Who
Pulp
Where
Birmingham Utilita Arena
When
19th June 2025
Price
£69.50
Who with
No-one
Position
Towards the front
Comments
Seeing Pulp in London back in 2023 was always intended to be a one off and it was a near-definitive show, but I had an appetite for more and wanted to reward them for being so epic last time and for the convenience of playing Birmingham, so I got my ticket immediately. Although advertised as £69.50, once fees were added it was £85.70, which is a pretty ridiculous mark-up. I got my ticket in February and it came two and a half months after The Flaming Lips, and it was later announced that Pulp would be starting promptly at 8pm, making this a second consecutive show of a band playing without any support and a marathon setlist planned. This concept of giving everyone their money's worth is much appreciated, and as I'm finally starting to write this up over two weeks later Oasis have made their long-awaited live return, and they've also jumped on the bandwagon of playing long shows, which is great and a delightful surprise that they seem to have raised their game rather than unfairly overshadowing Blur and Pulp returning for career-best performances and very strong number one albums to boot. It's lovely to be proved wrong, and it makes me wish that I was seeing Oasis myself, even though I don't think it's right that their comeback overshadows brilliance such as this so much. I got a standing Pulp ticket but by the time I realised one friend was actually up for joining me they had sold out. A shame, but you snooze you lose, and seated tickets were always available so there is no excuse for anybody not to be in attendance! I'd presumed it would sell out immediately and was a little surprised that it didn't, but by the time the show rolled round it was clear that Pulp were either sold out or very close.

I enjoyed listening to their Hits compilation and two live sets recorded for Radio 2 and 6Music, I believe on the same day at the same venue but tweaked to minimise overlap and to best appeal to two different audiences. I'd also really enjoyed the two new singles Spike Island and Got To Have Love and was delighted that the new album More stormed straight in at number one. Pulp genuinely seemed to be on top form, and after seeing how brilliant they were last time and that they weren't afraid to play the hits, I had high hopes. Also it was amusing how Jarvis insisted on having a few steps installed to climb when performing on Jools Holland, and I was excited that they'd retained this sweet little setup for this tour also. I had wondered if their last tour would be the final one but it was not, but I won't begrudge them coming back when they're on such astonishing form. It was my first gig with my new phone and I was hoping it would perform well, and also it was an extremely hot day where I left my fan on throughout, and I was a bit reluctant to head out after work. It was tricky to work hard yet I was just a bit too busy to plan my Milan holiday like I really wanted to do, and I was also being pissed off by my home PC refusing to install the latest Windows updates, before eventually quietly doing the task (I think), but without telling me. Miraculously the trains were on time so I phoned The Vatican to report this miracle, and after being fucked over by a rail replacement service back from Manchester Airport that made it physically impossible to get back home and having it further rubbed in my face by being fobbed off when I asked for a refund, I deserved some luck. They wouldn't refund me as they "couldn't find my journey", but that's because they fucking changed it after I'd planned it, and after having a lovely time in Norway and travelling seven hours by train both ways between Oslo and Bergen via high mountains without the slightest delay, my disgust at English incompetence was peaking.

It's a shame and it's tiresome to keep complaining about trains, but the level of cancellation and fuck ups is just getting beyond a joke. But somehow on this day they functioned well, and I was able to write up my initial notes on my phone. I was wearing my snazzy yellow Half Man Half Biscuit t-shirt and carrying my camera in my pocket as it was too hot to wear a coat, and the weather also put me off listening to songs on the way in. After the smooth journey I decided to push my luck a little and headed to Cherry Reds for a delicious Kinder Bueno cake and pint of Weihenstephaner. The doors had opened at 6pm and as I walked to the venue it was incredibly hot. There was no drama with security as the venue rules had been clearly advertised, and by now I'd got used to the annoyance of the unwanted AXS App, which I was forced to use for my next two shows also, meaning that I broke my principles and didn't immediately uninstall the app afterwards. I was given a standing wristband and had a quick glance at the merchandise, but I can't process t-shirts costing £35 now, yet lots of people seemed to have coughed up and were wearing them anyway. I purchased a Pepsi Max bottle from a stall and downed it in the outer area so I wouldn't be made to transfer it into a nasty plastic cup, and as I walked into the arena I was delighted to see that it was still pretty empty despite it being after 7pm and all the stern emails we got telling us that Pulp were starting at 8pm sharp. But rather than being annoyed by the over-communication, I actually appreciated the effort they had made to keep us informed.

