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Nearly a decade after bowing out in a warehouse in Rotherham, Pulp
returned officially to the live arena, via a 'secret'
warm up show in France, at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona.
From the outset it's clear who the big draw of the festival is, the
site is the busiest it's been and fans take their spots at the
main San Miguel stage an hour before stage time. The patient punters
are treated to messages on the curtain draped over the stage (ranging
from "Clap your hands" to "Shall we do it?").
Then, bang on time at 1:45am, the opening chords of Do You Remember The
First Time? bellow through and the crowd go absolutely insane,
screaming along to every word and jumping for joy (no mean feet on a
totally concrete festival site). What follows is a greatest hits set,
heavy on their commercial peak mid-'90s classic album Different Class
(including the first airing of Disco 2000 in some 15 years). The reformed line-up includes a
Russel Senior, who left in 1996.
Aside from the singles, other notable highlights are a breathtaking
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E., I Spy - which is followed by a
marriage proposal for for two punters in the photo pit - and
Pink Glove.
Jarvis Cocker's twitchy, unique dancing style is as it ever was and the between song banter as rich,
with a particular ode to Barcelona, it being the last city they
previously played in with Senior.
Two post-Britpop era tracks get an airing - This is Hardcore and Sunrise,
the latter from We Love Life. But predictably it's Common People that causes the most commotion.
Jarvis dedicates it to protesters currently staging sit ins
throughout Spain, with a one song encore of Razzamatazz
dedicated to the Barcelona club night of the same name to part with.
Some hardcore fans may have been disappointed on the hit-heavy nature
of proceedings. But for getting the public back on their side whilst
being clearly a bit on the jittery side, this gig was nothing short of
triumphant. Playing together again, will Pulp rediscover their raison d'etre? Or will this summer tour of festivals be a swansong? Time will tell.
Pulp played: Do You Remember The First Time?, Pink Glove, Pencil Skirt, Something Changed,
Disco 2000, Babies, Sorted For Es And Whizz, F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E., I
Spy, Underwear, This Is Hardcore, Sunrise, Bar Italia, Common People. Encore: Razzamatazz
A full review of Primavera Sound 2011 follows shortly.
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