99% of people would go if he was playing or not. It is a shame yes, but this is a band that went on for years without him and put on great shows and made great music.
Yeah, speaking as a U.S. fan who has yet to ever see them live (Remember, they last played here in 1998!) it's a shame that Russell won't be there, but I'm still incredibly excited. Plus, I'll be happy to hear maybe a few more Hardcore and WLL songs that normally get played at these reunion shows.
I realize that they sounded pretty different when Russell left, but I think there are a lot U.S. Pulp fans who don't see much of a difference between the two eras. With Russell, they were a cult act here. Without Russell, they were a cult act here.