No, but going to see him at Foyles bookshop in London tomorrow where they're screening his DYRTFT? film. An odd event, don't think it's anything to do with his book promotion but I think I'll bring my copy along to try get it signed and ask a geeky question or two about Pulp/his songs.

Scott, are you going to see the Lightning Seeds on their tour next month?

So, I went down to this strange hybrid-event of film/book celebration organised by Heavenly Films at Foyles bookshop in Charing Cross Road last night.

It kicked-off with a screening of a short film called "Downside Up" - the inspiration to the revolving upside-down motion camerawork used ("ripped off" in Jarvis' words) for the DYRTFT? video. It was played on a projector screen followed by the familiar and lovely DVD menu from the Pulp:Hits DVD which I hadn't seen in years. From there, the promo to DYRTFT? was screened and for the first time (appropriately!), I actually enjoyed the motion-sickness inducing music video, with a new appreciation of where the influence came from.

The film about loss of virginity followed and then finally Jarvis came on stage where he was interviewed by a bloke who looked a cross between JC and Robert Peston. A writer called Travis Elborough.

He was a knowledgeable host, and seemed to know the Pulp back-catalogue well. He remarked how some of the Downside Up film reminded him of David's Last Summer which set Jarvis off on a book at school that had inspired the title to that song.
There was also a shrewd observation about a memorable Terry Hall line in the film "She was into The Bay City Rollers which put me off a bit but not enough", which Travis said could be a Pulp lyric. And he said the same could be said for Jo Brand's contribution about the fluffy carpet around the toilet while she endured (by the sounds of it) her first time.

It was a bit unusual in that although the film was being discussed, there were obviously books to flog so Elborough was referring to revelations in the book in his questions as much as he asked Jarvis about the DYRTFT? film, if not more.
At one point, the Jarv Is... song Must I Evolve was brought-up and Jarvis mused that he's not sure that he has (evolved). Seeing his son dabbling a little with music/instruments has made him think if he (JC) has already said what he needs to say in music. Didn't like the sound of that! Elborough egged-on that idea "a passing of the baton" but it wasn't meant seriously...I hope.

Anyway, at the end they announced that Jarvis would be signing books til 9. Jarvis quite sweetly added that he would be sat at the table and you didn't even need to bring anything to sign, he'd be happy to chat.

We all had to write our names/dedications on post-it notes as we waited in-line ("I only do this cos I'm not very good at spelling people's names"). I saw that the lady ahead of me had written her dedication as "To Sarah, Something Changed" which was for her wife. She told me that had been their wedding song. She didn't know about Jarv Is...and this actually gave me confidence to go through with the obscure chat i wanted to have with Jarvis.
Most of the folk who meet him at signings like this are not Bar Italian-level of fans so if he gets plenty of well-meaning/generic interactions with people, he may be more disposed to ones about unreleased songs etc.

Anyway, that was enough to embolden me. So, when it came to my turn, I knew what I wanted to say and managed to have approximately two minutes of conversation with Jarvis at the book-signing table.

The first thing he said to me on being handed the book with post-it note of my name was, "You're Eamonn". He said it with such authority that my immediate thought was "Fuck...he recognises my name from Bar Italia and thinks (ok, knows) I'm one of those serious, could-be-a-psycho, fans..." He was about to say something else... but I had such a fight-or-flight instinct to veer him away from any obsessive-fan type observations. So I just said that I had met him briefly at the book's exhibition a few months ago, a couple of days after I'd seen Jarv Is... play in Madrid. Which was a nice segue into asking him if Pulp reforming meant the end of Jarv Is... and he replied, quite bluntly "I hope not. We're actually meeting/I'm seeing them after this, tonight". Dunno if he meant rehearsing (at such a late hour?!) but he added that he really enjoyed playing with them. He said this in quite a candid/grateful way and I kind of got the vibe that he would struggle to be still writing/releasing new music without them. I said that I thought Slow Jam was a fucking amazing song. He seemed thankful and he mentioned (if I heard right - he spoke softly and I was trying not to outstay my welcome) that it still has to be recorded (presumably the same goes for a full album).

I was probably overly self-conscious of not holding-up the queue but I really wanted to say something about Cuckoo Song. So, as I took the signed book back from him I blurted-out summat like "I see that you've been playing Cuckoo song recently. I've never forgiven you for not releasing that so please consider it next year when Pulp play live!". The poor bloke, I think he was a mixture of admonished/taken-aback/impressed(?!). He kind of smiled and said something briefly but as has usually been the case with my few and brief interactions with him, I'm always so nervous/keen to get my questions out that I seem to miss/forget parts of his answers. And ever-mindful of a shop staffer ushering people along in the queue.

