Yeah, I thought Russell's guitar wasn't cutting through much at Wireless. Then again, there are three guitarists onstage for most of the time so it's hard to say who's doing what. He seemed to be more audible on the bits where he has a especially distinct and recognisable part, like Babies.

For me it has been an absolute dream. As a kid - well 14 year old, I discovered this band and usually most of my interests kind of waver after a few years but the Pulp thing has become more intense as I got older. Probably because I am older and 'get' the songs now. Fast forward 14 years and booking tickets to see them late last year when Wireless went on sale just after I got back from the UK probably wasn't a great economical decision but I always vowed if they ever returned (after all, they never split up..) I would see them- even if I have to travel far and wide. Obviously I would have loved to have been in France at the first gig, but continents messed that up for me. Anyhows, its been a revelation for me. The night before Wireless, I posted on my Facebook that I was nervous about seeing them. That was the truth, I'd flown so far, what happened if it wasn't fun, they were shit etc. However as soon as that big black curtain came down and DYRTFT started up, I knew this hour and a bit was going to go far too quickly. The thing about Pulp, is that they're an oldish band but probably more relevant today than ever and seeing loads of people dance and sing and totally getting into my fav ever band, well its such a pleasure. I'm rambling I know - so i'll wrap this up and say, I am totally happy to be topping up their super funds, but like Weed said, I think we might get some more interesting mileage out of this - The one thing I do hope doesnt happen is that they dont end up like what has happened to The Pixies - playing Doolittle for the past 4 years around the world. I hope they make every gig special and we do as well.

Tune wise, look it was always going to be Different Class-heavy. Obviously a night of B-sides and early stuff would be the stuff of crazy crazy dreams - would satisfy us, but hey cannot complain hearing This is Hardcore in all its glory and Mile End (would never have picked that!). PSS. Have they missed out on Live Bed Show? I thought that would be a definant?especially a version like that epic V96 recording of the song.....wow! its euphoric.

Stopping waffling now.I gotta go to work and earn some mega bucks to buy their merchandise!!

Weed, I think Russell seems quiet due to the fact there's a huge wall of (guitar) sound going on constantly. He does seem to be very audible on both DYRTFT and Sunrise, though. And obviously on violin a lot.

I've been absolutely bowled over by the reformation and the Glastonbury gig was definitely the best gig I've ever been to (although with regards to enjoyability, it was slightly beaten by the Bonzo Dog Band's reformation a few years back!). The setlist was sublime (especially as I hadn't seen what they'd been playing thus far), the day was beautiful, the support bands were great, the crowd were lovely and it was just a wonderful, wonderful experience. And Russell. Lovely Russell.

Wireless was less of an amazing experience, but that was due to being much further away and having a much duller crowd to contend with. Still, can't complain too much as my friends were much further in and got quite heavily knocked about by a few thugs, so I was probably better where I was.

But yeah...the reformation was certainly lived up to (far beyond) my expectations!

This reunion has been like an absolute dream for me. The announcement came the morning after I was waxing lyrical in a pub in Utrecht with a friend I was visiting saying how much I was desperate to see Pulp live and how I'd just missed them first time round, but how it was never going to happen. The next morning I got a text from said friend as I landed back saying "guess who's just reformed".

Then came the hoping they were going to play Glasto, seeing the final lineup and being hugely disappointed they werent, then the rumours started building up that maybe they were the Special Guests, but even in the week running up to the festival there was still a fair degree of doubt it would actually be them.

Then Glasto came along, and I was stood right on the fence telling the person next to me how much I'd love to hear Like a Friend live, but how it was never going to happen. That same gig Jarvis announced he was going to play a certain song live for the first time.

And then came Wireless, which I was considering even not going to since the friends I was originally going to go with went to see Prince at Hop Farm instead. But in the end I met some excellent people and probably had a more fun time than with my friends who probably wouldnt have been as into it as I was. Plus they wouldve been a lot less keen on the long trek to Bar Italia we all made afterwards which was eventually worth it!

