In the last two years, the heavy hitters of 90s Britpop have all reunited for tours. Recorded a week after their last studio album was released, the two disc Pulp Live! captures Pulp’s London appearance at the O2 Arena on June13th, 2025. Things get moving right away with recent album highlight “Spike Island” before a thrilling run through some of the band’s most beloved songs. Synthetic horns announce a look back to rave days comes on “Sorted For E’s & Wizz”, the audience throws themselves into UK top ten hit “Disco 2000” and finishes with unlikely pensioners anthem, “Help The Aged”. Recent track “Farmers Market” about finding love amongst the vegetable stands contrasts sharply with the dark pornography of “This Is Hardcore”.
An audience singalong to the lovely “Something Changed” opens disc 2. Pulp then reach back into their catalogue for “O.U.”, the 1991 track is the oldest song here and leads into their breakthrough single “Do You Remember The First Time?”. A loud cheer goes up for “Babies” from “His ‘n’ Hers” album before 90s anthem “Common People” sends the punters home with happy drunken memories, “A Sunset” sees them off floating on a cloud.
Unlike their peers, Pulp Live! eschews a strictly greatest hits set and instead mixes in several newer tracks from their latest More album. This creates more of an album flow to the proceedings, ballads mixing in with indie dancefloor fillers. Singer Jarvis Cocker is in fine voice all night and the band sound energized. It’s hard to believe that at one time these songs about aging, drugs, and pornography were all big hits, working their way onto the radio and video channels. The fact that they still sounds fantastic 30 years later is a testament to the UK treasure that is Pulp.
9/10