The venue was comfortable and inexplicably I started sneezing a bit, and the red curtain that had graced the stage in London was again set up already for Pulp. I tested my phone camera but it kept focusing unusually and trying to take arty shots, but overall I'm happy with it and the quality of videos it took were excellent, albeit it doesn't have the zoom capability of my camera. In my mind I'd seen Pulp last in 2024, not 2023, but that perception is largely because I'm usually a year behind with sorting my photos, creating an unusual situation that I spend much of a year unpicking my images and videos from the previous year, hoping to catch up on that task by each summer. I felt that a loo break was prudent so I left with 45 minutes to go, but then had no problem securing a central position comfortably in front of the sound desk, but far enough back that I wouldn't feel that I was in the thick of a forthcoming moshpit. But as there was no support it was just a waiting game, checking the internet on my phone and wondering if to visit the toilet again or not. I didn't revisit, nor did I need to thankfully! Some of the music being played was non-descript or random such as their playing No Scrubs. Also 2000 Light Years From Home by The Rolling Stones was playing twice, perhaps indicating that a pre-prepared tape was being played and looped round, as the "8pm prompt" start time ended up being closer to 8.15pm. Although I'm quite sure that it was effectively a sell-out, the seats were surprisingly slow to be filled. Also a nice guy commented on my HMHB t-shirt and we exchanged a few favourite lyrics such as the opening lines of The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman. It was nice to be noticed for having good taste, and an astonishingly rare example of a fellow concert goer being friendly. I don't expect to meet people at shows, but it can be depressing how rare it is to be spoken to, and I spend enough of my life instigating things and making all the effort, so I love the rare occasions when the shoe is on the other foot.

Last time Pulp projected a sequence of short sentences onto the red curtains to herald their arrival, but this time - after a short advert on the two side screens about sustainability or something like that - there was a spoken introduction instead. The curtains then opened and four iconic silhouettes of the official members of Pulp were elevated from a trap door at the top of the stage to align with a blue circle/spotlight/moon (there were steps too of course). And suddenly the lights turned on and it was revealed that the "cardboard cutout" of Jarvis was actually the man himself, as he suddenly burst into life and stepped forwards, leaving the rest of the band members frozen in their cardboard states for the rest of the song, as the real band were already playing. I was so thrilled to watch back my video footage of this moment that I posted it on Facebook, and Pulp were boldly starting with newbie Spike Island. But it was actually justifiable as the tune has made a quick impression on all of us who'd paid any attention at all to Pulp's return. Jarvis looked slim and smart in his trademark glasses, and I recorded nicely zoomed in footage up until the chorus. The backdrop kept changing, but somehow Pulp had elevated their brilliant visual feast from last time, and my being a bit further forwards definitely helped matters. Next up were two more new songs and that perhaps was a little too much, but I had confidence that the hits would be played, so I didn't begrudge them that. I think the moon was the backdrop for Grown Ups, and after hinting at playing Disco 2000 by referencing a local club that they loved, they played Slow Jam instead. An old photo of the club was shown on the screen and I've got to say that it looked like a total shithole, but the music was engaging nevertheless. Jarvis showed off his trophy for number one album, saying that he was milking it before it all ends at 11am on Friday.

Sadly their stint at the top only lasted one week, but there can't be many Pulp shows played when they were literally top of the charts? I'm moderately tempted to buy More, but then I'd feel obliged to purchase all of their other albums, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to do that yet. Jarvis threw grapes at us from a measly bunch before upgrading to chuck some chocolates at the crowd. I shot a second video for Sorted For E's & Wizz, which featured green lasers and purple lights but this time Jarvis was donning a guitar and not breaking the beam of the lasers. It's a reasonable song but I've always felt that Mis-Shapes is better, and that it's wrong that Mis-Shapes was left off their Hits compilation. It was a relatively poor quality video as the lights were dark until the end, and the screen backdrop was only briefly illuminated for the fast drum bits. Also in a cute move, a cartoon of "mother" on the phone appeared to coincide with the appropriate line in the verse. Thankfully after teasing Disco 2000 earlier Pulp didn't make us wait long for the tune itself, and I recorded from the outset as confetti exploded and rained down over us. The red lights changed to blue before the screen fully lit up for the chorus. I shot another video of the end on my phone to share, and rewatching it I'm very pleased with the sound quality, as it was arguably better than what my camera was doing. Perhaps switching from an Alcatel back to a Samsung phone was indeed the right choice, even though my footage was zoomed-out and I doubt that it could zoom particularly well. F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. I can barely remember, although it does seem a little weird to have it in the set when Got To Have Love sounds so similar, and arguably does a similar trick better of spelling out L.O.V.E.

