inspirit - its a stubby holder. Its very Australian. We put our beers in it to keep them cool. Its made of wetsuit. Very common at tourist shops. And the beach towel. Its hilarious. I dont sort of associate Pulp with beach gear but when in Rome... and from what I saw lots of people were purchasing the undies yesterday.

I think for Sydney on the Friday because my partner is not coming I am going to go early again. An amazing fan from Japan will be lining up from very early. They were there from 8.30am yesterday!!!

-- Edited by cutcopy on Wednesday 25th of February 2026 12:53:06 AM

This is lovely stuff, cutcopy! I'm pleased you got to see them again.And... thank you for recording it! I do miss a good old fashioned audio boot over shakey phone videos.

cutcopy wrote:

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Also looks like i have a recording for Brisbane. I had to turn the mics right down to 1-2 so they wouldnt distort but nothing a bit of magic in Audacity wont clean up. I can send over to FEELINGCALLEDLIVE once tidied up?

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Sounds good, just send me a message on here or email admin@feelingcalledlive.co.uk

cutcopy wrote:

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inspirit - its a stubby holder. Its very Australian. We put our beers in it to keep them cool. Its made of wetsuit. Very common at tourist shops. And the beach towel. Its hilarious. I dont sort of associate Pulp with beach gear but when in Rome... and from what I saw lots of people were purchasing the undies yesterday.

---

 Thanks for answering, I guess we don't have them here, or haven't seen them anyway. Had to google stubby, probably still sell them here, but haven't seen one of those for years either. I remember used to drink them c. 95-96, supplied by a girlfriends lugubirous looking but affable father. Those two great summers we had in England, when everything seemed to come together. Drinking stubbies laid on grass talking shi#e; cheap cans of Hofmeister from the offie bought underage - put in a 'Duck Diving' like pond to chill but drinking it long before it had chance; hooch and all those other vile alchopops to swig while reading NME & MM on a Wednesday, thrilled by the burgeoning music and art world, but barely able to afford an album a month, taping everything laboriously off the radio, watching barely comprehended Jarman & Greenaway films very late at night, and sleeping away the mornings. Squandered youth, fondly recalled.

Thanks also for your review, vital, BTW you're wrong about being no good at reviews. 

Jesus...and did you?

The Buckle smokes, huh? Hopefully not too much, we want him to live til 99.

Amazing. Was she in a happy mood?

Well I know who loves going for seconds at the breakfast buffet...

The one who keeps time.

That was the best Pulp gig I've ever been to!!! And they dedicated a song to Chris Thomas who was in the audience. Back in the hotel speaking to some people and we're all trading our sightings of band in the hotel. Some were up in the pool with them. I told them about breakfast. It's surreal.

Will get a list together of concert thoughts when I get home tomorrow before going again.

It's been such a fun day.

I'm not sure I'm going to make it to Sydney now that Trump has gone bomb happy, I'm flying via UAE

Bit late with Adelaide review but home now and rested. What a mind blowing few days. I'll never forget any of it. I haven't slept much the last few days because I just keep replaying these extraordinary moments.

As mentioned I and so many people going to the concert were staying at the same hotel as them. It was sort of pot luck but when the hotel is mentioned in the back of the Adelaide Festival guide and about a 100 metre walk from the park it all seems quite logical. I can't compute it in my head that for 3 days they were all somewhere in the building... probably laughing at the weird Japanese garden thing that no one can access and how **** the lifts were! That first morning I said good morning to Candida as she passed by, then Nick and Sarah then Jarvis. I had to put my head down when Jarvis shuffled by because it was just to much. I went out for a short run and I looked back and theres Jarvis and Mark sitting together. Its just surreal. The second morning - so yesterday morning now Candida was eating her banana just off to the side of me then I saw Mark cut the line - grab a yoghurt and then back in the line to get his name and number marked off. In my bag I did have my I'm With Pulp book and the Ultimate Music Guide so I thought now or never. Went over to Mark near the egg station and had a chat about the gig, what shows I was seeing and how he thought Adelaide was the best so far. I said look I have your book in my bag could you please sign it for me. He said for sure - I'm just sitting over there - come by when you're finished. We were talking about the Ultimate Music Guide. He said that it had the potential to be great (nothing those of us who had dont already know). I said Yes those things are usually really comprehensive, rarities list etc but nothing like that in this one. I asked how they put it together and he said it was one long interview. He then said they sent me a PDF of it and there were so many errors in it I became depressed and didnt finish it. I did say I did love the list of 100 Albums and Songs that Pulp chose and he's like oh yes - then flips through to the list of songs Pulp chose and in black marker crosses out the Carly Rae Jepson song. He said I don't know even know that song!!! Wished him well and I may have taken the lift up to my room - I think I floated up...

