Kicking myself a bit for not approaching Mark when I was in his vicinity for a good while afterwards. His wife and two other women were with him at all times though so I didn't want to intrude. Did pluck up a bit of courage, finally, to ask Nick to pose for a pic at least:

new desktop image?

Just found a photo of the set list on tumblr... Dishes, Lipgloss, Wickerman, Bad Cover Version and Live Bed Show where planned! Dishes and Live Bed Show would have made my life! I take back what I said about not changing a single thing now...

But seriously, have they ever managed to fit every planned song in?

We waved back but we both have terrible eye sight and couldn't make out if someone was waving or not - I thought I caught a glimpse of you on the big screen when Jarvis was sticking his camera into the crowd though!

I felt really disappointed when I found out about Dishes and LBS but I'm still on such a post-concert-high I'm over it now :P I just feel incredibly lucky to have been there at all.

Well there we are. It's all over, but won't ever be forgotten. Thanks for everyone at the front of the queue (Jazza, Josh et al) for keeping my girlfriend and I company in the cold and the wind - the time flew by!

Bit concerned about the possibility of being interviewed on this DVD/documentary thing; the guy was asking bizarre questions like what our favourite household chores were (I said Dishes, duh), did we want Babies, and were we wearing Underwear... but I've signed the release form, so it's too late to worry :)

As for the actual gig? Well it was alright... okay, it was EPIC, as Patrick Stewart might say. Sheffield Sex City was the highlight for me, plus the 80s songs and Countdown. Sunrise was excellent too, though towards the end the smoke machine was in overdrive and I couldn't see anything! Brilliant!

I will be honest though, it wasn't a flawless night; I could barely hear the violinist, and a couple of songs didn't sound quite right to my ears (Help The Aged) - or was that just me? - but of course these things didn't really matter in the end, it was an excellent effort and I loved every second.

Oh, and err... is it sad that I've got a roll of Pulp toilet paper?

Weirdest gig souvenir to date... ;)

Lauren You might have seen me on the big screen if it was just before Jarvis turned the camera back onto himself after going down the front row - He got to the person next to me - I looked a bit frightened (and was thinking damn i wish i'd got my eyebrows shaped) he looked at me, I looked back at him,even more scared and then he pointed the camera towards himself and I started laughing ! So he either read my thoughts or took one look and decided he couldn't inflict my face on the whole arena!

Well, Jarvis did say 'you have to save the best bit till last' when talking about how long it had taken them to reach Sheffield, and they all took a big bow at the end as well.

-- Edited by saw119 on Monday 10th of December 2012 08:17:43 AM

I also apologise if I was one of those out of tune teenagers.

One thing that really annoyed me was a guy who pushed his way onto the barrier, and then got pissy at me when I told him there was no room (even the security guard told him to step back!), I like to think I successfully pushed him back off during either Bar Italia or Common People

enigmatic answer, i would say

I'm really surprised, after the bow at the end, the 'best till last' comment, the filming of a DVD, the home videos, the length of the gig and Jarvis's recent comments in Q, that people still don't think that this is the end!

The bow sealed it for me, really. Convinced this is it - for at least a few years anyway, though who knows what will have happened by then. Some really good pictures of it actually - makes me feel quite emotional, the end of an era (again!). That said, I'm surprised he didn't come out and say something more direct, but maybe it'd have introduced a sad note and this way, although we all suspect it, the night ended on a positive wave. And maybe there is an element of 'never say never'.

Yeah, exactly. I think we'll see at least some of them again, but I reckon that's it for now

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but maybe the Chritmas present is an announcement of more show dates for 2013.

Well, that was the best gig I have ever been to. I got to the queue at about 5pm (I was the tall, large guy about 20 people back). It was great to chat to some of the people from the forum. The wait until the doors opened just flew by. We heard them sound-checking, and a few people at the front of the queue would run up to the arena to try and identify the song being sound-checked. We got in pretty much bang on 6.30pm and charged to the front of the standing area. In the end, I was in the second row from the front. Everything in terms of the gig has been covered. The people I was around were all really nice, wonderful atmosphere. Thanks to everyone on here for being such great company during the queuing, and, of course, thanks to Pulp themselves for putting on such a fantastic show!

peltor wrote:

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Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but maybe the Chritmas present is an announcement of more show dates for 2013.

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 I think I would be happy with this. More so then MP3's or videos.

liltman wrote:

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A bootleg sounds very interesting!

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 I'll get converting to mp3 then!

REPORTER Andrew Trendell went to see Pulps homecoming show in Sheffield.

