Pulp: This is Still Hardcore.

Author: Ava Jacobson

 I had the honor of being present for the U.S. Kickoff of Pulp’s “this is what we do for an encore” tour in Chicago this weekend, and I wanna tell you all about it. Now, it’s commonly believed that once an artist hits 50 their stage presence dwindles and they’re unable to keep an audience entertained. But that’s not the case with Pulp. The frontman, Jarvis Cocker, turned 60 this year and still managed to put on possibly the best show I’ve ever attended. You can always tell when someone LOVES to be on stage, when they’ve kept their passion for what they do. Jarvis was able to keep the energy up and spirits high while also showcasing his ability to sound, at 60, exactly the same as he did when he was 20. 

The band opened the night with a fan favorite, “I spy”, it was a great way to get the crowd dancing right off the bat. Everybody on stage was visibly having so much fun during this one (and all the others), it was a wonderful way to kick off the show. "I spy" was immediately followed up by “Monday morning” and “Disco 2000”before transitioning into a speech by Jarvis, Dedicating the next song “Something changed” (a personal favorite of mine)  to their late bassist Steve Mackey, who passed in march of last year, and famous producer Steve Albini. Something changed is a love song obviously about a romantic interest, but the dedication to Steve Mackey makes the bridge tug on your heartstrings.

 “Where would I be now, where would I be now if we'd never met?

Would I be singing this song to someone else instead?

I don't know but like you just said

Something changed”  

Where would Pulp be without Steve? Would they ever have gotten as big as they did, or even stayed a band? It really makes you think. After “Something changed” they played a series of Fan favorites including “pink glove”, “weeds”, and “sorted for E’s and Wizz” but the crowd really came together during “Do you remember the first time?”. Jarvis opened this song by recounting the time that pulp opened for blur, and asking the crowd if anyone attended that show, a wonderful connection between two well beloved Britpop bands. Standing in the crowd and looking around, I didn’t see a single person who didn’t know every word to that song. It was truly beautiful. The band left the stage a few songs after this and took a brief intermission before coming back out for one of Two encores. They played “like a friend”, “underwear”, and “common people”.  I cannot express my joy when I heard the first notes of Underwear. Fucking magical. 

The band left the stage again after common people (and band introductions) and then came out again for the real encore. 

They debuted a new song, the Chicago crowd was the first to ever hear it. It’s entitled “Spike island” and it’s brilliant. Despite being the first song they’ve released in almost 24 years, it perfectly captured the sound Pulp is known for. It transports you back to the 90’s, to the days of Different class and His n hers. It was wonderful, and I’m sure it’ll become an instant classic once it’s released on streaming platforms. 

They finished the night with “Glory days”, a perfect closer in my opinion. The crowd was tired, it was late, but everyone was still dancing and having a good time. 

I’d like to also take a moment to talk about how incredible the Keyboardist, Candida Doyle, was. In a 2014 documentary about the band she discussed getting diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis when she was 17. When the band reunited in 2011, she was concerned she wouldn’t be able to play all of the songs and expressed so much relief when she was able to. It’s good to see that even now, 13 years later, she’s playing just as good as she ever has. 

Overall, Pulp still puts on a tremendous show. They captured the magic they had in their early days. I would highly recommend attending any of the upcoming US dates if you can snag tickets.