Double post...

 

-- Edited by Stephen on Saturday 26th of July 2025 09:46:54 PM

Did I try and ask more questions than anyone else in the room?
Yes, yes I did.

I'll write about it in the next day or so. No massive updates or anything newsworthy, but it was fun and positive.

Would you believe that I was sat next to Gay Bolton? Get your Googles out for that deep, deep Pulp and Webber reference! We did talk, and I have quotes :)

I assume it will be the same one that was shown at the Horse Hospital before the launch of Paul's own book. From memory it was very interesting but as ever with these things and us hardcore, too short!

Some nice insight from Mark into his input and instrument/pedal choices on More from this interview with Guitarworld magazine:

www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mark-webber-pulp-more">www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mark-webber-pulp-more

I was going to a few weeks back after reading it but didn't want to post any spoilers. I haven't done a forensic page by page comparison but there were enough new bits and bobs to keep me entertained. There were a few times where I thought "Oh...really? Did I read that bit in the hardback 6 or 9 months ago...?!"

I was pleasantly surprised that he seemed to go back over the whole text and add new thoughts and memories here and there.
There's a few more flyers and ephemera...nothing "gold" in terms of new, old photographs, from what I recall...
And of course there was a new chapter on the new era and some interesting thoughts on the recording process for More.

The one thing I can remember not having heard/read before... in 2011/12 when Pulp were on their first lap of honour, it was Mark who one day in a rehearsal or soundcheck between shows, started playing the riff of After You out of the blue! I think some of the band joined in and the rest, I guess, is history. So thank you Mark, you legend!

Whether the book is worth buying a second time is hard to say. I'm an absolute sucker for music boxsets and books especially related to the musicians I love so I would have eventually snapped-up the second edition. The fact I got to buy it and meet him again at one of his promo events made it an easier sell.

The quality of the paper isn't amazing but I assume they've done this to keep the price at a much more digestible RRP than the hardback. Which, in fairness to Mark, he wasn't keen on charging the premium price on the first edition and he didn't have to add extra content a second time round - yes, some of us hardcore will double-dip regardless but I imagine that's a small number so I don't see it as taking advantage. He's clearly spent a lot of time on this project.

I'm so glad he's finally had some time in the spotlight this past year and even better, that he seems to be enjoying it based on all these book-events he continues to do.

-- Edited by Eamonn on Monday 8th of September 2025 08:41:14 PM

Ah, come to Dublin, Mark, would ya! Or better still somewhere like Kildare. Richard Hawley is in Dublin Oct 22nd. Come on over! I'd feckin pay him myself (well, depending on the price. Cost of living crisis and all that!). He's bringing his guitar with him apparently. Now will this prove Mark is the other singer in the band. Will he sing a tune. Jarvis said in a Beyond the Pale interview that he only found out in recent years that there was another singer in the band.

Going to the Sheffield date, pretty reasonable pricing as it includes the book too..

Erm....
It very clearly states at the Crookes social club site that ticket sale includes a copy of the book..

Paulette Edwards - 30/10/2025 - BBC Sounds

Mark interviewed on Radio Sheffield, 30th Oct, starts 14m30s.

Ah yes, interesting. Including this clip where he apologises for their slightly flat performance at Tramlines:  www.facebook.com/reel/1515478629655303/

I wasn't there and would have eaten-up hearing S:SC and Miners Strike live but I can see why a general crowd would struggle with those. It's 15 minutes of music they haven't heard before at a mid-tempo.

-- Edited by Eamonn on Sunday 2nd of November 2025 02:09:21 PM

Lipgloss and Help The Aged should be part of the core festival setlists imo. They're both uptempo and pretty well-known. Pulp's first chart entry (not Top 40 but not far off) and their last top ten.

I know the rhythm of Lipgloss causes issues and Jarvis needs the crowd to do the "Funny how it all falls away" line in HTA but so what? Adds to the sense of occasion.

At least OU has finally had a second life. If something is relatively quick and catchy, a general crowd will lap it up especially if it's buttressed by hits that they do recognise.

I went to Mark's book tour event in Nottingham last night. An enjoyable evening. Lots of people turned up but it wasn't quite sold out. 

Mark was his usual self, giving very honest answers, but also seemed keen to steer the conversation away from anything more negative. No major surprises or new information in the conversation or Q&A.

Mark briefly attempted to recall Pulp's first Nottingham show at the Barracuda in 1987. It sounded like a lot of shows at that time: they spent hours wrapping the stage in tin foil and then only a handful of people turned up. He remembered it was a small venue - little more than a bar. That sounds correct because I know the location and there is a ****tail bar there today.

The highlight was the five videos played. I've described them in spoiler tags below, because I know there are more dates coming up, and those going might want a surprise. He mentioned the selection varied at each event, so I'd be interested to know what else was included on other nights
 

Spoiler

1. The Will to Power at Chesterfield Arts Centre (January 1986). A wonderful bit of footage with Russell on vocals and Jarvis in the wheelchair. It was VHS quality so a bit grainy and not great sound but still very watchable. The camera panned around giving clear views of all the band members. I hope more of this pops up in future (but I'm not hopeful). 

2. 'Access All Areas'. About 20 minutes of video documenting the 1993 Razzmatazz Tour with Saint Etienne. There was live footage with excerpts of several songs, plus various stuff, including, backstage with both Pulp and Saint Etienne, in the transit van, arriving in Leicester Square at 5am, on a beach, and so on. Some material from this was used in the Home Movies section of the Hits DVD. Mark said he had edited it down, so it's unclear how long the original is. The sound quality was sometimes poor (the concert footage was better) which is perhaps why this hasn't been shown before. Still it was a really good snapshot of the band at that time. There were credits at the end which I don't fully recall. It was filmed by Mark, Mike Timm, and maybe others. Edited by Mark.

3. TV Madness same as on the Hits DVD

4. A avant garde edit of Common People recorded at the Edinburgh Hogmanay show. I don't recall the details. This was my least favourite of the videos.

5. A production rehearsal of Glory Days. I liked the way Jarvis still gave his usual long introduction even when playing to an empty arena.

-- Edited by Will on Tuesday 4th of November 2025 11:24:30 AM

-- Edited by Will on Wednesday 5th of November 2025 10:59:01 AM