RfH Info

[arrgee]

We're delighted to let you know that SOAK is opening the evening.

The Irish-born singer-songwriter, otherwise known as Bridie Monds-Watson (they/them), quickly became one of Northern Ireland's most exciting rising stars after uploading their demo of 'Sea Creatures' to BBC Introducing in 2012. Their debut album, Before We Forgot How To Dream, won the Choice Music Prize in Ireland, the Northern Ireland Music Prize and a Mercury Prize nomination. This was followed by Grim Town in 2019 and 2022's If I Never Know You Like This Again, a love letter to indie greats

[eamonn]

I know it's a new forum with lots of...space, but do we need multiple threads on the same show?

[Lipglossed]

We're delighted to let you know that SOAK is opening the evening.

The Irish-born singer-songwriter, otherwise known as Bridie Monds-Watson (they/them), quickly became one of Northern Ireland's most exciting rising stars after uploading their demo of 'Sea Creatures' to BBC Introducing in 2012. Their debut album, Before We Forgot How To Dream, won the Choice Music Prize in Ireland, the Northern Ireland Music Prize and a Mercury Prize nomination. This was followed by Grim Town in 2019 and 2022's If I Never Know You Like This Again, a love letter to indie greats

I know not everyone would rather contemplate this gender business, but look, if I've got the option available to be non-binary, if that's a thing I can be, then I'm definitely taking it, and with that respect, I find it boundlessly lovely that Pulp would choose someone like SOAK. That's continuing the fine tradition Pulp have taken with their supports, choosing to highlight talent with a genuine difference in this way, when there is absolutely no requirement for them to bother. It speaks to the genuine enthusiasm for authentic artistic expression that motivated Pulp to make it in the first place, so it's lovely news (especially given what Roisin Murphy's been going on about lately.)

I currently plan to be on my summer hols when this gig is happening, so I'll be sad to miss it but it's lovely that they're playing More all the way through once again. It hangs together remarkably well as a one-listen, contiguous album — it might be Pulp's most thematically unified effort — and even despite them touring it around the world, it still has its overlooked corners. 'Background Noise' and 'Partial Eclipse', tucked away on that second side, are songs for Pulp devotees (I was listening to We Love Life recently and was so struck by how 'Roadkill' feels like an prettily embryonic version of what 'Partial Eclipse' went on to be), and 'My Sex' is not only wonderful but also it's exactly the kind of track that was held off past records (e.g. 'The Professional', 'His 'n' Hers').

I think it's so lovely that we have this one Pulp album that was so deliberately cultivated to have a rich, orchestral sound. You think back to the recordings on Fire, FON, Ed Buller, Chris Thomas and Scott Walker — and James Ford's and the band's production hews closest to Buller's romantic, sweeping sensibility (the soul of Pulp) while retaining Thomas's gloss and body (the beating heart). I think that might be why the album feels like such a perfect progression of what this band really means.

[arrgee]

I know it's a new forum with lots of...space, but do we need multiple threads on the same show?

Yes

(as you see I have added to this and changed title)

[arrgee]

Early finish for Pulp at RFH.. I assume Pulp will start at 8:30pm...

Thank you for booking to see Pulp in the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday, 18 July at 7.30pm.

We are writing to let you know that we have confirmed a free after-party in The Clore Ballroom from 10pm to 11.30pm (approx.), open strictly to Pulp ticket holders only.

The night features DJs from the Lewisham-based collective, Heart of Soul. Founded by Shaafi Parvez, this forward-thinking soul collective spins a versatile mix ranging from the 1960s to contemporary releases fresh off the press. Expect everything: mid-tempo, modern, newies and oldies, jazz funk and house-infused bangers.

[eamonn]

90 minutes for £145? Hope its a bit longer than that even if it's been promoted as More plus BSides ie an hour's worth.

[LeoVK]

90 minutes for £145? Hope its a bit longer than that even if it's been promoted as More plus BSides ie an hour's worth.

If that's the case, looks like tomorrow night's show in Lyon could be last chance saloon for the current spate of "deep cuts" we are revelling in...

[rococo_zephyr]

For £145 a ticket they really should be doing a longer show like they have done in other cities like Paris (which I was lucky enough to go to). Only time I've paid anything like this was for Bruce Springsteen so hopefully the start time of the after party does not align with the end of the gig. A second set with the songs put up for a vote and other rarities would be amazing. Given the price of this show it is one for the hardcore who would appreciate it.

[rococo_zephyr]

Looking at songs which have been voted on, appeared on set lists but were not played or made one off appearances in the last two years you have quite a selection if they want to really switch things up at the RFH. Lots of options from This Is Hardcore era...

