Any of you going to the Birmingham gig? (may contain spoilers) - Bar Italia Forum

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Posted by Stephen
I'll be going. Anyone else from here? When's a good time to queue from to get to the barrier (based on the Dublin and London gigs)? Will anyone here be queuing for a while to get in?

Cheers!

-- Edited by Ian on Friday 20th of June 2025 08:29:58 AM
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
Ester and the Barrier Angels (good band) will surely be there from early afternoon.

It'll be my first gig of the tour, so if any Bar Italians want to say hey I'll be the prematurely greying Manc in a His N Hers t-shirt, probably wearing a hat in an attempt protect my poor head from what looks to be a rather warm, sunny afternoon.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
I will be there too, plus a local friend who has some tips about good pubs to go to first, pls hold on while I get some info.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
Pip, I don't think I know of an Ester, or of these barrier angels, of whom you speak. My last 'queueing for the day for Pulp' time was in 2012 for the Royal Albert Hall gig. It's been a while...

Yes, it'll be my first gig of the tour, too. I look like I did when I met Russell, but a bit less beardy, but with longer, more straggly hair. I'll probably be wearing something from Pop Boutique.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by seductivebarry
Yes. My local and first time in Birmingham since what? The Peel gig?
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
I'll be disappointed if you don't get chatting to Matty Cash in the queue.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by SarahAWilson
John Quinn (ex Sheffield Star entertainment correspondent, mate of Nick's) said he was going to be there, so if you see a sandy haired bloke with glasses in a wheelchair, it's probably him. Give him my love.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
Checked with friend and she says there's a good rock pub called The Flapper just across from the venue, I'll be there from about 4:30 or so and everyone & anyone very welcome to join us.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
Thanks, weej.

I may be in the queue by then, depending on how full it's starting to look! The pub is lovely and close to the venue though, so if I'm going to be anywhere pre-gig, I'll be there! I'll be getting into Brum about 10:30 or so. Hoping to find some good bits!
 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
That is very early to be in the queue! I may be in the pub from 4 or earlier, but traffic allowing, etc., am driving over from Cambridge after lunch and am not used to driving in Brum.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
weej wrote:
That is very early to be in the queue! I may be in the pub from 4 or earlier, but traffic allowing, etc., am driving over from Cambridge after lunch and am not used to driving in Brum.

 I've written that poorly! I'm intending on having a nice day out in Birmingham before I do get to the queue!

 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
What time do people usually start queueing? Sorry, I do not go to a lot of gigs!
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
The Angels from just after brekkie. Most others, soon after doors.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
Just parked up, and there was no-one evidently queueing. Although it is one of those venues with several possible entrances.

I won't be queuing yet. Got a city to explore!
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
Stephen wrote:
Just parked up, and there was no-one evidently queueing. Although it is one of those venues with several possible entrances.
 I won't be queuing yet. Got a city to explore!

There's a numbering system in operation, to allow people to have a break from the elements - I'm 34

 

 
 
 
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Posted by lipglossed
Have a lovely time folks! If you've not been to one of the shows yet and you're avoiding spoilers, let's just say you're in for a real treat...

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
Candida just arrived, saying hello to the early birds
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
Pip wrote:
Candida just arrived, saying hello to the early birds

 argh! I'd better head over, then!

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
But you haven't seen the library, Symphony Hall, Jewellery Quarter and canal!
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
Eamonn wrote:
But you haven't seen the library, Symphony Hall, Jewellery Quarter and canal!

 I did get to the Library, among other places!

65th in the queue and have met with Nick Pulp, Andrew Pulp, Pip BarItalia and Zoe Lipgloss who I last met at a Pulp gathering in 1998!

 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
I'm in The Flapper now, just a couple of mins from the arena, middle aged bald bloke with a ginger beard and glasses, white t-shirt, sitting outside, please feel free to approach.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
Seppy is 33 today. If Jarv has been looking at Pulpwiki to find out when the first time Pulp played in Brum was, hopefully he may have decided to bust-out Countdown tonight.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
Final score from Birmingham Arena after a second-half winner:

Razz 1 Like A Friend 0

On this day in '92, not only was Separations released but Pulp played Tuffnel Park Dome - a stone's throw away from where they would shortly shoot the iconic original video for Babies.