So heres my listical review of Adelaide concert.

1/ Folks lining up from 8:10am. I was number 7 this time. I'm unsure how it is in other countries but from what I have seen at 2 shows the Mums and Dads are bringing their kids who they've been playing Pulp to since they were born - but the kids are into it or then you have the people in their 20s who know of this legendary band and they know all about Oasis and blur etc. One young fan I was speaking to had all these badges of bands and I was talking to her about them and she was very clued up on Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure and TRex which were old bands when I was growing up. Then you have the OG fans from the 90s who saw them on that 1 x Aus 98 tour. Saw them at the 'Thebby'. All great war stories.

2/ Soundcheck was around 11-ish. Short because it was stinking hot and the sun was aiming right at the stage. This is Hardcore got a full run through - just what you need at that time of the morning. You could hear Jarvis saying lets cut it short. Richard came out and was really lovely - photos with the group. Nick walked by as well, didnt really stop to chat or take photos. Someone said Hope you enjoy Adelaide and he's like I'll try. Maybe that didnt land as well as it should have...

3/ Great group of people in the line which makes waiting go faster. There was a man and his daughter and his first jobs were on Top of the Pops and Later with Jools. He was telling me how they put it together.

4/ Just before the concert starts we do Welcome to Country which was really awesome. Maybe the first time its happened at a Pulp concert?

5/ Then we're off. Jarvis has taken all our advice and just comes on stage with his jacket draped on his shoulders which comes off pretty quickly. The look is very The Park Is Mine.

6/ Shortened set so we don't get Slow Jam, The Fear or Begging For Change.

7/ Bangs on about Peter Andre for a bit in the context of Pulp's popularity in Italy.

8/ Asks the audience who was there at the Thebarton Theatre. I think only Adelaidians know how to say it properly. Because everyone sort of laughed when Jarvis said it.

9/ Song dedicated to Chris Thomas who was in the audience.

10/ After Brisbane I was feeling weirdly self-conscious about NOT being invited for tea in Acrylic Afternoons but all is forgiven because I got the 1 x invite this time. I said to the lady next to me who had been in the lineup all day Was that for me? She said Yes that was for you.

11/ This is Hardcore and Acrylic Afternoons are both sounding so good on this tour. Both are in my top 5 Pulp songs anyway so slightly bias.

12/ Just before launching into Common People Jarvis pulls out a bit of paper and I suppose its an indirect statement addressing what happened a month ago around Adelaide Writers Fest. The message to the audience was all voices are important.

13/ Then it was over. about 9.5 hours in a lineup for a 2hr (give or take) concert. Jarvis did thank those who had been lining up in the sun since 5am.


So pleased for a very short walk back to hotel. Spoke to a really cool group of people in the lobby who obviously been at the gig - in their Pulp tshirts. I was still in a very talkative mood and said you know they're staying here - They said yes we know! We then had this epic conversation relaying Pulp sightings in the hotel. They had been in the pool with Andrew and Nick. I told them about Candida, Jarvis and Nick. I saw this same group of people at breakfast yesterday and they said Jarvis had been down much earlier and ordered an omelette. We're all on 'How do Pulp take their eggs-watch'. I showed them my Mark signings and I feel so silly now because we all launched into this long and loud conversation about how awesome Pulp were / are when Nick and Mark would have been able to hear us. All good things were said. 

I didnt record Adelaide show. I do feel a bit free-er to enjoy myself and sing a bit more because I dont have the stress - but I'm sure someone recorded on their phone. I did record some of the soundcheck though so I'll see what thats like and possibly share.