Love Is Blind
Don't You Want Me Anymore
Seconds
Have You Seen Her Lately
Lip Gloss
Joy Riders
59 Lyndhurst Road
Pencil Skirt
Help the Aged
Dishes
Party Hard
A Little Soul
Glory Days
We are the Boyz
Like A Friend
Bad Cover Version
After You
Open Strings
The Day Before You Came
The Man Comes Around

[hawalius1]

Standing tickets released for tomorrow, if anyone's still looking. There have been tickets coming and going on the site all day...

https://secure.southbankcentre.co.uk/140593/140594

[Cehora]

Standing? 👀 (anyway it´s sold out now)

Standing tickets released for tomorrow, if anyone's still looking. There have been tickets coming and going on the site all day...

https://secure.southbankcentre.co.uk/140593/140594

Standing? 👀 (anyway it´s sold out now)

[eamonn]

Standing? Ffs, why not offer these from the start instead of charging us c£150 for stalls...

[eamonn]

Buzzing for later, it could be the most interesting setlist for many years.

Predictions?

I'll go with:

More in full
11 songs

BSides/More-era:

12. Open Strings
13. The Day Before You Came
14. Married For Love
15. Cold Call On The Hot Line
16. The Man Comes Around
17. Begging For Change

... that comes to about 70 mins, maybe closer to 80 with Jarvis' rambles.

So what will they do next ex-More? Set time might only be 1hr 40 mins. I'll go with the below but hopefully there's time for a couple more:

18. Song from Separations
19. Song from Separations
20. This Is Hardcore
21. I Spy
22. Babies

[Ian]

Please, no cover versions. They have had their day 

[eamonn]

A good cover version by Pulp
Is not the same thing

[arrgee]

2030-2220 so a decent length for a gig.  The after party can start without me 

[arrgee]

Buzzing for later, it could be the most interesting setlist for many years.

Predictions?

I'll go with:

More in full
11 songs

BSides/More-era:

12. Open Strings
13. The Day Before You Came
14. Married For Love
15. Cold Call On The Hot Line
16. The Man Comes Around
17. Begging For Change

... that comes to about 70 mins, maybe closer to 80 with Jarvis' rambles.

So what will they do next ex-More? Set time might only be 1hr 40 mins. I'll go with the below but hopefully there's time for a couple more:

18. Song from Separations
19. Song from Separations
20. This Is Hardcore
21. I Spy
22. Babies

Surely Common People to wrap it up

[Barcroft]

Standing is behind the stalls, definitely not in front.

The big drum (I have no idea of the technical name)! that Jarvis bangs at the end of Common People is currently missing from the on-stage set-up with the gig imminent.

...but they just displayed a picture of Jarvis holding it in a pre-gig montage.

[Barcroft]

They played Wickerman, Hardcore, Open Strings, Day Before You Came, Something Changed.

I was hoping for Duck Diving. I was the only one probably.

[FarmerMatty]

Ah so having missed Wickerman to leave early at Brixton (it was pre-living in London and was staying out in the suburbs) I lost this final opportunity. Here's hoping for some video footage.

[JohnPaul_II]

Well, that was great. Wonder how long it's been since they've played a gig without Common People?

Happy to get The Day Before You Came instead. But gutted we didn't get Marrying For Love. Makes me a sentimental git, that one.

[eamonn]

Great gig, was Row J in the stalls, don't think I've ever been closer to a Pulp stage. Disappointed no Seppy given they've rehearsed half the album and this was the gig to get away with niche choices but More live sounds arguably better live like this than on record.

I didn't realise or I had forgotten that Open Strings was about Steve. Made it all the more moving, Jarvis talking about their tribute to him in the Andes and then hearing the song.

The demo snippets of GrownUps, Got To Have Love and A Sunset were lovely little touches too, especially Jarvis' embarrassment at his Liam Gallagher-esque word-stretching of "Liiiight allll your caaaandles forrr me nowwww" 1999 demo stylee. The only time we're ever going to hear that according to JC so it may not be one for future deluxes of WLL or More unfortunately!

[Barcroft]

The stand out from tonight is how utterly wonderful the whole of More sounds with a full string section.

I know they can't play everything but I kinda though Bar Italia may have dropped given the venue, and feeling it could have worked well with Elysian Collective.

Keen to see the setlist from the stage as I felt maybe more was planned but the slightly late running scuppered an encore.

[arrgee]

More live sounds arguably better live like this than on record.

Agreed.  I thought the album was pretty formidable live.  A pretty magical gig. We even stayed for the Northern Soul after party. 

[Ian]

A good cover version by Pulp
Is not the same thing

My stance on cover versions by any band is that they are fine when absolutely necessary (i.e. they were a mandatory for the 1990s Black Sessions and the BBC Piano Room) but should be a one-off. Alternatively, smaller/newer bands may not have enough material to fill a set so chucking in a couple of cover versions is fine. Pulp have a couple of hundred original songs so one of them would have been better.

