Pulp Makes A Comeback

Joining a dizzyingly long list of recently reformed artists comes the rejuvenation of one of the UK’s most beloved bands, Sheffield’s own Pulp. After years away from the Britpop scene, which they dominated alongside bands like Oasis and Blur, Jarvis Cocker has reassembled the band's ‘classic’ line-up, which last played together way back in 1992. He will be joined by Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Nick Banks and Russell Senior in an attempt to recapture the seminal brilliance of their breakthrough work.

Though only time will tell whether this proves to be a successful endeavor, the band will hope to incite fan interest in ways that indie bands such as Pavement, Meat Puppets and Orange Juice, or the more world-renowned acts like Rage Against The Machine have succeeded in doing in recent years.

My problem with this horde of reformations is the niggling internal monologue questioning their true motives. I mean naturally a lot of these artists were very rich in the first place, but whether they’ve blown all of their hard rock cash or want to return solely for the love of music is a question which will rarely be answered save for some transparent performances on their return. More likely is the case that lingering friends of the band’s figurehead in Jarvis Cocker are struggling for a little money, as I’d imagine it’s pretty hard to make a living in the shadow of the Britpop behemoth – though come to think, his solo performances never quite reached the same dizzying heights of Pulp.

Their return has been solidified by a quirky Web site, https://www.pulppeople.com/, which greets the reader with a bunch of tour-related imagery with some rhetorical questioning about their return. Either way, fingers crossed they decide to do at least some bespoke performances in the United States, awareness permitting.

Here’s a classic video of the spindly-fingered indie king in his prime to pique your interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTo7wKumolU.