Friday 3rd august 2001

Stoke Park, Guildford. Guildford is situated south west of London on the A31. The festival runs from the 3rd to the 5th August, and Pulp are co headlining along with James and Catatonia. Click on the logo above for more info, but other attractions include the fantastic Tindersticks and, err.... Kiki Dee, and The Wurzels. There's also a Comedy tent and an Unsung Heroes tent for up and coming groups. The main line up on Friday was:

Main Stage: Pulp, Tindersticks, Alabama 3, Ben Andrews

Aladdin’s Cave Stage: Dreadzone, Bollywood Brass Band, Fuzz Light Years, Fixxer, Nash, Peppercorn

Tropical Dance Tent: Bentley Rhythm Ace DJ’s, 808 State DJ’s, Seraphim & August (Chocolate City), plus many more DJ’s TBC

Percussionist Pablo Cook, who appeared with Pulp at Hay and was a popular addition to the Pulp sound, will very probably be on stage with Pulp here also.

XFM recorded the set which will be broadcast sometime soon we hope - not sure of exact date.

SET LIST: Common People / Minnie Timperley / Bad Cover Version / The Fear / Sorted / F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. / A Little Soul / Birds in Your Garden / Weeds / Help The Aged / Party Hard / This is Hardcore / Sunrise / Underwear

REVIEWS: 

Well Pulp really blew me away last night (again). They still manage to give me goose pimples. Hope all you people who came from far away didn't think it was a wasted journey! Stand out moments I can (just about) remember from the 90 minute set are the re-vamped Common People and F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E., new song Bad Cover Version, an amazing Sunrise, and - totally out of the blue - Underwear for an encore. Even A Little Soul / Help The Aged (both with the videos as backdrop) / Party Hard sounded good! The films projected behind Pulp were the same ones that have accompanied the songs at other concerts, with the brilliant excerpt of the film charting the history of dance from Northern Soul to Acid House during Minnie Timperley and the speeded up close up of plants during Weeds, and the fantastic jet - eye - view above the clouds during Sunrise. So good. Yet again, Pulp show everyone how its done.  It was nice to meet so many Pulp People, feel free to send in reviews for the newsletter!

links: NME   POPEX  Guildford Live

"What a brilliant little festival Guildford was and of course, PULP proved to be the proverbial icing on the cake. From the moment the chorus of the revamped Common People ignited the masses into a pogo-ing frenzy, the enthusiasm to be experienced in the crowd was no less than pure pleasure. The most beautiful Birds In Your Garden was, for me, the song of the evening although Bad Cover Version came a close second - What a fantastic first track for a new album. I was surprised not to hear Trees being aired, given it is to be on the new double A release, but they made up for its omission by playing Minnie Timperley. Of the songs already so well known and loved - so hard to choose really - F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E., The Fear and the unexpected but glorious encore that was Underwear, stood out. Party Hard was the only song played that I was nonchalant about but then, it never has been a favourite so that probably explains things. Party Hard also came after a welcome outing of Help The Aged, probably heightening my indifference toward it. That said, it is safe to say that I relished every minute of the bands time on stage which, fortunately for us, was a lengthier time than had been expected - very much appreciated, too". [Susan Scott]

"I drove for the first time on a motorway all the way from Somerset to see Pulp and it was well worth it.  I managed to get right to the front after surviving the support band and a drunk bloke in the crowd trying to tell me he was Jarvis's Dad!  Usually when bands play new songs live you can't really get into them but this time it was different.  I felt as if i knew the songs instantly, Weeds and Sunrise being the stand out tracks.  It would have been nice to hear Trees though.  The only disappointment was the length of the set and the lack of Babies or Do You Remember The First Time?  Finishing on Underwear was certainly an odd choice.  My favourite songs from the set were Common People, F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. and probably the best festival song ever... Sorted for E's and Wizz.  Can't wait for the album and more live dates". [Steve]

"It's half past nine, with Pulp due on stage any minute. The three previous bands have been impressive, especially the Alabama 3, whose set it was impossible not to move to, but there is still an air of anticipation about Guildford. The fantastic number of T-shirts shows it: Everybody is waiting for Pulp. Seconds later, a synth is heard, building into the whole band, and after a long instrumental introduction, Jarvis appears and launches into the now familiar revamped Common People. Pulp played five new songs, with the strange absence of recently announced single Trees. This is marketing Thom Yorke would be proud of.  But the night was about what, and how, they did play, and they played brilliantly. New song Bad Cover Version sounds a little like 93/94 material such as Happy Endings, while the Birds In Your Garden is one of the best Pulp songs yet, with an instantly classic sing along chorus. Both Minnie Timperley, which has reverted to its original title of The Night Minnie Timperley Died (err - has it? Ed.), and Weeds, are throwbacks to the magnificent Different Class era. This is in terms of content (story telling and the uprising of social outcasts) and style (radio-friendly Britpop (no!! - Ed.) mixed with much more intelligence than rival bands such as Oasis). Pulp have returned to the position they were in six years ago, and the experience they have picked up on the way shines through in the quality of the music.