I think that "The Day Before You Came" is great but "I Spy" or "Bad Cover Version" in its place would have been much better.

Otherwise, it's great to see "Wickerman" resurrected I wasn't there nor have I heard any recordings but I'd say that "Open Strings" probably comes across better with, er, strings.

[JohnPaul_II]

Keen to see the setlist from the stage as I felt maybe more was planned but the slightly late running scuppered an encore.

Here's a pic I took of Mark's chords, and you can kind of see the setlist in the background. Heavily iPhone camera compressed, but you can kind of make out that there are (probably) 16 songs on the list.

They played 17 with Something Changed, which Jarv said they "hadn't rehearsed" so I guess that was a bonus. I did think the string section taking ages to go off stage made it seem like they'd been told backstage they couldn't go back on for the encore, though.

[eamonn]

Yeah we clapped for 5 minutes at the end, Elyssians stayed put and the main lights didn't come on. I assume the band were up for coming back on but the lame venue said that was that.

[zaqx]

Did anyone else get interviewed for the concert film? Can't remember what I was asked. All a blur, but the Director seemed like a nice chap

[lucyduck]

Probably the one and only concert without Common People since DC! 

And very happy to hear Wickerman, is it the first time this song played live?? 

[Sturdy]

So what were the demos of Grown Ups and A Sunset like? When did the Sunset demo date from - it's another older one right?

[arrgee]

Probably the one and only concert without Common People since DC! 

It wasn't played at Brixton on the night I saw them on the We Love Life tour in 2001.  Was a bit out of favour at that point.

[eamonn]

They were very brief snippets played through tinny laptop speakers, amplified a little by Jarvis' microphone.

Grown-Ups, the initial riff was the same. Jarvis let it play for a few bars before saying something like "Can you hear what's missing? The lyrics!"

A Sunset... I think Jarvis might have said this was from 2015? Hawley occasionally sends him ideas for songs "usually, late at night". He let this play probably the longest of all the demos but still less than a minute, I'd say. Familiar chords of the final version, strummed on acoustic, maybe slightly slower than the Pulp version. Different lyrics but similar top-line vocal melody. I think Jarvis stopped the recording before it got to the chorus and said something like "I don't know why he didn't keep that for himself!".

He also intro'd Slow Jam, recounting that he had said to Chilly Gonzalez that he thought he had the makings of a song but was struggling to come up with a rhythm that worked. Chilly suggested something called the "Jersey beat"... which I think is responsible for the slap bass figure that you so dislike 

[Barcroft]

Has anyone else got abnormally painful post-gig blues from this show?

We attended Paris aswell, and the blues from this show have hit harder by far. Maybe it's because this Southbank gig was always rapidly incoming after the Paris trip.

It's also testament to how bloody brilliant they - and Elysian - were.

The fact they didn't play Common People, Disco2000, DYRTFT? nor Babies says it all, really.

"You can't have a Pulp gig, and not play Babies" quipped Jarvis on the Pyramid Stage last Summer. Well it seems, Jarvis, you can!

[arrgee]

Has anyone else got abnormally painful post-gig blues from this show?

I haven't. I enjoyed it for what it was and look forward to the next time I see Pulp. My only Pulp regret was not going to Sheffield in 2012 as I didn't expect them to call it a day after that. I went to Dublin instead for  Boomtown Rats final gig.  Of course, it wasnt. Similarly Auto, but I had seen Pulp so much in ten preceding years that it wasn't quite as important at the time.

Also, regarding last Saturday I have just been too busy this week to have any post gig blues. Just been going out and sleeping inbetween. 

[eamonn]

Now you're back here on Monday so you can do it all over again?!

Sounds like you're 16, not 61 

[lucyduck]

Found a video, not the full concert, but this one includes many.

[arrgee]

Now you're back here on Monday so you can do it all over again?!

Sounds like you're 16, not 61 

Retirement is like being a teenager again without school and exams. Also now both children have left home, no need to worry about been told off playing loud music at home   Brighton beach this weekend for Maccabees et al.  Will have a quiet day on Sunday...

[seductivebarry]

A bit late, but really enjoyed this. They put so much effort into it and loved seeing the alternative artwork.

Highlight for me was Begging For Change.

At a time when everything seems like it's winding down, one of the last things Jarvis said was that it was great to be 'making music we love, for people we love' again. So maybe there might not be a complete full stop?

[weener]

Chilly suggested something called the "Jersey beat"... which I think is responsible for the slap bass figure that you so dislike 

STILL HATE THAT
But my god what a gig