My main gripe last time was the shocking omission of Help The Aged, so I was delighted that they'd fixed this. I started recording the moment I realised what it was, but the song itself was low key amid mild green lights. "It's funny how it all falls away" was projected over the band footage on the side screens, and now it was back in the set I could see that other tunes comfortably over-shadowed it. But Jarvis embraced every song, and by just performing it he helped me refocus on their other songs, while still appreciating the experience of finally hearing it live. Jarvis commented that he wrote it when he was in his 30s and had seemed to believe that he was old then, but that he was 61 now and feeling great. He then clarified that today was not his birthday but read out a few birthday wishes, although many of them were taking the piss as the birthdays were not even today! Tina was a memorable newbie, and Jarvis asked if anyone here actually knew Tina, before clarifying that he was already married and wasn't trying to pull her. I shot a video showing lovely lighting and globes on the backdrop. I can't remember which tune, but one of them Jarvis started by lying down before coming to life, and Farmers Market was another very sweet new song. I'd definitely gained a lot by watching/recording Pulp's 6Music and Radio 2 live shows, and it would have been a shame if I hadn't had this background knowledge of these genuinely very strong new numbers. Last time This Is Hardcore had amazed me and this time I recorded a video from the start, and the footage had been upgraded with a beautifully orchestrated introduction amid strippers being projected onto the curtains, albeit with any naughty bits blocked out. Jarvis ascended the stairs and sat on his "throne" as the curtains opened, chilling a bit and having a drink, before casually tossing it behind him and bursting into life as the song built up amid sleazy red lights.

This time I recorded the whole of the first verse but the swirling patterns of the video footage near the end was so awesome that I also recorded that, even capturing the "what we do for an encore" moment. Jarvis's dancing and the orchestration were just wonderful, and it was no surprise that these two videos were the ones that I posted on Facebook afterwards. Jarvis told a story of playing the NEC and attempting to release black balloons, but only one came down even after he climbed up and attempted to bash them down, and that solitary balloon was waved in his face by a fan on the front row, which he considered a hugely embarrassing moment of his career. Jarvis said that they'd first played Birmingham way back in 1992, and given that in London they literally told us how many shows they'd played in their career, it is clear that Pulp are a band who take their history and statistics very seriously. At one point he was thrown some thick socks onstage and couldn't resist suggesting that they were intended to warm someplace other than feet, and Sunrise was then played, amid simple lights as Jarvis banged a drum at the back and encouraged us all to clap as the song built up. Unexpectedly the curtains closed after this, but not before I'd looked directly at the sun representation, which genuinely dazzled me and left spots in my eyes, allowing me to make a factually accurate joke about foolishly looking directly into the sun. The side screens helpfully explained that there would now be a 15 minute internal, and counted down the minutes for Pulp's return. By now I felt comfortable that no further loo breaks were required, and also I had no desire to lose my excellent spot. There was a live poll for if we wanted to hear Razzmatazz or random song Like A Friend, and the cheer differential in favour of Razzmatazz was almost embarrassing!

The four official members of Pulp appeared in front of the curtains as a spotlight appeared for a gentle take on Something Changed. Jarvis said that they met up in a living room to decide if they were good enough to perform again, and that this was an attempt to recreate that moment. This time there was no mention of Steve Mackey, and Jarvis had changed into a fetching corduroy suit. I shot another video and it was a sweet and intimate performance, although I'd had preferred the fuller version from last time around. Jarvis split the crowd into two for O.U. (Gone, Gone), one side to sing the Os and the other to chant the Us. After this he teased us about the audience poll and asked if we'd voted for Like A Friend, before embracing a full-on performance of Razzmatazz. My video captured minimalist stars on the screen and Jarvis dancing and prowling the stage like the legend that he is. At this point I worked out that there were eight songs still to play which I wanted to hear, and we were served five of them. We didn't get Underwear, After You or Pink Glove, but I'd enjoyed all three last time around so I can't complain, and the variance in the setlist ensured that seeing Pulp twice was absolutely the right decision. I still hadn't got to hear Trees, Party Hard or A Little Soul at all, but they are relatively minor omissions, although it's unusual that Pulp had chose three newer songs to omit. It seems a strange quirk of these modern crowd-pleasing retro setlists that legendary bands are actually more likely to leave out classic newer songs than their oldest mid-level hits, and that's an approach which I expect Supergrass to amplify when I see them play the Piece Hall in Halifax later this summer. Acrylic Afternoons was also a nice extra, and it showcased Candida's keyboards by giving her a moment where she dominated the sounds.

