Led by Jarvis Cocker, Pulp emerged from the vibrant indie music scene of the 1990s, rapidly becoming one of Britain’s most loved bands following the release of their breakthrough album ‘Different Class’ – an album which spawned hit singles “Disco 2000” and “Common People” amongst others.
Packing out their live shows with their working-class Britpop anthems, Cocker often stole the spotlight with an eccentric and flamboyant onstage persona as the band rapidly crossed over from the indie into the mainstream. Going on hiatus in the early 2000s, the band had left an indelible mark on the British music landscape so much so that, decades after the band disbanded, their infectious songs still continue to resonate with audiences decades later.
In July 2022, the band’s frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would be reforming for some gigs in 2023. With dates eventually announced including shows in their home city of Sheffield along with a number of festival appearances, the Britpop favourites arrived in Scarborough bringing with them a biblical rain storm which drenched this sold-out, Pulp t-shirt clad crowd.
Not that half an hour of torrential rain was going to dampen the spirits of this crowd who were, in no uncertain terms, “well up for it”. As the intro tape worked fans young and old up into a frenzy, the most unlikely hero in rock, Jarvis Cocker, rose from the back of the stage like some sort of nerdy Britpop God leading the band into opening number “I Spy”.
That was just a taster as well and as a blast of streamers heralded the arrival of “Disco 2000”, the entire floor was bouncing along to one of the biggest Britpop hits of all time. Like the frontman himself, somethings just never age and, even though some of these songs are nearly thirty years old, they are as invigorating and infectious as they were back when they first came to our attention.
An unusual character, Cocker himself struts and dances about the stage like a history teacher at an end of year disco. Still wearing the nerdy glasses and velvet suit, his banter makes him one of the most entertaining frontmen in live music as he throws drinks and sweets into the crowd. He may look like a supply teacher but he has the banter of a stand-up comic and the knack to write hit after hit after hit as Pulp blitz through a hit packed set including “Mis-Shapes”, “Sorted For E’s and Wizz” and “Babies”.
Of course, the set ends with a monumental rendition of “Common People” the Britpop National Anthem for the working class as over eight thousand people sing the words back into the gloomy sky bringing to an end one of the most welcome comebacks of all time.
Photo Copyright © Jo Forrest
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