Ian wrote:

---

So who else is going?

---

Me! First time seeing Pulp in my home city, so personally a very special occasion. And I can sleep in my own bed for once.

Expecting a similar if not exact setlist to Finsbury Park but we'll see... and yeah, 9.30pm finish sounds way too early. I'd expect Pulp on at 8.40pm for a 10.30pm curfew.

Just heading out, probably there around 3.45pm. If anyone has joined / is joining the queue early, I'm the big bloke with the beanie hat and beard. Say hey, don't be shy.

ArrGee wrote:

---

lipglossed wrote:

---

It's a real shame there isn't more rotation - it seems like it's a set they stick to, then maybe you get Razzmatazz if there's time? Aaahh it's not logistically possible for us all to make it to Sheffield/Hammersmith! I promise I'll quit my moaning...

---

 I suspect that 99% plus of attendees only see the show once, so Pulp do the best show they can that is common and well known to the majority. There are no guarantees that they won't do much the same at Sheffield/Hammersmith.  I expect around three quarters of the set will be much the same for these dates albeit with some changes like Brixton in 2011. 

I was just checking Hyde Park 2011 against Finsbury Park 2023 and 13 songs were common to both gigs. Mile End and Bar Italia were the only songs played at Hyde Park and Weeds, Weeds II, Like A Friend and Razzmatazz.  9 of the 14 songs played at Auto in 2002 were also played at Finsbury Park. Plus ça change.

---

 lf you look at the first three songs from each show in 2011, then you see the setlist change from one show to the next. They always opened with DYRTFT, but at Wireless you had Pink Glove and Mile End, at Glasto you had Joyriders and Razzmatazz, at Melt! you had Pink Glove and O.U... even at Reading and Leeds, the first had Joyriders and Misshapes, the second had Pink Glove and Razzmatazz. Øyafestivalen had Acrylic Afternoons and Monday Morning. Malakasa had Help the Aged, Melbourne had Bad Cover Version...

Not to be a downer, a moaner, or to have any similar accusations levelled at me, like entitlement or idiotic expectations, because I want to stress as much as I can that I'm beyond excited to go and see Pulp again, especially with the fact everyone who's been to one of these gigs so far has come out describing it as fundamentally incredible. That's an amazing thing. To see Pulp, on their second reunion with Jarvis pushing 60, receive that kind of plaudits is honestly insane.

You can't blame them for honing the show they have and playing it well, but also... gigs cost a fucking load of cash these days - especially Pulp gigs ! If someone's going to more than one (and some of you are going to several), having a setlist that's maybe just slightly different, maybe with one single song changed, one of the ones that the crowd don't know so well like Weeds/FEELING/Glove/Like a Friend, would be an effective and viable way of varying the setlist juuuuust a little. (They've already dropped Dishes for Mis-Shapes, for example.)

Eamonn wrote:

---

... it's an amazing spectacle, far more ambitious and striking than anything they did outdoors on the last reunion. And the rave reviews from casual fans will be seen as justification.

---

 Agree. And I don't see much changing even at Hammersmith/Sheffield though playing 2 nights at each with I suspect a good number having tickets for both nights there will be some minor changes. I regret not doing both nights at Brixton back in 2011.  But I didn't expect it to be any different to the norm at the time.

Though be warned, Sparks recently played Royal Albert Hall on two consecutive evenings and played exactly the same set both nights as they did on the rest of the tour. 

liltman wrote:

---

But yeah, Ive also wondered if Jarvis is considering merging the groups in the future for a new Pulp.

---

When Jarvis released his first solo LP, I vaguely remember it wasnt a Pulp LP due to logistics of getting the whole band together and that it was more straight forward to record with whomever was available at the time (might be a post on this forum to confirm this). Initially, I thought that Jarvis solo would end up being Pulp with a more fluid line up, and I remember seeing him early doors solo at KoKo with Candida, Hawley and Mackey.  

Ultimately, for many Pulp is synonymous with Jarvis. So another evolution of Pulp is viable.

PS this forum transitioned to active board in 2006, but nothing to confirm what I stated above In this thread.  Maybe someone else remembers better than me

https://baritalia.activeboard.com/t8252893/jarvis-announces-first-solo-uk-date/?page=2&sort=oldestFirst

Hi guys. A good friend of mine worked on the security team (a fine job they did to) and managed to send me the set list pulps crew provided them with. Gig was amazing, whole band on top form ! I spoke with Jarvis last year and tried to weedle out any inside info on future projects but he wasn't giving anything away! 

Cheers britpop95 for the setlist, have added it to the PulpWiki page. Tried to get one myself but there was a lot of competition and sadly the security guys had an aversion to walking to the right of the stage (as sadly did Jarvis when he stepped down briefly).

Honest opinions...

It didn't quite live up to the heights of Bridlington for me - less anticipation perhaps, also fewer songs - but it was another spirited display from the extended gang and still very special to see Pulp back in Manchester after over two decades. It's a fantastic venue, the screens looked great and the confetti & lasers really added to the occasion.

I'm a little amazed Weeds/Weeds II both remain in the setlist given how lukewarm the reaction has been. The indifference from the crowd last night was quite stark - barely heard anyone singing around me at the very front - and if I've noticed then surely the band have picked up on it. I was expecting the tour to be HnH/DC-heavy, of course, and I've said (many times) before that WLL is my fave album so I'll always welcome the chance to hear anything from it, but I'd probably swap them out for The Trees or Bad Cover Version at this point, I reckon either would get more of a reaction. But perhaps they serve a purpose? A chance for the audience to take a breather before F.E.E.L.I.N.G? Or is it just too late to change the lights/screens? I dunno.

What do people reckon about This Is Hardcore on this tour? Maybe it was just last night but it sounded a bit off to my ears at times. Perhaps I'm just too used to the studio recording, but Mark came in a little late on the piano (they recovered it well after a few bars) at the beginning and towards the end it sounded off-key. Again, maybe just me?

Anyway, I'm not really complaining, still pumped for Scarboro' at the weekend.

This is fun - Pink Glove in 360 degrees from the back:

Pip wrote:

---

He also mentioned that before the show the band had a look round the new Yayoi Kusama inflatable exhibition at Aviva Studios (formerly Granada Studios).

---

 Pics of the "Pulp family outing" here: Facebook

Nice one, Ian! Glad you enjoyed it. And fair play for approaching Candida, it's always such a tricky thing to gauge. Keeping it short, simple and sweet when you just want to ask them questions that have been on your mind for years!

And yes, Weeds II is abridged. Works pretty well, I think. But wouldn't mind the combined Weeds being swapped-out a bit for late-era singles.

Party Hard would be a great opener or closer. It closed the main set a few times during the TIH tour. Like you say, it's fast, great rhythm and I think a fair amount of non-knowers would dig it.