6th November 2023
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In summer 2025, the best band of the 1990s reformed for a brand new tour. Yes, Sheffield legends Pulp reunited to release and tour their eight studio album. It was their first new music for 24 years, and was received to great critical acclaim. On the 13th of June 2025, I saw Pulp play London’s O2.
A comeback album is always a risk. Jarvis Cocker himself expressed his concern about releasing ‘More’ despite initially being pleased with the record. Needless to say he had no reason to be afraid. ‘More’ was my album of the year for 2025, and has quickly cemented itself as one of my all time favourites.
The song’s lead single and opening track ‘Spike Island’ was a beautiful return to Pulp’s distinct sound, but matured and relevant to the band’s lives today. Tracks like ‘Grown Ups’ and ‘Farmers Market’ explore the wisdom of older age, and the whole album feels like the accumulation of the band’s fascinating lives
To me, the album is so successful because it sounds like Pulp without trying to sound like Pulp. What I mean by that is they haven’t tried desperately to cling on to an old sound like so many 80s and 90s bands who’ve released music recently. They’ve created an album which sounds new, but keeps their essence. It doesn’t stick out when playing their whole discography on shuffle, or sound out of place on the radio. This is definitely helped by Cocker’s unwavering vocals, but it does not depend on them.
My date of the ‘Here Comes More Tour’ was exactly a week after the album’s release. It was my first concert at the O2 and I’ve got no real complaints about it as a venue. I stayed in the London City Airport Travelodge, which cost us £100 and now seems to cost roughly £130 a night. I assume they price dynamically. If you are looking to stay overnight after an event at the O2, I would recommend it. It’s 25 minutes away on the 129 bus, and means you can avoid the busy underground queues. (Or at least it does as long as the Silvertown Tunnel is open)
In the week leading up to the tour, Pulp’s social media account had warned fans that the tour’s shows started at 20:00 promptly with no warm-up act so it was vital to be there on time. This meant it was rather amusing when the band came on 20 minutes late. The tour opened with Spike Island, and moved between their newly released album and older work. I was impressed with the crowd who had clearly embraced the new album in the 7 days we’d had to revise it. One of the pitfalls of a reunion tour with a new album can be the complete lack of energy during ‘the new stuff’ but it’s a credit to ‘More’s quality that people had been learning the words.
There were a few moments which made my particular show special. The first being the band celebrating the album getting to Number One, after being presented with their trophy backstage. The second was the irony of Jarvis Cocker forgetting to play ‘Help the Aged’. Thankfully he did remember eventually or I would have missed one of my all time favourites!
Where the ‘More’ shows were a little different was having an interval. Our interval was cut short due to the late start, but I personally think a break for the loo and to get more drinks is a great idea. It meant we got two high energy sets without a dip in the middle from the band or the audience. It’s not necessary for all concerts, but a long set like Pulp’s worked well with a break in the middle.
There can be do doubt that the entire band was still at the top of their game. 4 original members had reunited (Candida Doyle, Jarvis Cocker, Mark Webber and Nick Banks) and they were accompanied by a sizeable and hugely talented set of musicians. Jarvis Cocker has to be up there as one of the greatest performers of all time. As he says in Spike Island ‘I exist to do this, shouting and pointing’. He is still the definition of charisma, and had the best rapport with an audience that I’ve ever seen. In a time where people can speak along with Taylor Swift’s spiel at the Eras Tour, it was lovely to hear someone just chat about how much they love what they do. Not many artists throw teabags into the crowd or keep grapes in their suit pocket, but that’s what makes Cocker the best in the business.
Without a doubt, that Pulp show will always be one of the best gigs of my life. Pulp are still at their very best, and I really hope ‘More’ isn’t the last music they ever release. An extended version of the album (which they could call ‘A Little Bit More’ in tribute to another 90s legend, Gina G) or a whole new project would be gratefully received. Whatever happens next, I will always be glad I got to see one of my favourite albums performed by the 90s’ best band.
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