PULP – What will they do for an encore?

Britpop, before the millennium, was the lifeblood of the British music industry. Through gritty lyrics and distorted guitar riffs, an incalculable number of legends and icons were discovered in the 90s, and it's no wonder said icons like Liam Gallagher are still performing to the masses today, Gallagher selling out two nights in Knebworth Park just this past year (around 100,000 people). However, after Britpop slowly started to die out amongst the charts, and teen-pop bands like McFly and Busted started to dominate it, many incredible records were left in that era. During this period, in the mid 2000’s, some bands tried to distance themselves from being a ‘Britpop band’, wanting to stay true to their own creativity rather than the trends. One of these bands, was Pulp.  

Pulp were formed in Sheffield in 1978, when front-man Jarvis Cocker was only 15. However, after many failed attempts at breaking the charts, a promising opportunity with DJ John Peel and many overhauls of the band's members, Pulp still had yet to achieve the impact on Britain that Jarvis Cocker appeared to crave. It wasn’t till they released their album ‘Separations’ in 1991, that they finally started to weave their way into Britpop history (after a rather rocky and unconventional start). Cockers dark, realistic and often taboo lyrics combined with keyboardist Candida Doyle's gloomy sound, made for intriguing songs like ‘Babies,’ which landed the band their record deal with Island Records.  

As much as Pulp had reached a respectful level of popularity in British pop culture, it wasn’t till 1995 when the single ‘Common People’ was released that Pulp became the Brit-pop mega-giants they are remembered as. ‘Different Class,’ their 5th album, was not an endeared ode to working class England, much more like fuel to the fire, in the climate of John Major's conservative government.  Hailing from a left-wing, northern home, Pulp embodied the anger that many felt in the UK towards their right-wing government.  The mere title ‘Different Class,’ suggests a subverted superiority of the working class, anthems like Common People and Mis-shapes constructing a fury from constant bass drums and inclining chord progressions. These made for an almost threatening sound, the album making you question entirely, ‘who has the power?’. Different Class makes you feel like you have the power to make change, to rebel, to be unbothered by oppressors, it’s a truly special experience.  

As much as I would like to babble on about Different Class for 10,000 words, the main point I wanted to make is that Pulp are coming back! After trying to create a new sound to separate from Britpop, going on hiatus for a decade and reforming just to disband again in 2013, they announced a new tour for 2023. I cannot explain my individual excitement at this and the fact I managed to get tickets for their show at


Scarborough Open Air theatre. This tour is an answer to the question posed by Jarvis Cocker in Pulps 6th album This Is Hardcore, ‘What exactly do you do for an encore?’ - I can't wait to find out.