Pulp Amaze with Performance for the Ages at Bill Graham
Pulp's first performance in San Francisco in 12 years did not disappoint.
In what could only be charitably deemed as one of the most unredeemable regrets of my life, I missed Pulp performing at the Warfield in 2012. Not only do I consider myself a pretty huge Pulp fan, but I had been absolutely captivated by frontman Jarvis Cocker ever since seeing him perform solo at the Fillmore in 2007.
I cannot process what I was thinking in 2010, but I certainly didn’t believe that Pulp would go on a lengthy hiatus after finishing that tour.
So, I was forced to wait for them to return to the states. And wait. And wait some more.
Finally—some 12 years after that ill-fated decision, my time in purgatory was over—Pulp came back to San Francisco, performing at the cavernous Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
They did not disappoint.
A surreal experience, the legendary Brit-poppers blasted through their greatest hits on Monday night, delighting fans (most in their 40s, nearly all outfitted in Modish gear) who were clearly just as eager as me to see the Sheffield band back in America.
The whole show seemed aimed at celebrating this unlikely reunion event, with a set of graphics reeling off Pulp concert statistics just prior to the beginning of the performance. The visual display then capped off by the declaration, “THIS IS WHAT WE DO FOR AN ENCORE.” It was a stirring reminder that this beautiful voyage by Pulp isn’t over yet.
And then the music started. And it was like the last 12 years never happened.
The band went immediately into their hits, starting off with the lurid, campy anthem “I Spy” from their seminal 1995 album, “Different Class.” That opener warmed the audience up nicely, but the crowd truly went into a frenzy for the ensuing number, “Disco 2000,” quite possibly the finest document of the 90s Britpop era (I say possibly, because of another Pulp song, which we will get to later.)
Throughout the night, Cocker was a mesmerizing, inspiring presence. The old cliché about rock-stars being gone is pretty bogus, particularly since most of the tropes that were long praised were actually indicators for predatory, shitty behavior—but damn, with all that said, Cocker is a ROCK STAR. He absolutely owned the crowd, strutting around the stage with his slinky dance moves, while effortlessly belting out his purring vocals.
The setlist included tracks from a host of Pulp albums, but the band leaned hardest into “Different Class,” playing seven tunes from that record. Pulp got huge crowd reactions from “Babies” and “Do You Remember the First Time,” both enduring numbers from their 1994 release, “His n Hers.” “This is Hardcore”—the controversial title track from their 1998 LP—got a similar response.
But the songs from “Different Class” felt the most anthemic. Whether it was the sleazy drug ode, ‘Sorted for E's & Wizz,” the ballad “Something’s Changed,” or the sultry “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.,” every song performed from “Different Class,” felt as timeless and special now, as they did some 30 years ago.
And then there’s “Common People.” Cocker’s spot-on take on class warfare and the voyeurs who try to blend in with plain working folk, is one of the best songs ever written (“Disco 2000” isn’t too far away, though.) It was clear that the crowd was anxiously waiting for that number and when Pulp finally played it during their first encore, people started justifiably freaking out. The jittery synth opening, the spiky guitar licks, Cocker’s whispered narrative of a spoiled Greek heiress, the unforgettable chorus—it was all there, just like we remembered. It was glorious, and the 8,000 or so souls gathered at the venue belted out every word to the song.
While “Common People” was the clear highlight of the night, the show didn’t end there. The band returned for a second encore, playing new song “Spike Island,” (does that mean a new Pulp album is coming????) before closing the night with the beloved “Glory Days” from “This is Hardcore.”
The whole show was unforgettable. Maybe Pulp will be back in San Francisco again. But nothing will be able to top the anticipatory experience of finally seeing a band that remained elusive for so long. Pulp is back, which means I finally got to be a part of their world.