Pulp, Wireless Festival 2011

The easy way to start any review of Pulp’s revival; do you remember the first time? It’s safe to say most of the assembled masses of London’s Hyde Park do. While there’s room for a few young ‘uns (‘you look quite young actually, what are you doing watching us old farts?’, Jarvis exclaims), this is as much a victory lap for the mid nineties generation as a headline set.

If it is, who could blame them? Two years to the day since Blur closed their run on the same dusty ground, Pulp are a band that deserve a last hurrah. Even if no new material comes from this resurgence, there’s little doubt their back catalogue stands the test of time.

Pulling their set predominantly from ‘His & Hers’ and ‘Different Class’, a procession of greatest hits is punctuated by the odd album track. In amongst the obvious highlights (an early trio of ‘Mis-Shapes’, ‘Something Changed’ and ‘Disco 2000’ would have taken the roof off, if there was one), ‘Underwear’ and ‘I Spy’ stand proud amongst their more well known acquaintances.

With a side order of politics (student protests are important) and more than a touch of disposition from Cocker, it’s ‘F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.’ that really hits the mark. Starting quietly, finishing loud - it’s the perfect epitaph to what might be the perfect band. Revivalist or not - Hyde Park’s dinosaurs still rule the roost.

Setlist:
’Do You Remember The First Time?’
‘Pink Glove’
‘Mile End’
‘Mis-Shapes’
‘Something Changed’
‘Disco 2000’
‘Sorted For E’s And Whizz’
‘F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.’
‘I Spy’
‘Babies’
‘This Is Hardcore’
‘Sunrise’
‘Bar Italia’
‘Common People’