If I were them, I wouldn't bother getting Russell back. He isn't as involved as the others are, so why bother getting someone in there every ten shows like he is some magical special guest.

saw119 wrote:

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It's starting to feel like Pulp might tip over into 2013 the way 2012 is panning out. It started as a few shows in Spring and has now become European Summer Festivals again. Do people think it likely they'll finish it off at the end of Summer in England? Are they waiting for Russell to finish his TT84 project so he can rejoin for the last hurrah?

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 I don't see a last hurrah.  Auto was that back in 2002.  Far more likely they'll just fade away.  I wouldn't believe them if they say any future gig is the final one.

ArrGee wrote:

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Wickerman wrote:

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If I were them, I wouldn't bother getting Russell back. He isn't as involved as the others are, so why bother getting someone in there every ten shows like he is some magical special guest.

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 Richard Hawley guests, so why not Russell?  He should come and go as he pleases.  

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If Pulp wants to move forward, there must be more than just these nostalgia shows. Devotion is needed. You cannot record an album with one member being half-in the band. The realisation of these 2012 shows without Russell show, to me, the others in the band have the willingness to go on with the band even without Russell. If Russell would have said: "I'll be back in 2013", the others would have waited I guess. 

Jarvis is a songwriter and he will record songs either with or without Pulp and it seems to me that taking this Pulp2011 thing to the next year that there will be more than just concerts. Perhaps not this year, maybe next.

You've all touched on some very interesting points. What confuses me is that these people are artists aren't they? They make their living from writing songs and music, surely it must be impossible not to write new material or have new ideas. It seems like a very frustrating lifestyle to simply play the same songs over an dover again lie they have been doing. The whole band looked pretty hungry at the NME awards I thought. Jarvis stated that he didn't want Pulp to become a 'Heritage Act', surely another 2 years of trawling these songs around and that's what they will become.

Remember Candida said a year ago, yes to more gigs, no to an album. I'm with her in that reformed bands that bring out new stuff don't usually come out with "classic" material. They may simply be enjoying working together, playing the old stuff, and getting paid a shit load for it!

Unless the live act begins to move away from the wall-to-wall hits that have characterised the reunion thus far (two lovely nights at Brixton aside), I think they'll be calling it a day before too long...

(in London at least, where fans in the market for hits alone have had plenty of opportunities to see them already)

-- Edited by superchob on Tuesday 6th of March 2012 09:14:08 PM

Because I'd like to think they would think it fitting if they have a plan to call the reunion to an end, and that they would think enough of their hometown and fans from there and around there to do so.

They've played in London more than anywhere since the reunion. It'd be nice for a band with strong ties to the North to play somewhere other than Leeds festival. And they ended their career last time in Rotherham, so why shouldn't they do something similar again?

I don't think they will finish playing, they're on a roll now. If a new album is on the way I hope Russell will at least be a guest on a couple of songs with his violin

saw119 wrote:

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The whole band looked pretty hungry at the NME awards 

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 Yep !

that's why i'll say it again: massive tour this summer and a new album this year, or next year, but more likely this year. Without Russell.

They do seem to be enjoying themselves, presumably they wouldn't be bothering otherwise.

Does anyone here know how these things work, I am thinking particularly of the drip feed of new dates rather than one big tour or whatever kind of schedule being announced in one go? I can't imagine they really want to wind everyone up into gambling on going to shows miles away only to find one announced on their doorstep a week later. So I assume they are announced as they are booked? So maybe they have surprised themselves at how much they are enjoying it and are playing it by ear a bit.

As for new material of any kind, last year they obviously had their hands full with a pretty full on summer programme and just getting back to where they left off, but they've had all winter now to think a bit harder. And these days, it's not as if you have to produce complete albums, people release bits and bobs all over, maybe a one-off free new song on t'internet to put their toe in the water. Although they seem to be enjoying the live stuff now, they seemed worried sick before they started in that Lamacq interview last year, maybe the same goes for the idea of doing anything new. Whilst Candida put her foot down last year about no recording, maybe she will come round if everything is going better than they expected at that time. Surely their creative urge can only be supressed for so long??

Eamonn, I had a dream they did actually do this. Such disappointment when I woke up.