah, I don't know. The album wasn't conceived of as a tombstone. ... The jury is out.' 'It wouldn't be good for it to end up feeling like you're stuck on a treadmill,' Banks adds. 'And at the moment, it's still pretty exciting.'
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Pulp is back for 'More,' their first album in 24 years. Even the Britpop band is surprised
NEW YORK (AP) — Pulp has returned with a new album, their first in 24 years. Who could've predicted that? Not even the band, it turns out. 'It took us by surprise as well,' dynamic frontman Jarvis Cocker told The Associated Press. 'Why not?' If there are casual Pulp fans, they don't make themselves known. The ambitious Britpop-and-then-some band emerged in the late-'70s in Sheffield, England, artistic outsiders with a penchant for the glam, grim, and in the case of Cocker, the gawky. Fame alluded them until the mid-'90s, and then it rushed in with the trend of Cool Britannia. Their songs varied wildly from their contemporaries, like the recently reunited Blur and soon-to-be back together Oasis. Instead, Pulp's David Bowie-informed synth-pop arrived with humor, ambiguity and intellect — songs about sex and class consciousness that manage to be groovy, glib, awkward and amorous all at once. Then, and in the decades since, Pulp has inspired devotion from loyal fans across generations. They've charmed those lucky enough to catch band members in their heyday before a kind of careerism led to a hiatus in 2002 — and those who saw them for the first time during reunion tours in 2011 and 2022. With all that reputation on the line, it's reassuring that the band has decided to give its audience 'More,' their first new album in over two decades. Give them 'More' There were a few catalysts for 'More.' The first: 'We could get along with each other still,' jokes drummer Nick Banks. 'It wasn't too painful.' The second: The band worked a new song into their recent reunion show run — 'The Hymn of the North,' originally written for Simon Stephens' 2019 play 'Light Falls' — and people seemed to like it. The third and most significant: The band's bassist and core member Steve Mackey died in 2023. 'It made me realize that you don't have endless amounts of time,' Cocker says. 'You've still got an opportunity to create things, if you want to. Are you going to give it a go?' And so, they did. Cocker assured his bandmates Banks, guitarist Mark Webber and keyboardist Candida Doyle that the recording process could be done quickly — in three weeks, lightspeed for a band that has infamously agonized over its latter records, like 1998's 'This Is Hardcore.' Webber describes a 'reticence to get involved in a yearslong process' that was alleviated when they started to work on new songs which came 'quite easily.' That's at least partially due to the fact that, for the first time in the history of the band, Cocker elected to 'write the words in advance. … It's taken me until the age of 61 to realize it: If you write the words before you go into the studio, it makes it a much more pleasant experience.' The 11 tracks that make up 'More' are a combination of new and old songs written across Pulp's career. The late Mackey has a writing credit on both the sultry, existential 'Grown Ups' originally demoed around 'This Is Hardcore,' and the edgy disco 'Got to Have Love,' written around 'the turn of the millennium,' as Cocker explains. 'I did have words, but I found myself emotionally unable to sing them.' 'Without love you're just making a fool of yourself,' he sings in the second verse. 'I got nothing else to say about it.' It makes sense, then, that the romantic song was held until 'More,' when Cocker believed them — coincidentally, after he was married in June of last year. A pop band reflects Maturation — the literality of growing up on 'Grown Ups' — is a prevalent theme on 'More,' delivered with age-appropriate insight. 'I was always told at school that I had an immature attitude. I just didn't see any point in growing up, really. It seemed like all the fun was had by people when they were younger,' said Cocker. 'But, as I said on the back of the 'This Is Hardcore' album, it's OK to grow up, as long as you don't grow old. And I still agree with that, I think. Growing old is losing interest in the world and deciding that you're not gonna change. You've done your bit and that's it. That doesn't interest me.' 'You have to retain an interest in the world and that keeps you alive,' he adds. 'So, you grow up. And hopefully you live better, and you treat other people better. But you don't grow old.' In addition to 'More,' 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the song that defines their career, 'Common People.' 'That one, we've never really fallen out of love with,' says Webber. 'Because of the way it affects people, really, you can't fall out of love with it,' adds Cocker. 'More,' produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys,Fontaines D.C.), arrives Friday. The band will immediately embark on a U.K. and North American tour. Then, who knows? Is this the beginning of a new, active era for the band? 'The next one is going to be called 'Even More,'' Cocker jokes. 'Nah, I don't know. The album wasn't conceived of as a tombstone. … The jury is out.' 'It wouldn't be good for it to end up feeling like you're stuck on a treadmill,' Banks adds. 'And at the moment, it's still pretty exciting.'