Also, I hadn't really thought about it before, but Jarvis' penchant for chucking grapes into the crowd has been going on for a long time as the below review from the Dome gig describes. Fair play to future "publish-it-quick-in-'96" Pulp biographer Paul Lester for describing the scene so vividly. Although note he doesn't describe or name-check a single song...

https://pulpwiki.net/Pulp/Live190692TheDomeLondon

 

 
 
 
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Posted by lipglossed
Shame no deep cuts for the Bar Italia faithful! What with Stephen, Pip and Zoe Lipgloss there...

It's a great setlist though. Envious of those who've met Pulps. It really does feel like a celebration of Pulp. And the sound is so amazing too...

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
Back at my hotel with some much needed scran (not eaten since 10am!) and yeah, what a night! The band were on top form again, great vibe at the front and lovely folk all around, including a couple of young teenage girls who we invited forward to the barrier - they looked like they enjoyed every second of it.

No deep cuts, no... the vote was sadly two songs often played on the last tour, but you can't really go wrong with Razzmatazz, OU and Acrylic Afternoons in a row!

Cheers to Stephen for being such good company during the two hours after doors, turns out we have far more in common than we initially realised! Helped it fly by. Also lovely to see Ester again after 2 years and meet the Angels including the esteemed Giles.

Back home to Manchester tomorrow afternoon for a brief rest...
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
Any interesting quips from the main man ?
 

 
 
 
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Posted by HoltbyCity
Eamonn wrote:
Any interesting quips from the main man ?

 

"Turn. The. ****ing. Keyboard. Down" 

 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
Jarvis said the last time Pulp played Birmingham was 1992, which is very much not correct. Did he mean the first time?
 

 
 
 
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Posted by seductivebarry
weej wrote:
Jarvis said the last time Pulp played Birmingham was 1992, which is very much not correct. Did he mean the first time?

 I thought he said 'first time'....

 

 
 
 
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Posted by seductivebarry
HoltbyCity wrote:Eamonn wrote:
Any interesting quips from the main man ?

 

"Turn. The. ****ing. Keyboard. Down" 

Hahaha.

The story from 1998 and the balloon was brought out, as was a slight diss on the town of Tanworth.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by seductivebarry
£30 for a pair of socks though....

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
HoltbyCity wrote:Eamonn wrote:
Any interesting quips from the main man ?

 

"Turn. The. ****ing. Keyboard. Down" 

 

It was during Babies.

We got a 'turn the keyboards down, please' then the explicit version above.

At the end of the song he threw (not with any real strength!) his guitar onto his monitor, strings down. Clang! Then he got shirty at the roadies who were trying to help him take his mic from its mic stand. He then turned his back on us, had a drink, and was nice as pie again!

Highlights would be the Birmingham '98 story which, although I was there and saw it, I'd entirely forgotten about it! Memories did come back.

Choices were Razzmatazz or Like a Friend. Razzmatazz won substantially.

Jarvis: "I hear you went for Like a Friend?" Boo-ing. "Oh! I thought you'd have gone for 'Nights of Suburbia'..."

Mark slightly messed up the intro riff to Grown Ups and gave himself one of his knowing smiles. As it got going, he turned to Candida who also gave him a knowing smile and stared him down over her glasses. Sweet.

Mark enjoyed the two young women on the front row who'd come armed with Pulp cardboard cut-outs, Mark's book, and just kept waving at him. He seemed very in the zone and was enjoying myself. After his stage-strutting during Mis-Shapes (where Jarvis puts his mic to Mark's guitar) I yelled "Mark, you're a rock-star!" and he did a bow at us.