As I was booking out some of the crew was coming down with their bags - gotta be out by 11am. I was thinking this will never ever happen again but I dont think I want it to. I'm very very very happy with these magic moments and a few things signed and a few short chats. It meant everything.

-- Edited by cutcopy on Sunday 1st of March 2026 03:38:19 AM

I love these reviews/tour diaries, thank you! Feel like I've been there. So, so excited for you that you got to have some great chats with the band! Mark's comments are magic. And thank goodness you were called home for tea in Acrylic Afternoons.

Outstanding!

cutcopy wrote:

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Thank you - I am just so overjoyed by the last few days. I'm off to Melbourne in the morning for Tuesdays gig. The last 6-8 months etc I've been feeling abit like - just I should be doing more with my life. I have a good job (albeit a bit boring some times) I have a house I have a wonderful partner but I suppose some of excitement had / has been missing. I'm a very anxious person but this has really given me a reset. I realise it wont last forever - I've got a week to go but just going out into the world is not so bad. You can have fun. People are friendly. Anyway thank you to Pulp for giving me a bit of a kick up the arse.

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 Love this for you.

Hate that for you.

What a shame! Hope you get back home OK.

Sydney Opera House now trolling me by sending me my tickets

Oh Weener! I was looking forward to this with you. Ie doing the lineup for 9 hours!!! I have been in and out of the news but lots of stories here of poor people stuck in Dubai and not able to get home. Even though it's **** house Pulp concerts aren't as important as staying safe. I hope that you can see them in Manchester or Europe later? This crazy messed up world... will we ever learn...

Are you going to that one too?
Yes definitely better to be safe. If it was all cancelled because of techinical issues at Heathrow or something I'd have been furious but stuff like this well it's not the airline's fault and innocent people are getting killed and not getting to Australia isn't the end of the world.
I was getting trolled by a MAGA **** on the pulp facebook group when I put a link up with my ticket. It was amusing. The comments have been hidden sadly

Yes poor old Steve, I can't believe it has been 3 years

 

(ps not trying to be politically devisive here!)

-- Edited by weener on Monday 2nd of March 2026 09:19:56 PM

Just back from Melbourne gig. ABBA was indeed played and Steve was remembered. Melbourne was very very very up for it. Maybe because I was seated I could see the crowd better going absolutely nuts. Think I got a good recording of it ( listening back to parts of it) so can share in the next few weeks. I've been using my H5 Handy Recorder. No A Sunset - probably because of curfew and the ABBA song switch. Very sweet to see Jarvis give Candida a kiss on the head. I just wish with 2 x remaining Sydney shows we might get Slow Jam, My Sex and Hymn again. Auckland was incredibly lucky to get all those. Brisbane just got Slow Jam ( so not complaining).

The Fear we also got in Brisbane ( very pleased about that). The ABBA cover sounded magnificent. The sound in the bowl was the best they have sounded I think on this tour. Their loudness got even louder and then travels up the hill.

 

Also remembered that Melbourne went crazy for Razzmatazz! 

-- Edited by cutcopy on Tuesday 3rd of March 2026 11:17:45 PM

The reviews for Melbourne are off the scale. Five stars, best gig that people in their 20,'s to 50's and 60's have ever been to... dozens of comments gushing over it.

Poor Australians... they've been missing out on wit, charm and wonky-pop all their lives.

Yes that's Melbourne. I think I gave it a like on Ig. My feed seems to be Pulp, Pulp and umm mkre Pulp. Went down to the Opera House to scope out where to line up tomorrow. Glad they have the lineup undercover because it's baking down there. In Nick's book he says how bored he was playing Sydney's Enmore Theatre 3 nights in a row in 98 so I hope he doesn't get bored the next 2 nights. Attached a photo of what the band will be looking out onto.

 

Yes Eamon the reviews have been spectacular but the shows and crowd especially in Melbourne was something else. I was talking to someone about how the big 4 Oasis, blur, Pulp and suede never cared to much about Australia to tour when maybe they should have. Out of them blur made it here first finally in 97. Then oasis and Pulp in 98 then suede in 99. Yes it's a long way but lots and lots of fans and expats of course who love these bands. 

