“I’m probably going to make loads of bad tennis jokes,” Pulp’s founder and lead singer, Jarvis Cocker, warned the audience at the beginning of the band’s set at Forest Hills Stadium. He was referencing the venue’s history as the former host of the US Open. “We’re here to serve you.”
Cocker is the sole original member remaining in Pulp since its 1978 origin in Sheffield, England. Keyboardist Candida Doyle joined in 1984, drummer Nick Banks in 1986 and guitarist Mark Webber in 1995. At the peak of the band’s popularity in the 1990s, Cocker and Pulp became reluctant figureheads of the Britpop movement, along with Oasis, Blur and Suede. Despite having sold more than 10 million records, Pulp embarked on a decade-long hiatus after releasing its seventh album, We Love Life, in 2001. The band reformed from 2011 to 2013, and then took another extended break, reforming in 2022. The band is now officially back, having released More, its first album in 24 years, on June 6, 2025.
Although Pulp has been largely inactive in the 21st century, interest in the band’s music is reviving. This past June, Pulp played a surprise set at the Glastonbury Festival, where the band had headlined twice in the 1990s. The day before Pulp headlined at Forest Hills Stadium, More was among the 12 albums nominated for the 2025 Mercury Prize; the winner will be announced on October 16. This marks the band's fourth nomination for the award and the first since winning in 1996 for the album Different Class. As the momentum builds, Pulp will release a 30th-anniversary box set for Different Class on October 24. The deluxe edition will feature a newly remastered version of the album plus the first official release of the band's landmark Glastonbury Festival concert in 1995.
After a lively set by Hamilton Leithauser of the Walkmen, Pulp came on stage as an octet. For live shows, the core four of Pulp enhance the presentation with four additional musicians. Bassist Andrew McKinney, violinist Emma Smith, Viola player Richard Jones and multi-instrumentalist Adam Betts have been touring in Pulp since 2023. Cocker was the center of attention throughout the concert, however, as he paced the stage, sang, and danced to the music in an oddly jerking manner.
Pulp’s performance pivoted mostly around Different Class and More, with a handful of songs from three other albums. The evening’s repertoire began with Different Class’ “Sorted for E’s and Wizz,” a song that in 1995 sparked controversy in the United Kingdom, where the tabloids criticized the lyrics’ ambivalent examination of drug culture. As Cocker began singing, roadies inflated three tube people at the front of the stage, while the giant LED screen multiplied echoing images of Cocker for psychedelic effect. Pulp is about social commentary, but in a witty and nonchalant manner.
Pulp songs often also namecheck British culture and history. Before starting “Spike Island,” a song from the More album which begins with a high-pitched whistle, Cocker tossed plastic whistles into the audience. The title and main lyric referenced a landmark concert by the Stone Roses on Spike Island in 1990.
Incorporating a dash of theatrics, “This Is Hardcore,” from the album of the same name, began with an ambient instrumental introduction. An armchair appeared at the top tier of the stage. Cocker sat in it as a video showed red velvet curtains pulling back to reveal a glowing chandelier. Cocker sang part of the song from the armchair at first and later sang while laying with his back on the tier where the chair had been removed. The dark lyrics surveyed the negative aspects of fame, implying that it leads to emotional emptiness and disillusionment rather than fulfillment.
Cocker explained that when he and his band mates were considering whether or not to perform before audiences, they would meet and play songs on acoustic instruments. The core four musicians sat on stools lined up along the rim of the stage and demonstrated the acoustic approach with the song “Something Changed” from Different Class. The lyrics observed how an unanticipated chance encounter can redirect the course of a person’s life and future.
Pulp retained its original sound even with the newer compositions. New songs were constructed very much like the old songs. This proved to the audience that this reunion was more than an opportune money-grab. The band has committed to a revival of Pulp’s essential sound with fresh artistry. Nevertheless, the maximum crowdpleasers were in the band’s vintage catalog. “Common People,” for instance, was an all-around singalong.
Perhaps Cocker spoke too much between songs, because towards the end, the program needed to be abbreviated to meet the venue’s tight 10 p.m. curfew. The encore was aborted, and the band ended the evening after “Common People” with “A Sunset.” Though the set might have been missing a song or two, fans got one hour and 45 minutes of live Pulp. And there were no more tennis jokes.
Pulp's 2025 North American tour will conclude on September 25 and 26 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. Pulp will share the headline spot with LCD Soundsystem at those shows.
Setlist
Sorted for E's & Wizz
Disco 2000
Spike Island
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
Slow Jam
Farmers Market
This Is Hardcore
Sunrise
Something Changed (acoustic)
O.U. (Gone, Gone)
The Fear
Do You Remember the First Time?
Mis-Shapes
Got to Have Love
Babies
Common People
A Sunset
***
The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.
For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."
For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's September calendar.
No comments:
Post a Comment