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Pulp is back for 'More,' their first album in 24 years. Even the Britpop band is surprised
Pulp has returned with a new album, their first in 24 years. Who could've predicted that? Not even the band, it turns out. 'It took us by surprise as well,' dynamic frontman Jarvis Cocker told The Associated Press. 'Why not?' If there are casual Pulp fans, they don't make themselves known. The ambitious Britpop-and-then-some band emerged in the late-'70s in Sheffield, England, artistic outsiders with a penchant for the glam, grim, and in the case of Cocker, the gawky. Fame alluded them until the mid-'90s, and then it rushed in with the trend of Cool Britannia. Their songs varied wildly from their contemporaries, like the recently reunited Blur and soon-to-be back together Oasis. Instead, Pulp's David Bowie-informed synth-pop arrived with humor, ambiguity and intellect — songs about sex and class consciousness that manage to be groovy, glib, awkward and amorous all at once. Then, and in the decades since, Pulp has inspired devotion from loyal fans across generations. They've charmed those lucky enough to catch band members in their heyday before a kind of careerism led to a hiatus in 2002 — and those who saw them for the first time during reunion tours in 2011 and 2022. With all that reputation on the line, it's reassuring that the band has decided to give its audience ' More,' their first new album in over two decades. Give them 'More' There were a few catalysts for 'More.' The first: 'We could get along with each other still,' jokes drummer Nick Banks. 'It wasn't too painful.' The second: The band worked a new song into their recent reunion show run — 'The Hymn of the North,' originally written for Simon Stephens' 2019 play 'Light Falls' — and people seemed to like it. The third and most significant: The band's bassist and core member Steve Mackey died in 2023. 'It made me realize that you don't have endless amounts of time,' Cocker says. 'You've still got an opportunity to create things, if you want to. Are you going to give it a go?' And so, they did. Cocker assured his bandmates Banks, guitarist Mark Webber and keyboardist Candida Doyle that the recording process could be done quickly — in three weeks, lightspeed for a band that has infamously agonized over its latter records, like 1998's 'This Is Hardcore.' Webber describes a 'reticence to get involved in a yearslong process' that was alleviated when they started to work on new songs which came 'quite easily.' That's at least partially due to the fact that, for the first time in the history of the band, Cocker elected to 'write the words in advance. … It's taken me until the age of 61 to realize it: If you write the words before you go into the studio, it makes it a much more pleasant experience.' The 11 tracks that make up 'More' are a combination of new and old songs written across Pulp's career. The late Mackey has a writing credit on both the sultry, existential 'Grown Ups' originally demoed around 'This Is Hardcore,' and the edgy disco 'Got to Have Love,' written around 'the turn of the millennium,' as Cocker explains. 'I did have words, but I found myself emotionally unable to sing them.' 'Without love you're just making a fool of yourself,' he sings in the second verse. 'I got nothing else to say about it.' It makes sense, then, that the romantic song was held until 'More,' when Cocker believed them — coincidentally, after he was married in June of last year. A pop band reflects Maturation — the literality of growing up on 'Grown Ups' — is a prevalent theme on 'More,' delivered with age-appropriate insight. 'I was always told at school that I had an immature attitude. I just didn't see any point in growing up, really. It seemed like all the fun was had by people when they were younger,' said Cocker. 'But, as I said on the back of the 'This Is Hardcore' album, it's OK to grow up, as long as you don't grow old. And I still agree with that, I think. Growing old is losing interest in the world and deciding that you're not gonna change. You've done your bit and that's it. That doesn't interest me.' 'You have to retain an interest in the world and that keeps you alive,' he adds. 'So, you grow up. And hopefully you live better, and you treat other people better. But you don't grow old.' In addition to 'More,' 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the song that defines their career, 'Common People.' 'That one, we've never really fallen out of love with,' says Webber. 'Because of the way it affects people, really, you can't fall out of love with it,' adds Cocker. 'More,' produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys,Fontaines D.C.), arrives Friday. The band will immediately embark on a U.K. and North American tour. Then, who knows? Is this the beginning of a new, active era for the band? 'The next one is going to be called 'Even More,'' Cocker jokes. 'Nah, I don't know. The album wasn't conceived of as a tombstone. … The jury is out.' 'It wouldn't be good for it to end up feeling like you're stuck on a treadmill,' Banks adds. 'And at the moment, it's still pretty exciting.'