I said thanks and goodbye and I think if it wasn't such a formal-informal situation, he would have been happy to chat more, (maybe even about those geeky song-related stuff we'd all love to chew the fat with him over) but I knew I had to leave him to it.

Fantastic write-up, thanks Eamonn! Definitely feel the same whenever I meet famous people, particularly in a queue where you have all that time to plan what you want to say, panic about it, listen to other people, freak out, and then the mad seconds when you're actually in front of them when you remember precious little about it. :)

That's a great write-up Eamonn, good on you for trying to make the most of the encounter.

Not sure if I'm on email terms with Geoff Travis, as we only communicated during the auctions, however it will do ZERO harm in emailing him. however a Pulp podcast I'm 100 percent up for !! I've not read the write up eamonn as don't want any spoilers for tonight as it's been sheer bloody hell to get here tonight considering I'm so local !! Wonder if I'll get to meet him later at the exits ? Hmm. Be nice to get my book signed.

-- Edited by Scottbloodyfrazer on Friday 30th of September 2022 10:45:47 PM

I was there. I asked the last question of the night, what was his personal favourite lyric or song hed written whilst in pulp? he replied a random tangent about rehearsals this week and how high mis-shapes is and that hed forgotten about this song and then apologised for not answering my question then ended with today its mis-shapes
I was lucky to meet him afterwards and get a photo. Thoroughly enjoyed the night.

-I have no idea why speech marks wont show in my post. 

-- Edited by Rachel on Saturday 1st of October 2022 03:08:37 PM

-- Edited by Rachel on Saturday 1st of October 2022 03:10:49 PM

The vocal range mate. He regrets dropping the song from sets and actually still rates it highly

Scottbloodyfrazer wrote:

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What a great night spoilt by the piss poor organisation of the venue which accounted for a good few hundred people not getting their books signed. Thankfully I made sure that I was the last person to get signed and a photo. I asked if there would be a We Love Life Deluxe, and he either ignored me or didn't hear me in the commotion. 

Jarvis was full of his usual wit, his stories especially about his " window fall " were epic.

Jarvis confirmed that they are doing festivals AND stand alone gigs, but not revealing where. He said there will be some info in the next few weeks.

-- Edited by Scottbloodyfrazer on Friday 30th of September 2022 10:51:21 PM

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Any subtle hint if any of those include the USA? 

Eamonn wrote:

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I'd be surprised if they don't do America (or Mexico). Maybe that's a reason why Jarvis was there recently.

Didn't they sell-out Radio City NY for two nights in 2012? I did read that tickets for the Suede-Manics US tour have been shifting slowly considering those gigs are on next mont.

I might be wrong, but feel that Pulp (maybe due at least partially to the cult of Jarvis) are a bigger draw than two of their contemporaries.

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You thinking USA standalones or the festivals here? Think they'd do better with standalones here. UK...both. 

Festivals here are a damn mess anymore. And more or less sucks for fans only going to see like 1 or 2 bands as most of the rest of the roster is filled with a bunch of crap. 

He's at Cheltenham Literature Festival tomorrow evening.

I'll report back if anything about the reunion gets said.

Ha! I avoided that particular topic.

Just back - nothing much to report to be honest. The interviewer didnt seem to know much about him and I think got off on the wrong foot with him by introducing him as someone you might confuse with the binmen of Cheltenham and a legend of britpop.

He then went through the bag he brought on stage and told the stories that I imagine hes done at all the other book talks.

Questions to him werent anything exciting - best was is it Ok to like morrissey still? (The answer was if you want to) and why is it Not ok to read lyrics whilst listening to the music.

No mention of the reunion at all.

Ive already got a signed copy of the book so didnt queue up to meet him (and I was rather put off by a rather stern message that he wont sign anything but the book, and no photos as hes having a bad hair day - the latter I thought was a bit off).

Nebula wrote:

Lol!!! The hair day part. Sorry, that made me laugh. Was that him or the place that said that? Sounds like it was a humorous, non-serious, in jest idea by him. Lol. How was it stern? 

Just curious. 

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Just right at the end - the woman interviewing him said something along the lines of "Jarvis will be signing in the book store right after this, but it's books only and no merch, Jarvis is having a bad hair day so no photos I'm afraid and he has a train to catch and it's limited to 250 people"

Just stern the way she delivered it, really.