Obviously I've heard most of these songs a million times before now, but The Fear was a real highlight. So powerful. Spike Island was great, Got To Have Love was amazing, and long may it remain. As good as any other banger they've got. Slow Jam and Farmer's Market held respectful silences, but they're never going to do a huge amount for me, I'm afraid.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Stephen
Pip wrote:
Back at my hotel with some much needed scran (not eaten since 10am!) and yeah, what a night! The band were on top form again, great vibe at the front and lovely folk all around, including a couple of young teenage girls who we invited forward to the barrier - they looked like they enjoyed every second of it.
 
 No deep cuts, no... the vote was sadly two songs often played on the last tour, but you can't really go wrong with Razzmatazz, OU and Acrylic Afternoons in a row!
 
 Cheers to Stephen for being such good company during the two hours after doors, turns out we have far more in common than we initially realised! Helped it fly by. Also lovely to see Ester again after 2 years and meet the Angels including the esteemed Giles.
 
 Back home to Manchester tomorrow afternoon for a brief rest...

 Yup, you were definitely a highlight of my gig. Lovely to meet you, and your description of yourself was spot on! We also met either Donna Nicoll or - possibly - Lillian Ashman (of 'Pulp Friction' fanzine fame). She was giddy about O.U. Her first gig was on the OU Tour - the venue that Jarvis stated was his first Birmingham gig.

I had no idea Giles was there, too. Ha! Had he been one of the guys you were talking to before I started talking at you?

I drove back. That wasn't the easiest task, but was definitely worth it.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Sturdy
seductivebarry wrote:HoltbyCity wrote:Eamonn wrote:
Any interesting quips from the main man ?

"Turn. The. ****ing. Keyboard. Down" 

Hahaha.

The story from 1998 and the balloon was brought out, as was a slight diss on the town of Tanworth.

Ha, I was there. (The failed balloon drop, not Tamworth). Distinctly remember him being lifted onto the shoulders of a couple of burly roadies so he could tug on the broken string, and they still wouldn't come down.

Still gluing myself to Twickets in the vain hope of a last-minute bargain for Manchester...

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
What exactly did he say about Tamworth? One of my best mates lives there and I know of another resident who was eagerly anticipating last night's show.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by seductivebarry
Sturdy wrote:seductivebarry wrote:HoltbyCity wrote:Eamonn wrote:
Any interesting quips from the main man ?

"Turn. The. ****ing. Keyboard. Down" 

Hahaha.

The story from 1998 and the balloon was brought out, as was a slight diss on the town of Tanworth.

Ha, I was there. (The failed balloon drop, not Tamworth). Distinctly remember him being lifted onto the shoulders of a couple of burly roadies so he could tug on the broken string, and they still wouldn't come down.

Still gluing myself to Twickets in the vain hope of a last-minute bargain for Manchester...

 I was there too....and I can't remember that happening at all. My memory is appalling.

-- Edited by seductivebarry on Friday 20th of June 2025 11:16:07 AM
 

 
 
 
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Posted by seductivebarry
Eamonn wrote:
What exactly did he say about Tamworth? One of my best mates lives there and I know of another resident who was eagerly anticipating last night's show.

 Tanworth, not Tamworth. He was very keen to make sure we knew it wasn't Tamworth.

One of the birthdays was someone born there. Asked what it was like - got a lukewarm response (I'd never heard of the place and then realised I drove through it everytime I went to Birmingham on my way home) - and we had a comment something like "Oh wow, thats a ringing endorsement of the place then"

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Sturdy
seductivebarry wrote:Sturdy wrote:seductivebarry wrote:HoltbyCity wrote:Eamonn wrote:
Any interesting quips from the main man ?

"Turn. The. ****ing. Keyboard. Down" 

Hahaha.

The story from 1998 and the balloon was brought out, as was a slight diss on the town of Tanworth.

Ha, I was there. (The failed balloon drop, not Tamworth). Distinctly remember him being lifted onto the shoulders of a couple of burly roadies so he could tug on the broken string, and they still wouldn't come down.

Still gluing myself to Twickets in the vain hope of a last-minute bargain for Manchester...

 I was there too....and I can't remember that happening at all. My memory is appalling.