You know youre missing the X Factor final? jokes Jarvis Cocker as he manoeuvres his spindly frame across a stage strewn with Andrex.

They handed it out in homage to their early days 32 years ago when toilet paper was a low-budget alternative to pyrotechnics and a light show. That all-singing, all-dancing reality show of shallow karaoke is an ugly side of culture thats developed diarrhoea now Pulp are back to hand out the bog roll.

This is proper pop music made in Sheffield.

Sorry it took us so long, says Cocker, but weve saved the best for last.

Not only is tonight Pulps first hometown gig in 10 years, but its their last UK show for the foreseeable future . Straight from the off with Do You Remember The First Time, Pulp are hell-bent on making every moment count.

The sense of occasion is not lost on anyone. Like so, so many comebacks and reformations, tonight ran the risk of falling into a naff pantomime of nostalgia. Instead were treated to a masterful celebration, delivered and received with religious fervour.

Theyve filled that fountain in now, recounts Jarvis in reference to Disco 2000, constantly mapping their impeccable catalogue of hits onto the Sheffield landscape. Pulp couldnt have come from anywhere else and they give the love back around here.

Were treated to a smattering of old school obscurities from Pulps days as unknown freaks in the 80s and early 90s before the disco funk jam of Countdown storms into an epic outing of Babies.

Of course, it just wouldnt be a celebration of all things Sheffield without wheeling out fellow local icon Richard Hawley. The Don of the Don joins his former band for a delightfully menacing rendition of This Is Hardcore and underrated gem Sunrise before reaching the behemoth crescendo of Common People.

Returning for yet more irrepressible banter and a five song encore, youre struck by how many immaculate indie staples this one band are responsible for. How have we lived with them?

As white ticker tape rains down and boozy Northerners sway along to Something Changed, it seems less like Christmas came early and more like they all came at once.

For tonight at least, the Peoples Republic of South Yorkshire feels like the centre of the universe and Pulp are the masters of it. Lets pray weve not seen the last of them.

Yeah, that first sentence was a bit dodgy. I think he's just being factually correct with the second. Can't imagine he knows more than us.

Except for us!

-- Edited by Jazza on Tuesday 11th of December 2012 10:54:10 PM

yep. but then i'm always glum at work!

Yeah, but an unplayed song we wanted to hear.  On a realted note did everyone else see Hawley frantically making those throat slashing 'cut it' gestures from offstage right when Jarvis started introducing the song?

I'd have preferred Death II or Acrylic Afternoons, but there you go... can't be fussy really.

Goodnight would have cleared the floor.

I think Love is Blind would've been amazing to hear- especially since it was rehearsed for the reunion but never played.

Also, don't get your hopes up about the Christmas card thing, there is like a 0.0001% chance it's gonna be new material- they haven't had a chance to record anything for a start, schedule wise! It'll be live MP3s probably, and that's great.

rawrsomesauce wrote:

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Schedule wise?! They've had weeks sometimes months off at a time!

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Yeah but Jarvis has been living in London doing his radio show & I'm pretty sure there have been reports of the others doing their own things, Mark doing his film stuff etc? And if the ever-cautious Pulp were going to make a creative comeback, they wouldn't just knock something off in a couple of weeks, especially considering the fact that Pulp songs are collabrotive efforts. But hopefully I'm wrong!

triciathetree wrote:

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Yeah but Jarvis took quite a lot of time off his show in the summer so you never know! (I'm pessimistic as well but I want to believe)

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hmmm that's true... when did they go to South America, was it September?

And wasn't there talk of them going to a studio whilst in South America? Or was it likely that was just a rehearsal studio so they could give the Sheffield fans what they wanted in the shape of Born to Cry...?

Yeah, there are two distinctive big gaps, aren't there? September '11 - Mar '12 (during which time Russell seemed to quit again) and then July - Nov '12.

Mine you, even in the much shorter gap of June '12 they could have hit the studio for a time!

And so we're assuming Mr. Cocker is telling fibs?

Well...here's hoping!

Well, my by calculations it was 23 months between the Suede reunion being announced and them first playing new songs. It was also 44 months between Blur being 'back on' and them first playing new songs*. So maybe there's hope yet.

*This stat wilfully ignores the fact that it was only 16 months before they actually *released* new material!

On a different trend, does anyone think it slightly perverse of El Jarv (user of the Pulpwiki) to plump for the 23rd most popular 'rarity' to play at the Sheffield gig (as according to said Pulpwiki)

Does anyone have the audio for the gig yet? I would quite like to listen to it again. I bet the 5 minutes we spent chucking loo roll around will sound great! But seriously, I absolutely loved that bit and would like to hear a recording of the whole gig.

