Pulp "Live!" Album & "What Do You Do For an Encore?" Film coming soon

[Ian]

Pulp to release live album and concert film
 
"Live!" is out on Rough Trade Records on 28 August / "Pulp: What Do You Do For an Encore?" to premiere worldwide later this autumn
 
The film and album document the band's 2025 show at The O2 London as they returned with No.1 album "More"
 
Live singles Disco 2000 and A Sunset are out now

"A concert is an event where songs come back to life. That's why this album is called "Live!"' explains Jarvis Cocker of this unique record in the Pulp canon. "It's both a statement of fact (it's a recording of a live band) & a challenge (come on! Everyone come alive!)."
 
Pulp's relationship with director Garth Jennings dates back to 1997: the year he directed the promo video for the song "Help the Aged". When Pulp announced that they were touring again back in 2023, Garth got in touch & offered his services in helping to design the staging concept. Then, in June 2025, he filmed the band's two performances at the O2 Arena in London. This footage provides the main content of the film.
 
The O2 shows also provide the content of this live album. They were the 566th & 567th performances of the band's career & provide a snapshot of a group at the height of its powers. Recorded the week "More" - Pulp's first album in 24 years - hit Number 1 on the Official UK Chart, the album captures the very moment the band returned as a creative force. Old classics & new classics brought together for the first time.
 
"Live!" will be released on 28 August 2026, suitably enough Pulp will be onstage that evening, performing a sold-out show in Manchester's Wythenshawe Park. The album will be available on double vinyl – both in a limited-edition blue pressing available from the band & label webstore and independent record shops and on black vinyl – double CD and via digital streaming services. 
 
Do you remember the first time?
 
You will if you listen to this album.

PULP 'LIVE!' ALBUM TRACKLISTING

 SIDE 1
1: Intro
2: Spike Island
3: Slow Jam
4: Sorted for E's & Wizz
5: Disco 2000
 
SIDE 2
1: Help the Aged
2: Farmers Market
3: This is Hardcore
4: Sunrise
 
SIDE 3
1: Something Changed
2: Grown Ups
3: O.U.
4: Do You Remember the First Time?
5: Mis-Shapes
 
SIDE 4
1: Got to Have Love
2: Babies
3: Common People
4: A Sunset

[weener]

EXCITING FIRST POST

[Ian]

Welcome back @weener 

[seductivebarry]

My poor bank account!

Looking forward to seeing what they are doing about the film....

[hawalius1]

A new forum - hooray! God I've missed the messageboard so much.

[Ian]

Welcome back @seductivebarry. Yes, the film sounds very interesting. I think they filmed one of the London gigs in 2023 so maybe some of that will be included.

[Ian]

A new forum - hooray! God I've missed the messageboard so much.

Welcome back @hawalius1

I just discovered a new feature: it told me that whilst I was typing, another reply had been added (yours) and recommended I review it and change my message if necessary. Useful stuff 

[Triciathetree]

Glad to see the forum back up and running

[hawalius1]

Thanks for resurrecting Bar Italia. And thanks for the email to let us know, Ian - that was some impressive foresight you had there, setting up that newsletter.

[VoxPop]

Having a forum back feels great!

[Ian]

Welcome back @Triciathetree and @VoxPop

Yes @hawalius1 it was quite useful as there are over 90 people on the mailing list. I also advertised the forum on Instagram to over 500 followers so hopefully we can get everyone back on board.

[Candidadoattitude]

Looking forward to the new Live album! Been a fan of Pulp since forever so seeing a new Live album is a great surprise!

[Lipglossed]

Hello again!

The Pulp live sound needs to be heard to be believed. I am beyond bananas glad that there's going to be a record of it!

They filmed the audience a lot at the O2. I wonder if any of my terrible cod-Jarvis moves have made the cut...

[mylighthouse]

Hello world! So exciting

[Ian]

Welcome back @Candidadoattitude and @Lipglossed 

I don't think I will appear on any of the footage as I decided to book a seated ticket due to an injury. The sound was still great from where I was sat.

[Lipglossed]

The tracklist is interesting! Slight shame no 'Acrylic Afternoons', though.

