Pulp closed the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park London last night, with Jarvis Cocker paying tribute to the Capital for inspiring much of the group’s music. "Although we’re from Sheffield this feels like a home town concert," Cocker told the crowd. "It’s the collision between sheffield and London, and what came from that."
Peering out at the gathered thousands, Cocker also remarked that it wasn’t just Pulp fans from the first time around in front of him: "you look quite young actually, what are you doing watching us old farts?" he asked. Pulp kicked off their set with three tracks from before ‘Common People’ made them a runaway success, before continuing with a set largely drawn from His & Hers and Different Class.
There was a quietly political feel to the evening, Jarvis emphasising how important to Pulp it was that he’d got to go to college (‘Common People’), and pointing out the unusual position Pulp find themselves in in 2011 "At the top of Hyde Park is Hyde Park Corner, where you can say what you like. At the other other is One Hyde Park, and you have to be a millionaire to live there. And we’re somewhere in between."
He also introduced ‘This Is Hardcore’ by quoting from Shelley’s Adonais: "he hath awakened from the dream of life." ‘Disco 2000’ was preceded by Cocker noting that it was the birthday of the late Laura Branigan, whose hit ‘Gloria’ bears more than a passing resemblance to the (later) Pulp hit.
Pulp have just announced their first indoor concert of their reformation run. The band will play Brixton Academy on August 31st.
Tickets go on presale to members of the Pulp mailing list this Wednesday, July 6th. Pulp’s Hyde Park setlist can be seen below:
‘Do You Remember The First Time?’
‘Pink Glove’
‘Mile End’
‘Mis-Shapes’
‘Something Changed’
‘Disco 2000’
‘Sorted For E’s And Whizz’
‘F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.’
‘I Spy’
‘Babies’
‘Underwear’
‘This Is Hardcore’
‘Sunrise’
‘Bar Italia’
‘Common People’