 

cutcopy wrote:

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I was talking to someone about how the big 4 Oasis, blur, Pulp and suede never cared to much about Australia to tour when maybe they should have. Out of them blur made it here first finally in 97. Then oasis and Pulp in 98 then suede in 99. Yes it's a long way but lots and lots of fans and expats of course who love these bands. 

 

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 Perhaps the costs just don't add up? The Suede tours here and in Europe are playing to nice sized venues, c. 2000 capacity, but the More tour has been playing much larger venues, so perhaps the margin is better. Even so I think I read Mr. Webber saying that the large ensemble, and all the light show etc. means the tour will make money, but not much. Also goes to show that Pulp will go those extra thousands of miles for their fans; it's superb that they've covered so much of the globe with More.

-- Edited by inspirit on Thursday 5th of March 2026 10:01:36 PM

Inspirit - yes I'm sure it's very costly to come out here. With suede though it's something else. They could easily sell out here and so many of us want them to tour here but they always stop at Asia / Indonesia. I think on that 99 tour **** went down. They blew out 2 gigs here or maybe just 1 - I can't remember. Huge audiences here for all the British bands that we love. And Mums and Dads bringing up their kids on this music so huge age range at these concerts. I was saying to someone that it's so nice to see parents and their kids loving this band. I didn't share any music with my parents. I remembered my Dad saying I shouldn't be listening to it. They used to play FEELINGCALLEDLIVE on Channel v and he was very offended by DYRTFT. Now parents and their kids are singing the songs together. Huge shift I'm seeing. It's fantastic.

Just about to head down to Opera House for the gruelling wait. I'm 42 so I have to really prepare for it all mentally and physically. Lots of bananas and Cherry Ripes. To Weener, I'm so sad you're not here. It would have been amazing to see it with you.

Quick post before sleep. They played Seconds Lipgloss and I Spy alongside all the others. It was crazy on the barrier. I think some of the younger ones whose first time tonight seeing them kinda lost their minds.

Great to see they are shaking the setlist up a bit. Who knows? "Live Bed Show" next time?

I am paying for it this morning for all the jumping up and down. Kids really lost their collective last night. One person behind me was crying the whole night from being so overwhelmed. This is total Pulp but I love how they didn't gush over the venue at all. It's so iconic but Jarvis did mention the Leonard Cohen show he was apart of many many years ago that was in the Opera House but no real mention of ' the view'. Seconds, I Spy and Lipgloss we heard in soundcheck and I'm sure all the tourists were bemused at all these people dancing and singing.

I took blow up Jarvis last night ( the one from Select Magazine). He had a good time. Apparently he was up on the big screens and someone after the gig was like I had one of those!!!

Nick had a giggle at it when they did Something Changed.

I got to meet wife of Acrylic Afternoons.com - that was extra special!!!! I told her what that website meant to me. I was so happy to be able to do that.

Back home after last weeks 3 x Pulp shows. A new personal best! Unfortunately elements of those 3 shows - Melbourne and Sydney x 2 have blurred into each other and its harder to distinguish between what happened in what city.

I'll stick to the list review method.

Melbourne.

1/ I could only get stall seats so didn't really have to line-up as early but because I was enjoying my line-up experiences in Brisbane and Adelaide I got to the venue a little earlier. Spoke to one lady who looks like we stood next to each other at Pulp's 2011 Melbourne concert at Festival Hall because we both had the champagne memory of Jarvis passing his champagne along the front barrier. We both said see you in another 15 years.
2/ Strange venue dug into the ground - funnel-like with a big hill. I'm glad I didn't get tickets for the hill is all I'll say.
3/ ABBA song substituted in. It was a given. Heard it sound checked in Brisbane. Melbourne and ABBA go way back as it was the venue they played at when they toured Australia.
4/ Razzmatazz was very popular with the crowd.
5/ Jarvis was annoyed at the photographers. You could see him gesturing but it wasn't until I spoke with people in Sydney that I knew what this was about.
6/ Does Andrew know people in every single city! He was always wandering in and out with large groups of people.
7/ Jarvis and Jason visited MESS which is this library for synthesizers. I'm unsure if you have to be a member or just rock up but they have all these vintage synths and you can use them. Very Jarvis and Jason thing to do. Apparently they made an album? That was tongue-in-cheek.
8/ Sound wise of all the Australian shows I think Pulp sounded the loudest and the best in Melbourne.