I've already referenced Pulp playing the NEC and the first time they'd played Birmingham, but as I'm writing this I now realise that it was clearly done as a segue into Do You Remember The First Time? I shot a video of the intro to capture purple lights and lots of clapping. It's a great song and it would be terrible if it wasn't played, but in the course of a Pulp set it is over-shadowed by all the other classics surrounding it. One of which was Mis-Shapes, although my video footage was fairly blurry as the lights kept flashing. I had the impression that Jarvis doesn't like this one, but he was running around the stage and hitting his head to the "minds" line, and he was happily embracing everything wholeheartedly, which is the right attitude for any band to take. Two lady singers appeared from the trap door at the top of the stage during Got To Have Love to add their vocals, and I think that they appeared at one extra point also. The individual words "got to have love" were flashed onscreen in a style much like The Flaming Lips had adopted for the entirety of their show, and it's a cute fact that Pulp had written this song back in the 1990s but only now felt that the vibe and words felt right for them to perform. I shot the introduction of Babies as Jarvis was concentrating hard on delivering his guitar solo, and much like last time around there were badges projected onto the screen. Many of the songs had been reworked quite a lot, but Babies felt right to be delivered exactly the same as it's probably the song that Pulp have played live more than any other over their career. Some confetti was released and I kept noticing that loads of the confetti released during Disco 2000 was still dangling from the ceiling scaffolding, which I'm sure was a fun job for somebody to clean up afterwards.

The main set ended as it should do with Common People, but rather than relying on his hand pointing Jarvis now had a weird camera device which he could point at members of the audience and the band to then project a kaleidoscope of them in black and white onto the screen. He used this initially on the crowd for the "common people like you" bit then on the band as the pace was slowed and he introduced everyone. My video footage of the introduction was excellent, capturing purple lights and high quality footage and the lights only coming on fully to fill the backdrop as they hit the full chorus. This is the picture you see above, and much like Babies it was pretty much the same as last time, but it worked and it feels nice to have some continuity. The curtains then closed but Jarvis said over the mic that he'd checked his watch and thinks that there is room for one more song. Similar to Something Changed, the band clustered together at the front to play A Sunset, but this time there was a gap in the curtains and all the other players in the group were visible too. It's a sweet counterpoint to Sunrise and the line "crowd let out a cheer" was very cute, as was my short video of the moment. Pulp had meant to finish at 10.30pm but it was more like 10.45pm, which perfectly offset the later start. I made a slow exit and didn't attempt to catch the penultimate train, not even when it was cruelly delayed to tease me into thinking that I could almost catch it. The ICC was ridiculously closed to force everybody to walk around it, and somehow I had felt confident enough about the trains that I was getting them the whole way home, rather than driving onward from Wolverhampton as I usually do. I went into Brewdog and after a long delayed visit to the loo I enjoyed an insanely strong barrel-aged beer.

As it was hard to pour and wouldn't quite fill the glass, I was charged for 1/3 of a pint rather than 1/2, and I enjoyed hearing Oasis then Lighting Seeds over the pub speakers. Brewdog thankfully remembered that it was a Pulp day by breaking out Razzmatazz, before continuing with Country House. It's mad really just how wonderful much of the 1990s was, even if so much boy band dross infested the charts and captured the attention of the cretins away from how good things otherwise were. Most other pubs had closed at 11pm and missed the huge boost in post-concert trade, although Brewdog wasn't rammed as I expected it to be. Wonderfully the trains didn't use the moderate sunshine earlier as an excuse to fuck up my journey back, and it was now nicely cooler in any case. I wrote up my notes on the train back, feeling sweaty and deciding that I would sleep in later the following day as much as I could before starting work. This time I heard Pulp on my phone and watched my Disco 2000 video, immediately thinking that it was a great one. It was weird that I'd only had one official concert in the first half of 2025, but that's partly because I decided that Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich with The Fortunes was not of a high enough quality to count as an official gig. Perhaps that was motivated as much by not wanting to review it as anything else, but in the end it was better than I expected. I was definitely well into Pulp now and enjoyed their Glastonbury set a week and a half later, and I'd correctly anticipated that they were lying when they claimed that they were not the mysterious Patchwork who were nestled in a prime Pyramid Stage secret slot. Although I don't think I'll ever go to another full overnight festival, and all those bloody flags being waved and blocking everyone's view must be one hell of an annoyance. But Pulp had absolutely smashed it, and at this point even though there really isn't much more I'd want from them, I reckon I'd be happy to come back for More.
Setlist
Spike Island
Grown Ups
Slow Jam
Sorted For E's & Wizz
Disco 2000
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
Help The Aged
Tina
Farmers Market
This Is Hardcore
Sunrise
Something Changed
The Fear
O.U. (Gone, Gone)
Razzmatazz
Acrylic Afternoons
Do You Remember The First Time?
Mis-Shapes
Got To Have Love
Babies
Common People
A Sunset

Mark: 9.0/10