This Is Hardcore launch party, London Hilton Hotel, 25th March. 

Set List: The Fear / Dishes / Party Hard / Help The Aged / Seductive Barry / This Is Hardcore

Pulp played a short set of six new songs with extra guitarist Richard Hawley at their own party, held on the 28th floor penthouse suite of the London Hilton. Dress code was pink and black with cocktails to match...

We were able to invite a dozen members of the fan club plus a friend each, to attend this very special night. Those lucky Pulp People also received a signed album at the end of the evening. 

Thankyou so much for inviting me to the This Is Hardcore launch party, it was brilliant to see Pulp so close on stage and to meet some of them afterwards! I was right at the front and in the middle when they did their set and was able to get loads of photos. Later on some man pointed out Jarvis to me and prompted me to go over and I did! I spoke to him for a while and it was cool - I feel so lucky to have been able to talk to him! I also said hello to Candida, but didn't see any of the others. By coincidence, Nick turned up at our hotel where I had a drink later on and he said goodnight to me which was a nice finish to a great night. I got a signed album which is excellent! I am so grateful because so few fans actually went. I thought there would be 24 fans, but apart from me and my sister, I only saw one other person with a fanclub ID thing. It was strange seeing other famous people at the party too, I felt a bit inferior but at the same time grateful to be there in the first place. (Nicola)

This is a letter of thanks from myself and my friend Claire for inviting us to the Pulp party on Wednesday night. We had a lovely time after the initial shock and found ourselves able to speak after about half an hour. It's Thursday afternoon and I've just arrived home from school. I fell asleep in English much to my embarrassment, since we arrived home from London at 5.30 this morning and went to school at 7.30, after 12 cups of coffee. We tried very hard to avoid being star-struck last night, failing miserably. It was an event of a lifetime to see my favourite band play such a special set, I usually have luck with meeting bands but just couldn't imagine ever being in such close proximity to Pulp. Claire persuaded me that I ought to just say something to Jarvis and, trying diligently not to annoy him, and with the politest of manners I managed to grunt something about it being a nice evening and shake his hand. I was reminded that I'm a screaming teen at heart. I discovered he's a lovely young man and my Mum would adore him. Anyway, thanks again. We had a fantastic night and will be your disciples forever, when we've had ten minutes sleep - Rock 'n' Roll. I now have to do an entire history coursework essay about why King Charles got his head chopped off, before tomorrow. I think I'll do it later. (Hannah and Claire)

What can I say but thank you, thank you, thank you. You will never know what sending me that invite to Pulp's launch party meant to me. Just getting your letter was enough to send me into a state of excited panic and I've managed to lose no less than seven pounds in the five days since. All the way there, I kept saying to Phillip, "Whatever you do, don't let me get too drunk, I want to remember everything". Then last night to actually be there, to stand inches away from Jarvis as he sang, then to be able to chat with him, get his autograph, have my photograph taken with him - even to get two wonderful kisses from him, well Alex, as you can probably tell, I'm still on the ceiling and I don't think I'll ever come down...even my hubby Philip was impressed. I was so high on adrenalin and excitement, lots of it is a blur. Oh God, how can I go back to real life after last night? It's a good job I write romantic fiction, at least I can give vent to my feelings that way I suppose. Before I went I had a niggling feeling of what if..? What if Jarvis wasn't quite as wonderful in the flesh, what if he didn't live up to the image I'd built up of him? I needn't have worried, he was amazing. So, Alex, choosing me from hundreds of other fans has made me extremely happy. Why me, why here, why now? I keep asking myself, what makes me so special? Well I can tell you, spending several hours in the company of Jarvis Branson Cocker has made me feel very special, very special indeed. Thank you so much, you are wonderful and I'm only sorry we didn't get to meet in all the excitement. Finally, I am playing my signed copy of This Is Hardcore as I write and it is a triumph, I love it. (Julie)

You're the best!! Thank you so much...Actually I don't even know what to write...I was so pleased when I received your invitation last week...I didn't think Margote & I deserved it...Anyway I had a great time. I was very pleased to see Pulp live again and I thought they were brilliant...The evening was very posh but I thought it was fun. I'm suffering a very bad hangover after all those cocktails...Love & lollipops, Azalee