-- Edited by seductivebarry on Friday 20th of June 2025 11:16:07 AM

 It was right at the very end, after the last encore, so maybe you'd left. They were meant to drop before that but the string broke, then the bit above was a second attempt later.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
What is it about Brum and failed Pulp stardom moments?!

****er comes a cropper in the rain at a Radio 1 Roadshow as Common People goes straight in at number two....incidentally, has footage of that ever emerged?).
 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
Update on balloon girl

https://bsky.app/profile/dankackroyd.bsky.social/post/3lrzwcuqxvk2w
 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
So yes, that was astonishing - first time I've seen them since 2023 and am so happy that they have this setup now, it's like a whole new band. Plus all three singles from Intro! Think I may have been the only person cheering for Nights of Suburbia. From the new songs the two singles went down best, Slow Jam didn't really come across as strongly as it does on the record, and Tina felt a bit weak. But generally they were just on completely top form, would rate it as one of the best of the seven times I've seen them now.

A shame I didn't see any of you there, but I met up with a friend who has been going through a terrible time recently and I really needed to spend some time with her and it would've been a bit weird if anyone had joined us, so probably for the best.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by nightsonthetown
So, so lovely to see you again Pip! I was so happy to see you made it the front. See you tomorrow in Manchester
 

 
 
 
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Posted by weej
Saw you on the cam Ester! Sure they do that every night but it was brilliant.
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
weej wrote:
Update on balloon girl
 
 https://bsky.app/profile/dankackroyd.bsky.social/post/3lrzwcuqxvk2w

 Balloon girl was Ruth Husko off Twitter?!? Mind blown. Followed each other for years. What a small world.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
nightsonthetown wrote:
So, so lovely to see you again Pip! I was so happy to see you made it the front. See you tomorrow in Manchester

Thank you Ester! Indeed you shall. I did have a brief look for you after the show but I think you must have already headed off, which was fair enough as it was so hot in there.

And yes, of course I'm now utterly mortified at the thought of all those Common People videos on YouTube featuring a million of me on the video wall, caught on Jarv's whizzy little camera... I can just close my eyes for a couple of seconds, it's fine.

He also gifted me one of his tea bags, which naturally I shall probably put away in my Pulp draw and never actually use.

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
Pip wrote:weej wrote:
Update on balloon girl
 
 https://bsky.app/profile/dankackroyd.bsky.social/post/3lrzwcuqxvk2w

 Balloon girl was Ruth Husko off Twitter?!? Mind blown. Followed each other for years. What a small world.

 Yeah, the algo had fed me a lot of her Twitter threads in recent years. Sad that she feels mortified and there is a bit of a Jarvis pile-on, on the thread...

 

 
 
 
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Posted by HoltbyCity
Eamonn wrote:Pip wrote:weej wrote:
Update on balloon girl
 
 https://bsky.app/profile/dankackroyd.bsky.social/post/3lrzwcuqxvk2w

 Balloon girl was Ruth Husko off Twitter?!? Mind blown. Followed each other for years. What a small world.

 Yeah, the algo had fed me a lot of her Twitter threads in recent years. Sad that she feels mortified and there is a bit of a Jarvis pile-on, on the thread...

 

It didn't come across as if he was mocking her. Just that she was a reminder of the ineptitude of the earlier moment.  

 

 
 
 
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Posted by Pip
Yeah, I've DM'd her to try and put that across, certainly how I took it. Hopefully she'll see the funny side in time!
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
She must be a big fan so I could see why that might be hurtful. Enough to bring out the Rolf Harris impersonation? Well, she has a comedic presence to uphold but personally found that it moved beyond the pale a little...
 

 
 
 
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Posted by Eamonn
As an aside, around the time Jarvis was being a prima-donna, first-class performer last night, he was getting name-checked on BBC 1 on Question Time from one of the co-writers of Adolescence where in a discussion about the lack of role models for young men today, he name-checked Jarv as being "my hero, growing-up - a skinny weirdo and I was able to play to that skinny weirdo within me"... which was nice.
 

 
 
 
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