The set also saw the return of The Fear, sadly minus the guitar solos from the complete and utter breakdown version. That said, Jarvis was in fantastic voice throughout the set, and this was especially obvious during the performance of Sunrise, with a perfectly smooth rise in pitch on the chorus, which was not evident on the Homelands recording.

F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. also returned (during which Jarvis appeared to kiss Candida on the head, but please do not read anything into this; having chosen sound quality over view I could not see that well, so he might not have even been anywhere near her!).  The non-stop performance of Party Hard, running straight into This Is Hardcore was very impressive, but the final surprise did not come until the encore - Underwear. Jarvis was openly unhappy about the curfew that it seems they were not told of until the last minute, and with Mark apparently visiting the bathroom, it might just have been chosen for timing reasons. Even so, it was great to hear an unexpected song and a nice ending to a brilliant show. [James Histed]

"To look over to your left during a Pulp gig to see a boy who appears to be about 8 or 9 years old singing along virtually word-perfect has to be very heart warming for a dedicated Pulpster. The fact that the song the young laddie knows by heart happens to be ‘This is Hardcore’ is perhaps slightly more worrying, but, oh well, his dad doesn’t seem to mind too much. Anyway, that was about the only thing that diverted my gaze from the stage during what was a truly memorable gig. The new look Pulp set has some features that are fast becoming familiar to Pulp regulars. One which is rather fun, is the
how-long-is-it-gonna-take-the-penny-to-drop-with-the-crowd-that-this-is-actually-common-people-they’re-playing
feature, as quite a few seem to be nonplussed by the wonderful Krautrock makeover given to the beginning of the song. Of course this only serves to make things even more exciting when we have ‘lift-off’ as it were. Pulp’s new material contains much to give fans cause for excitement over the forthcoming new album. The new songs clearly move the band in a new direction, but the back catalogue material they most closely resemble is undoubtedly that of the ‘Different Class’ glory days. They are most notable for the size of their choruses, especially (my personal favourite new Pulp song) ‘Minnie Timperley’, which is so catchy you can just about sing the whole thing back to yourself after hearing it once. Other newies aired tonight are ‘Weeds’, an ode to outsiders a la ‘Mis-shapes’, the very very VERY ‘Something Changed’-esque ‘Birds in your Garden’, and a particularly excellent ‘Bad Cover Version’. Oh, and ‘Sunrise’ of course. Now you are not telling me that everyone who was moshing to ‘Sunrise’ had heard it before. No way. This is Pulp at their absolute best, producing an anthem, executed with such theatrical nous that it sends people who have never heard the song into pogo-heaven. It is a feat that Pulp have pulled off repeatedly with their new songs over the years, and one that I have yet to see another band
match. They also show an extraordinary amount of confidence playing new songs to festival crowds, who quite understandably want something they can have a party to. Pulp prove yet again that this doesn’t necessarily mean just relying on old favourites.

Not that we don’t get any old favourites of course. Pulp still seem to be very fond of much of their ‘This is Hardcore’ material. All the singles get their usual outing tonight, along with the gorgeously haunting ‘The Fear’. Speaking personally, I hope they never stop playing ‘Party Hard’, cos it rocks like a bastard and is entirely preferable to ‘Disco 2000’, for
instance. ‘Sorted for E’s and Wizz’ is mandatory at any festival, and gets it’s usual communal singalong. As an encore we get a very pleasant surprise in the shape of ‘Underwear’, and I get the feeling that this wasn’t entirely planned. (Perhaps someone who got a setlist can confirm this?) (It was planned - Ed.) . We also get perhaps one of the all time great live songs – F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E, which is, as usual, the highlight of the evening. To tinker with an original which is just about as near to perfection as you can get might not seem a great idea, but the little pauses which have been introduced work quite gloriously as a cue for the chaos which ensues as the chorus is duly launched into. This is a song that encapsulates Pulp as a band. A breathtaking piece of cinematic drama, made by film makers, who couple a burning desire to create something that is original and interesting, with a priority of pleasing their audience, rather than just themselves. Pulp are easily the most exciting aspect of this otherwise very chilled out weekend. The Guildford organisers must have known they’d pulled off a coup getting Pulp to play, and this was a performance that Richard Branson or
Mean Fiddler bloke would have given up their corporately sponsored hospitality toilets for. Last one to the front at Free Tibet is a Stereophonics fan!  (Jamie Brown)

“Oh my god, look at that sweater-what the hell is he thinking?!”. My first reaction to the stick insect with a paranoia complex that is Mr Jarvis Cocker. This was a sweater simply so awful that it threatened to overshadow proceedings for the entire remainder of the night. Fortunately it was about to be quickly upstaged by a song about a girl from Greece. Yes - Pulp were headlining the Guildford festival. And they were fantastic. But more on that later.

