Pulp, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, July 9, review

THE news late last year that Pulp were to reform for a second time and play shows this summer was a welcome announcement to their fans who had waited many years to see them back on stage.

Although the band formed in the late Seventies, it is the Britpop label that was used to categorise them alongside other bands who experienced success during that period in the early Nineties such as Oasis, Blur and Suede.

After the first gig of their comeback tour - entitled ‘This Is What We Do For An Encore’ - took place a little further down the coast in Bridlington in May, last Sunday it was the turn of Scarborough to host the band at a sold-out Open Air Theatre.

The weather tried - but failed - to dampen our spirits with a torrential downpour before the band took the stage but we just donned our rainwear, wrung out our hats and took it in our stride.

Jarvis Cocker of Pulp at Scarborough. Photo by Dave Lawrence (Image: Dave Lawrence)

The band have a small orchestra string section accompanying them and as they delivered the opening notes of I Spy, vocalist and frontman Jarvis Cocker ascended from the bowels of the stage and was deposited in front of a large moon on the video backdrop. This gradually faded to red, bathing the stage in orange light leaving Cocker's familiar, angular frame in silhouette before he made his way down to the front of the stage.

Cocker introduced Disco 2000 by having the audience clap the introduction before the famous guitar riff kicked in triggering a burst of streamers into the audience and off we went singing and waving along to one of the greatest songs about unrequited teenage love there is.

A nice touch was the clever lighting wall that was behind the band was of a cube design flashing with changing colours and which was reminiscent of the single's original sleeve.

Of course, tragedy hit Pulp earlier in the year when their former bassist Steve Mackey passed away and in a touching tribute, Cocker dedicated Something Changed to their former band mate, the string section adding a mournful touch to the song.

The eye is drawn repeatedly though to the figure of Cocker, an unlikely frontman whose jerky movements and poses still appear to be that of a marionette being operated by a drunk puppeteer. He’s riveting to watch.

Cocker was in excellent voice too, and some grey stubble aside, looks pretty much as he did in the band’s heyday, regularly leaping from his monitors. Other familiar faces on stage too included Candida Doyle on keyboards, Nick Banks on drums and Mark Webber on guitar.

Mis-Shapes, Pink Glove (during which Cocker was offered a pink glove by someone in the audience) and This Is Hardcore delighted the audience. F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. and Sorted for E's & Wizz were especially colourful as they were enhanced by lasers fanned out behind the singer. For the latter the string section even donned bucket hats and whistles readying themselves for a rave.

Introducing Do You Remember The First Time, Cocker said as this was the first time the band had played in Scarborough perhaps we should think of it as Will You Remember The First Time? During this, and the following song Babies the audience turned in to a seething, bouncing mass of arms, hands and lit up phones.

A laid back Sunrise brought the show to a temporary close before the band encored with Like A Friend, Underwear and Common People during which eight thousand voices sang along bringing a glorious performance to a close.