Stephen wrote:

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On a different trend, does anyone think it slightly perverse of El Jarv (user of the Pulpwiki) to plump for the 23rd most popular 'rarity' to play at the Sheffield gig (as according to said Pulpwiki)

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 Yup, you might almost be tempted to imagine he hadn't checked it in the week leading up to the gig!

rawrsomesauce wrote:

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Schedule wise?! They've had weeks sometimes months off at a time!

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 Well for one, Mark had not only a film festival to organise during those months, but a wedding as well!

What's a grunt job?

Violin Thing wrote:

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Have uploaded the show, let me know if it's ok.

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 It sounds Ok but the major problem is the low bitrate of the mp3's I'm afraid. I won't really quibble cos you went to the trouble of recording it and I'm sure it would sound very good if the bitrate was higher. It'll do until we get an official release, I hope. By the way Countdown sounds just as fantastic as I remembered it.

But the single version sounds very much like the live version, I've been listening to that a lot lately.

Fran wrote:

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saw119 wrote:

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Violin Thing wrote:

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Have uploaded the show, let me know if it's ok.

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 It sounds Ok but the major problem is the low bitrate of the mp3's I'm afraid. I won't really quibble cos you went to the trouble of recording it and I'm sure it would sound very good if the bitrate was higher. It'll do until we get an official release, I hope. By the way Countdown sounds just as fantastic as I remembered it.

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I'm not so discerning in the audio sense, never agonised over which speakers to buy or angsted over whether you really can tell the difference between mp3s, CDs or vinyl, so I am able to dive right in and savour the amazing memory of the night. How do you manange to record the whole thing so brilliantly and pay any attention to enjoying yourself? Thanks very much.

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 Well everyone who were i the seats near me never turned up so I just stuck the recording equipment on a seat next to me and dnaced away. Know what you mean about the sound, but hopefully it's just a taster until the official release.

Make of this what you will......

I have been communicating with someone close to the band recently, and he has been replying to my questions...... HOWEVER he didnt reply to this question, and deleted the pm......

"Do you think we have seen the end of Pulp after their fantastic homecoming"..........

Read and deleted....


Seriously clutching at straws here.

I guess what I'm feeling is; I'd be happy either way. As I see it there's two possible responses to the massive show they've just played. One is relief at a job well done and full stop and the other is a feeling of 'you know, we haven't finished with this'. It'll take time for either of those feelings to crystallise in the collective Pulp mind. Let them have their time to think and either way what's good for them is good for us. I know some of you who are fairly new fans may not feel this way but some others it's been a long time and for the band even longer.

Felt like the end for now at least to me. Here's hoping I'm wrong though! I was actually pleased to hear Born to Cry played as I love that song. She's a Lady or My Legendary Girlfriend would have been welcome too whilst Happy Endings would have rounded it off perfectly at the end. Still, that is nitpicking, all in all another great gig and if it is to be the last we see of them for a while they have certainly gone out on a high note.

I was stuck up in the seats for this one but still enjoyed it immensely. I looked for you and other familiar faces at the Leadmill afterwards but didn't realise you were off partying with the band! You missed out on a free Jarvis face mask though!

Andy - it could just be something or nothing, just strange how I didnt get a reply to that

Thanks for the bootleg Violin Thing. I have just downloaded it. Gone of the days I had to rely on my memory for these shows. Ta very much!

Have I missed something? Eamonn went partying with the band?

Eamonn wrote:

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Nah, not really. Just managed to blag an aftershow wristband and saw Pulp members socialise (separately) while I meekly stood at the edge of the room with two other gatecrashers.
Met Nick briefly and got my pic taken with him (posted earlier on this thread). Warhol Webber was in close proximity too but difficult to get on his own and didn't want to bug him but annoyed with myself that I didn't approach him.

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 I'm guessing you didn't see Russell mooching around backstage then?

There are three different recordings of this in circulation now! The one shared by Violin Thing on here (thanks!) and two others on Dime.

On Dime someone's also dug out their recording of Pulp supporting Oasis at Sheffield Arena in April 95. Nice to hear that one - it sounds like they got a very warm reception considering they were appearing as an unannounced support band.

saw119 wrote:

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Any chance of a share of that April '95 show?

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 I'll get on Dime later and get hold of it for you.

Perhaps he was busy finishing his musical to present to Ralph (hopefully)

Here's a download link for the '95 Sheffield Arena show:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ad7nqn

With thanks to user 'tommybagnall' on Dime for sharing this.