Sydney - Night 1

1/ Started lining up about 10am-ish. Usual early gang of people. We were able to line up under the Opera House - where you walk in so that was good not being out in the heat. But did have to deal with hard concrete... 
2/ Soundcheck on that first day we were treated to Seconds, I Spy and Lipgloss. When Jarvis was intro-ing Seconds I think he was annoyed that we beat him to the surprise because we were yelling it out - sorry...
3/ Dancing and singing on the forecourt of the Opera House. Some very bemused tourists.
4/ So many younger Pulp fans who tonight  - or this tour was their first time seeing them. I felt like the 'old guard' talking about previous Jarvis tours from almost 20 years ago or seeing them back in 2011. Its exactly how I felt about the folks and there were some in the line up who saw them in '98. Lots of stories exchanged - did you see them here? etc There was one person who I met in Melbs who said Pulp were her first ever concert at 17. Can you get any better? 
5/ My inflatable Jarvis from Select magazine came along. Silly and probably annoying now I think about it. Nick chuckled at it when they came down the front for the 'How we got back together' chat
6/ I thought maybe they looked a little tired during this show? Maybe the venue was overwhelming? Maybe the heat? I don't know. It was just a vibe. Probably just my vibe. Glad to see they were being hydrated with coconut water.

Sydney - Night 2

1/ All day we were talking about the weather. The rain was tracking our way about the same time Pulp were due to come on...
2/ The rain did indeed arrive - not torrential just a little annoying but I feel like it added to the vibe of the crowd and the gig
3/ No soundcheck with the band - either to hot or to annoyed at the line up group knowing what special songs you were playing or better things to do ie. We're in Sydney.
4/ Like A Friend played. YES!! Its like the little song that could. It always amazes me how popular this song is with people.
5/ OMG talking to wife of AcrylicAfternoons website. God that website meant everything to me in the late 90s. Any update was like being told some very special thing. I also told her how I traded some tapes (both cassette and VHS) with Giles back when and I still have them (albeit digitised now). Anything on the band was treated with such reverence!
6/ Raining...
7/ Why do Pulp concerts go so quickly? All those hours travelling and waiting around for those incredible 2 hours.
8/ Inflatable Jarvis came again to 2nd concert. Huge cheer on the big screens before the gig when the cameras panned to the audience. That made me even more happy. And the amount of people who came up to me after the first night and said oH I had one of those.
9/ My better half came to this concert and was on photo duty especially during TIH and AA. Those were my instructions.
10/ Yep still raining ...
11/ Where did Mark get to for a big chunk of Acrylic Afternoons? Was it a toilet break? Its like where is Mark? He needs to get on his keys.
12/ The orange Aus-themed poster that was posted about on Jarvis's account was passed around by a young fan during the day in the line-up. They were concerned they might not get up the front so asked if we were able to get on the barrier to pass it up. I said you will definitely be up the front to get this to them. She asked us all to sign it and write messages. It makes me happy that it got on stage and Nick held it up and its now gone into the Pulp archive. I loved how Nick was inside a kangaroo pouch but still playing his drums and Mark was wrestling with a snake!
13/ Then it was all over.

 

Set wise Auckland got the best because it got My Sex and Hymn - my absolute favourites from More which I would have loved to have heard live. Can't complain as were privy to the ABBA cover live + Seconds + Lipgloss. 

As the tour was getting closer I was thinking that I need to make sure that after the final Sydney gig is over I can't be sad about it. I may never see Pulp again - I don't know what lies ahead. People were asking are you coming to South America or Germany and I always said that I'm not a good traveller these days. I don't think I ever really was so I have to make do with these Australian concerts. Of course this band and its incredible music that has soundtracked my life but meeting many lovely people and having great chats across these 2 weeks made me also very happy. I got so much energy from them. As I said in previous posts its just what I needed.

-- Edited by cutcopy on Tuesday 10th of March 2026 09:34:21 AM