Home shows always have a heightened appeal. It implies the artist in question is going to be in better form because they are at the scene of their origins. Whether that magic truly affects Pulp is a question that can be answered by looking back at their last home show. More rumbled into view with that performance thanks to an addition of The Hymn of the North. Two years on from that and Pulp has gone from strength to strength. An album that topped the charts, a changed setlist with a welcome selection of deep cuts, and a selection of new members who are adding more to the group than could have been expected. Think on that hometown feeling a little more, and throw everything you thought out as the band launches into Sheffield; Sex City and The Last Day of the Miner’s Strike, the latter live for the first time in the band’s decades long history.
Tracks from More serve as excellent mood setters. Opening tracks Spike Island, Grown Ups, and Slow Jam tell a story more confidently now. The moving parts are in that seamless transition which comes in those rare moments when the best in the field are at the top of their game. Tramlines is an outstanding celebration of music from the city of Sheffield, but also of artists who embody the spirit of its people and culture. It’s why I Monster is as welcome a draw as Baxter Dury. It is also why frontman Jarvis Cocker and the band sound impressive as they slip into songs they have kept well away from for a decade. Sheffield: Sex City is an incredibly bold choice for the festival atmosphere even if it is an ode to the lust heard in their hometown.
A similar riskiness comes through on The Last Day of the Miner’s Strike, a song which has all the makings of a second-place choice on those interval crowd votes. To hear it performed for the first time is a ridiculous treat that highlights the band are not afraid to take risks. If it were not clear enough on the new album, then it is evident in the tightly wound sound the band are making. Mark Webber looks thrilled to be playing something that isn’t F.E.E.L.I.N.G. C.A.L.L.E.D. L.O.V.E. while drummer Nick Banks is incredible as always in elevating the volume of the band. Spectacular work from the Elysian String Collective comes through on This is Hardcore, a song tailor-made for theatrics.
Crucial for any band with longevity on their side is making their deepest cuts sound familiar. The highlights of this set are not Disco 2000 or Common People, two songs that will never be dropped again, but in the Richard Hawley-featuring Sunrise. Tramlines is a fine way for any band to play out their last scheduled date on home soil, but there is a lingering feeling that there is much, much more to come. Pulp look as though they are thoroughly loving it. An incredibly friendly crowd responds well to tracks like Grown Ups and Tina. With a few surprise songs in the mix for a festival show, Pulp is challenging what the audience member wants, and are winning them over with a fresh batch of worthy songs. And that is, as far as announced and confirmed information goes, it for Pulp. We came alive in twenty-five as they asked of us. Will they still exist in twenty-six? Only time will tell. With shows this brilliant, how could they not live on? It’s what Cocker told a crowd thirty years ago in Somerset.
Perhaps I didn’t stick it out or maybe I’m alone but the show started slow, dull and Jarvis seemed to lack any crowd captivation at the beginning to the point people were actually leaving in the first 20 minutes. A poor show imo, but maybe it got better?