Ha we started queuing at around 10 minutes before the doors were supposed to open and we still got to the barriers, I couldn't believe it at the time.

Steve Mackey confirmed.

Right, Nick's playing, Candida's playing and Smackey is, which we already knew. We're at the front, this is going to be ace!

Programme thing:

Just met Nick, Candida AND Steve!

Did they seem happy about how it all went? The pre-publicity sounded like it was going to be a rather emotional look at the human side of the industry, that would have got to Richard especially presumably? He sounded pretty emotional at that BBC concert he did last year at Magna where various members of his family had worked.

I was there and very much enjoyed it. I particularly liked the Sheffield Sex City instrumental.

Tim Allcard doesn't look any different than he did in 1983!

No Mark? Odd.

So it was Pulp-lite without Mark?! That makes me very happy (that they're still playing together that is!)

Eamonn wrote:

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Does anyone get the feeling that Pulp still really enjoy playing/working together but that it's these creative or appealing one-off events (tonight, the After You recording with James Murphy, the cruise etc.) that keep it fresh and interesting for them and that the traditional careerism-cycle necessary in music (write, rehearse, record, tour) is just something that doesn't appeal due to the level of commitment involved?

I get the feeling they would be happy meeting-up every now and then to work on something that doesn't require lots of planning and waiting around. Hence the constant skirting around the issue of direct "Are you gonna write new material/record a new album" type questions. I don't know how you get the perfect situation where the band are happy at not being tied-up with Pulp but still carry-on with the group sporadically while we still get to hear new stuff from them now and again.

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 I felt this way too, until I read this article,

http://www.gigwise.com/news/82203/richard-hawley-pulp-got-ripped-off-and-ended-up-with-f*ck-all

 

and reading the bit about money made me a little sad. I expected more from PULP. Never thought they'd do it for money.

I'm not saying he's wrong but Hawley can be quite outspoken at times. He's always very defensive of Pulp, but I'd be surprised if they didn't make a fair few bob in their heyday. Maybe he's referring to their career as a whole where they lost out with money at various points. The bits he was involved in between 98-01: TIH barely recouping the money that went into it, Island offering a reduced deal after the muted reception to We Love Life and the bits he remembers from the days of struggle in the 80's would support that stance.

As for the reunion, if I was asked to do it every year and then one of my friends who had been playing in my solo band tragically died all of a sudden, a natural reaction would be to get back and play while the six of us are still capable of doing it. And I'm sure they've helped look after Tim's family (as well as raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust)so I wouldn't begrudge them of any earnings made over the last two years. Events like tonight show the love for their own work together as well as how much their home town means to them.

Hawley's got a lot of stick for slating Glasto elsewhere. I think he's been a bit misguided with his opinion on the fest and come off badly. That gig sounds ace, wish I'd been!