THE FIRST THING MY FRIEND MARC AND I NOTICED AS WE ARRIVED ON THE 28th  FLOOR IS HOW EVERYONE CALLED US SIR. WE WALK THROUGH THE DOOR FROM THE LIFT, WE SHOW OUR WRISTBANDS TO THE BOUNCERS ("THANK YOU SIR"), AND ARE FACED WITH A DECISION, TWO ROOMS - ONE WITH PEOPLE DRINKING AND ONE WITH PULP PLAYING 'THE FEAR'. WE CHOOSE THE LATTER, THINKING THAT WE HAVE MISSED THEM PLAYING LIVE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S 9:01 PM AND WE'VE BEEN WALKING ROUND LONDON FOR TWO HOURS KILLING TIME AND TRYING NOT TO ARRIVE DEAD ON 9:00 LOOKING TOO EAGER TO MINGLE WITH THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. AS WE WALK IN ("THANK YOU SIR"), IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT IT'S A SOUND CHECK, AND WE GET LOOKS OF "YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T BE IN HERE NOW" FROM STEVE, JARVIS, AND MARK, AS WE DESPERATELY TRY TO APPEAR COOL. I SPOT MY FIRST FAMOUS PERSON (APART FROM PULP), IT'S PAM HOGG IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM. HURRAY! AS PULP FINISH AND MOVE OFF STAGE WE MOVE INTO THE OTHER ROOM FOR FREE DRINKS AND MORE STARSPOTTING. TWO VODKA AND COKES LATER ("THANK YOU SIR"), I BECOME INTENT ON FINDING EITHER MARIE DI SANTIAGO FROM KENICKIE, JASON PIERCE, OR EDDIE IZZARD, NONE OF WHOM WERE ACTUALLY THERE. 

WE LISTEN TO A MAN PLAY A LOUNGECORE VERSION OF 'SATURDAY NIGHT' BY SUEDE ON THE PIANO WE'RE LEANING ON, TRYING TO FIT IN AND NOT LOOK LIKE THE COUNTRY BUMPKINS WE FEEL WE ARE. WE SPOT NICK WALKING THROUGH AND ARE BOTH STARSTRUCK...AGAIN. HE LOOKS VERY WELL, AND A LOT THINNER IN REAL LIFE. A MAN COMES TO THE PIANO AND ANNOUNCES THAT A SHORT FILM MADE BY JARVIS AND MARTIN THINGY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN IN THE OTHER ROOM, SO BACK IN THERE ("THANK YOU SIR"). TIME FOR MORE DRINKS. THE ROOM IS BEGINNING TO SWAY SLIGHTLY (THIS IS IN NO WAY BECAUSE I AM A DRINKING LIGHTWEIGHT, IT IS BECAUSE THE BAR STAFF WERE VERY LIBERAL IN THEIR MEASURES).  THE D.J. IS PLAYING VARIOUS TUNES IN THE BACKGROUND, INCLUDING 'SOME KINDA LOVE' , TO WHICH MARC AND I SING ALONG, WHEN THE FILM, AND THE STARSPOTTING, BEGINS. I DIDN'T SEE TOO MUCH OF THE FILM AS I WAS TOO BUSY POINTING OUT FAMOUS PEOPLE TO MARC. 1) NEIL HANNON - SHORT, A BIT LIKE E.T., LITTLE BODY, HUGE HEAD. 2) JO WHILEY - SHORT, A LOT YOUNGER THAN SHE LOOKS ON TELLY. 3) DONNA MATTHEWS FROM ELASTICA - SHORT, GORGEOUS, WEARING COWBOY BOOTS. 4) JAMIE THEAKSTON - TALL, HIGH HAIR, WEARING A RIDICULOUS JACKET. I LEAVE THE TABLE I WAS STEADYING MYSELF AGAINST TO GO TO THE TOILET AND LITERALLY BUMP INTO 5) DANNY FROM SUPERGRASS AND WIFE PEARL FROM LODGER. I AM OUT OF THE ROOM. I AM LOST. "WHEREARETHETOILETS?" "JUST UP THE STAIRS, SIR" "THANKYOUVERMUSH". I WEAVE MY WAY TO THE TOILETS AND WHEN INSIDE BECOME CONVINCED THAT THERE MUST BE A FLU EPIDEMIC SWEEPING LONDON, BECAUSE ALL I COULD HEAR WAS SNIFFING, COMING FROM THE CUBICLES. BACK IN THE ROOM ("THANK YOU SIR"), I RETURN TO OUR TABLE WHERE MARC IS TESTING ONE OF THE SEVEN FREE LIGHTERS HE TOOK. ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM, DESPITE MY BLURRED VISION, I SPOT 6) ZOE BALL - TALL, BODY OF A GIANT, HEAD OF A TROLL. THEN THE LIGHTS DIM AND PULP ARRIVE. HOORAY! I GET FUNNY LOOKS BECAUSE I'M SINGING ALONG TO 'THE FEAR', LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE RADIO I DOCUMENTARY CONSTANTLY. THEN CAME 'DISHES', THE EXCELLENT 'PARTY HARD', 'HELP THE AGED', 'SEDUCTIVE BARRY' AND 'THIS IS HARDCORE'. UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD TO LEAVE AFTER THEY FINISHED AS MY PARENTS WERE PICKING US UP AT 11:15PM, SO WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MEET PULP, BUT WE DID GET FREE CD'S AND DRINKS, AND WE ALSO GOT TO BORE / ENTERTAIN/MAKE OUR FRIENDS EXTREMELY JEALOUS ^{(Simon Stone)}