The Guildford festival is not your typical rock festival. Kids in hoodies are few and far between. No-one seems to really care about any of the bands playing. And furthermore, Coldplay are not on the bill. The crowd are made up of a selection of Guildford townies, hippies, fake hippies, old men with unfeasibly long beards and myself and fellow Brain Farm correspondent Mr. Jonathan Hart.

….The jumper is quickly removed revealing a cream shirt and Jarvis apologises for it being stained. Pulp have always been a fantastic live band but this is just taking the piss. Jarvis is on form tonight, far more so than he was last year at Reading. He moves from side to side of the stage wiggling, pointing and making provocative finger movements. He also continues his recent trend of playing barefoot which is all very well, but my attention is repeatedly drawn to his toenails which are freakishly long almost curling over the edge of his feet.

The Night That Minnie Timperley Died follows the gorgeously brilliant Common People. Like at Reading, the new stuff creates a reaction of general acclaim but also slight bewilderment, none more so than the beautiful Birds In Your Garden.. The aforementioned song is probably the best of all the new material aired so far, with Scott Walker’s influence all over it with its slightly orchestral sound, and an absolutely smack-you-in-the-face-fantastic soaring chorus. Essentially the idea of the song is that someone is outside with his girlfriend in bed inside deciding whether to seduce her. And all the birds are saying “Get in there!”, “C’mon my son” and other such things. As Jarvis sings, not to go inside and do what the birds are saying would be “A crime against nature, she’s been waiting all night”. Good to see that if anything, he’s even more of a perv than before. The setlist is broadly similar to the one they’ve been playing ever since last summer, but there are a few surprises. Forthcoming single Trees is excluded which is in many ways a blessing because of all the new material it is the most pedestrian. And there would be one more setlist surprise before the night was over…

The new version of F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. is staggeringly good, a lesson in how to reintroduce older songs into your live set after a long break but keep things interesting by updating them. Somehow no-one can say the words “Modern Shopping Centre” with the same undertones of sleaze as Jarvis Cocker. Meanwhile the rest of the band are fairly statue like as usual in the background although they do look unfeasibly cool. Mark Webber aside. Obviously. (Hey! Ed.)

We get plenty of tracks from the last album. Too many perhaps. Help The Aged and Party Hard could both benefit from being dropped from the set really good songs though they are, they’re not the best thing Pulp have ever done and are starting to sound a bit stale. And you would have thought that there’d be space for Do You Remember The First Time in the set or even a return for the perhaps unsurpassed Razzmatazz.. A Little Soul is a fantastic live song though, eclipsing the recorded version by the way Jarvis actually manages to add some kind of meaning to it. And the skeleton sex of This is
Hardcore should obviously never be dropped ever and goes down a storm. Goosebumps all over.

The limits of the festival mean that the light display is decidedly school discoish. What is fantastic though is the screen behind the band on which various films made or commissioned by the band themselves are shown. Perhaps the best film is during A Little Soul where in Queen stylee, each member of the band is shown with a small child version of themselves singing along to the song. The excellent Weeds is accompanied by some speeded up plant footage and then there’s Sunrise, depicted with a the view from the front of a plane as it flies over the clouds towards the sun. Gorgeous.

Unfortunately the gig has to end sometime and the relentless crescendos of Sunrise bring the gig to a close. This song is just utterly transformed live into one of the best things this band has ever done. It peaks over and over again and then Jarvis is saying goodbye and they’re waving to everyone and they’re off. For a while at least. They return promising to play one more song, an older one. Then some keyboards start crashing down around us and they’re only playing bloody Underwear! I was not expecting this. Well hey, it’s not the greatest Pulp song ever but for sheer surprise value it hits the mark. And it’s a mark that they haven’t missed all night. This band appear to be unable to do any wrong live. An imperfect setlist perhaps but this is a band who still haven’t peaked. May they go on forever. (Ben Stern)

"Guildford was fantastic. Candida got us backstage again!!!!!! It was great talking to Pulp before the show. The concert really was great. I really enjoyed all the songs they played apart from A little Soul and Help the Aged. Sunrise was just wonderful. Jarvis was his usual entertaining self, chucking himself on the floor pretending to have cardiac arrest etc.
I thought it was great to finish with underwear, it reminded me of when I first started going to see Pulp. Guildford was the 13th time I have been to see Pulp, so I was worried, but it was fine. After the concert we went backstage again .........bloody fantastic" (Jody Foster)

"I just wondered if you could pass on my congratulations and thanks to Pulp for such a fantastic festival at Guildford. It has made my year. It's only my second time of seeing Pulp, first being at B'ham N.E.C back in 1999, but this was fantastic. To make it even more so, I managed to get front row. Until then, I had been a festival virgin. What an experience. Everyone was friendly, getting along together, it was great. The bands that were on before Pulp were bearable, well, apart from the very first one, they were crap, but then Pulp came on, and showed them all how it was done. Pure gold. They played their little socks off, all except for Jarvis of course, he wasn't wearing any. Truly memorable. Well done lads, and lass. The taster we had for the new album went down so well. The album should definitely be a hit. I, for one, can't wait. Thankyou all". (Marie Broad)