And most importantly, they sound so fresh and still so relevant. A lot of the themes in their songs really seem to strike a chord with the Britain of today, theyre not an overtly political band but the very subtle undercurrent in some of their songs means they're more relevant now than they have been for a while. I would agree with Annette, and indeed we had the same conversation after Wireless, that if they're not going to bring out new material this really shouldnt last beyond next summer. Unless they're planning to take it to Japan, S America etc but I really can't see that happening. However the amount of reception they've got has probably been beyond their wildest dreams so maybe another album might be a possibility? We can only hope.

Didn't want to start a new topic, but found a review for Carhaix in French on Google.

http://fr.canoe.ca/divertissement/musique/nouvelles/2011/07/14/18421311-afp.html

I got the meat of it on Google translate. Lets see if I can refine it a little bit. Apologies if the syntax goes a bit wrong.

CARHAIX - During their only concert in France, the British rock band Pulp, which have reformed for the first time since 2003, gave on Thursday night a true "best of" enchanting his long career began in 1978, which has captivated the Vielles crowd.

The band, on tour in Europe, began their performance with Do you remember the first time, a single that marked the beginning of the success of the group from Sheffield in the 1990s.

The round copper voice of the leader Jarvis Cocker, who lives in Paris and speaks in  near-perfect French, combined with crystalline guitar of Mark Webber,  have won over many Pulp fans and marked the revival of British rock from the 1990s.

The group played Mis Shapes, an acoustic version of A Little Soul, Something Changed, This is Hardcore and concluded with the inevitable Common People, to thunderous applause.

Hmmm...crystalline guitar. I like that!

"Jarvis Cocker, who lives in Paris and speaks in near-perfect French..."

"Cocker had previously lived in Paris in the early 1990s...but he never learned to speak French, according to Bidault-Waddington." Wikipedia.

Interesting if a French mag thinks he can speak it, then!

Acoustic A Little Soul. Bleh. You could make better use of your time, chaps!

anet wrote:

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My concern is this will be short-lived. If Pulp are just going to do the nostalgia thing, it can't last very long. Either they will 'retire' again after a brief period of being at the top of the game as a comeback act, or they will continue to make appearances, but I will get bored and disillusioned with it being the same old. 

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 Unless they make a new record, which seems unlikely, I suspect it will be short-lived.  However, there is a large back catalogue to explore and I am ever hopeful that Pulp will take the suede approach of doing the hits at festivals and having more targeted gigs for fans such as doing albums in their entirety.

Apart from going to wireless, I haven't experienced the end of the hiatus.  The limited radio and non-existant TV coverage has turned Pulp back into the cult-like band they were prior to Common People.  Only then they were trying to get on TV and radio, but most people ignored them!

I'm delighted they are back.  It's been a few years since I was excited about going to concerts, and Pulp always put on a good show. 

Why does everyone think it so unlikely Pulp will record any new material. Unless this reunion is only intended to be for a one-off series of shows this year, I think it is naturally the next step. I just don't see Pulp as the sort of band to die a creative death if they are planning to carry on beyond this year.

Well I don't think much of that :(

really? i thought the interview was good, (particularly compared to other 6 music Pulp 'specials' - ultimate pulp playlist where they played 4 pulp songs in 2 hours!). Was nice to hear Jarvis sound relaxed compared to how he sounds in the Sunday Service as well as most of the rest of the band who usually aren't as 'present' publicly (If that makes sense - which it probably doesn't). Plus a few funny anecdotes, most of which I had heard before, but still amused me

Stephen wrote:

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I think because so far Suede post-reformation have released nothing, and Blur have only managed the one song, thus it seems the most likely situation that Pulp won't be producing much - if anything - with regards to new material.

I'd love to be proved wrong, though!

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I suppose the question is when Jarvis comes up with some new songs does he make a third solo album or record it as Pulp?  He could bring back Relaxed Muscle, but I suspect that is unlikely.   I'd say it's at least a year or two away, and most probably longer.

I think that the other members of Pulp have pretty much made it clear that they don't want to resume their old career. Russell definitely wouldn't if he's not even playing half the Europe gigs, and everyone else has different lives now, really can't see it happening. I think there'll maybe be another Jarvis album eventually, but he's pretty tied up with the radio stuff at the moment.