[Tristanw1234]

Shame it isn't the whole set list, I was there and what a night it was

[Bookmark]

Hello!

as long as there is Help The Aged and TIH I'm a happy man

[Tristanw1234]

Yes I'm happy hardcore songs are on there party hard would've been a personal favourite tho


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tama_Gotchi]

Greetings from La Plata, Argentina! I'm really excited about the new documentary and live album!
We reeeaaaaalllly enjoyed last friday's gig in Buenos Aires and we want More...

[saraseconds]

Bar Italia's back in business - many thanks! Perfect timing with so many exciting goings-on in the Pulp sphere.

[Pulped]

The layout of this new forum looks great.

[markofthedevil]

I hope we get to know which recording's from which night! I'm assuming it's mixed... I hope...

[UkrainianImmigrantRussell]

hiii guys!! i'm planning to go to the Paris show

[weej]

We are so back

[GAtkom]

I'm broke, but I'll buy it anyway

[Frisko2000]

Pulp reddit wasn't cutting it. Nice to be back with the pros!

The mix on the disco 2000 of 'Live' has the crowd wayyy up front in the mix. Maybe that's just an anthem anthem-ing. Love the art though.

[Pye]

We back baby! loving this look- the video of sunset uploaded on YouTube yesterday is soo good- this film is going to look and sound pretty tasty

[ChasingNewspapers]

Thanks so much for the new forum - and for sorting out the original Bar Italia!

[cutcopy]

I'm back in the full effect

Thanks so much for sorting this out. Each day my other half was is it fixed yet?

[cutcopy]

And yes I still have to send on through the recordings I got of Brisbane and Mebourne and only last week I was clearing stuff off it and found Sydney Saturday show. I never thought I got it because when the gig was over it had already turned off - I must of bumped it. But there it was - but just missing A Sunset - but going to see if someone has a phone recording of that and just tack it on the end with a disclaimer. And I keep playing around with the Brisbane show. I will pass them across soon. Melbourne I listen to all the time. The recording gods smiled on me that night.

[Lipglossed]

It is a bit crazy that it's taken this long for there to be a live album. When I got the Peel Sessions off Amazon, the MP3s of that second disk got overplayed to death. I remember Mark Sturdy's thesis that Pulp are, above all things, a live band... the versions of the songs available on that release are near definitive.

I'm especially excited for 'Help the Aged'. I was at both O2 nights, but also the Glasgow gig where getting it absolutely blindsided us. It's rare that a band are so effective in summoning a sense of mortality, but I definitely felt mine. Hearing an older version of the band do it will really be something special.

[eamonn]

Yep, for such a stellar live band, the lack of official releases is ridiculous really.

The '92 to '94 era deserves some special live love like a fancy deluxe thing at some point. Pulp were peerless in public performance then - not that they werent after but it's when their glory was really formed.

[weener]

Hello again!

The Pulp live sound needs to be heard to be believed. I am beyond bananas glad that there's going to be a record of it!

They filmed the audience a lot at the O2. I wonder if any of my terrible cod-Jarvis moves have made the cut...

`

I hope they didn't catch me nearly blubbing when Nick/Candida looked really happy I thought I was going to BURST

[Lipglossed]

Yep, for such a stellar live band, the lack of official releases is ridiculous really.

The '92 to '94 era deserves some special live love like a fancy deluxe thing at some point. Pulp were peerless in public performance then - not that they werent after but it's when their glory was really formed.

I have a soft spot for the live sound around 2000-2002: Richard Hawley is in the mix, the sound is getting fuller and more advanced, and although there's strife in the band — Jarvis often sounds quite ragged, Mark doesn't want to be there anymore — there's such a force to proceedings, as Pulp channel their increasing frustrations at their declining influence in an increasingly disposable popular culture, and the intransigent corporate network around them, into the music. Rage, rage against the dying of the light...

Every live era of Pulp is different, and I love listening to the differences between them. The 2011 bootlegs are so gloriously ramshackle, and Russell's presence is the spot of mustard that seals the deal. The more polished sound of this reunion, varnished and glossed with strings, is SO different and again its own kind of special.

[HoltbyCity]

It's probably a long shot, but I hope there's a DVD release of the film

[nautjordan]

Good to be back folks.

Can't wait!

[Lipglossed]

It's probably a long shot, but I hope there's a DVD release of the film

Pulp fan screenings?

[seductivebarry]

Just caught a trailer for this on the VICE Tiktok....

[eamonn]

I think the film and the soundtrack deserve separate threads? Pitchfork have info on the film, will post a new topic.