Around 1980, Jarvis Cocker played a most unusual gig. In a pub car park. In Eckington. One of his band mates, Mick Hercun, takes up the story.
Mick played in 'Milk for Jason' alongside Saskia Cocker and her friend Joanne (the 'It' backing vocalist), and would later play in the Negatives and Tsi Tsa, who supported Pulp at at least one show in 1982. Mick explains that "Saskia and Joanne advertised in the local paper for like-minded people to form some sort of band. This would be around 1979/1980 and me and a friend of mine answered the ad and we met up.
Saskia mentioned that her cousin had a rehearsal room and we went along, neither of us having a clue what and how to do it. I'd only done a handful of gigs before, playing covers in my school band.
Saskia told me about her brother Jarvis and the cousin whose room we were in turned out to be Chris Hendricks - a very underrated and immensely talented individual, very reclusive but I can't speak highly enough of him - who had just disbanded The Scarborough Antelopes and was looking for other victims - sorry, band members - to try out his new material. Unfortunately Saskia and Joanne didn't figure in this set up and we formed a 3 piece under the guise of Milk for Jason. That was the springboard for me to write songs.
[Editor's note - the Scarborough Antelopes feature on 'Bouquet of Steel' alongside lots of other future Pulp gig-mates. Their track is well worth listening to IMHO]
Saskia was and I would think is a wonderful girl. It was really down to her that I started with Sheffield music and I could never thank her enough for that.
While we rehearsed Jarvis used to come and watch, cutting quite a dash bedecked in a long overcoat, National Health specs and fuzzy ginger hair. We used to talk quite a bit about music and he told me about his school band Pulp.
Months later a few musicians, including myself and Chris Shaw from Mrs Beech, got together with two of the original Scarborough Antelopes; Mark Sole and Chris Zelly. Chris organised a benefit gig somewhere in a pub car park in Eckington. Not having a natural singer amongst us I asked Jarvis if he'd like to give it a go and he did. After singing Suffragette City and Psycho Killer, he just stole the show . At the end he was mobbed by loads of kids ( and they didn't steal anything either!) and I knew then he would be a star. Not long after that I met the Negatives and formed Tsi Tsa and went from there."
And does he remember supporting Pulp at the Limit in 1982?
"I have a misty memory of Pulp hanging 'mobiles' ( not the phone type) from the low ceiling on the stage . Cutouts of fish come to mind but as I said it is a bit misty. I do remember drinking in the Hallamshire before the gig. This mistiness may have been a consequence of that. Cant remember if we did any more gigs with Pulp possibly upstairs in the Hallamshire or somewhere else."
