Carling Weekend: Leeds, Sunday 27 August 2000

photos by Tina McClelland

"It was unfair having to suffer Beck yet again. [Err, excuse me! Beck Ed.]. I nearly suffocated & got trampled to death. I couldn't see well. I was soaking wet. But that's the power of Pulp - none of this mattered one bit! And I wouldn't have been too surprised if Jarvis's attempt to stop the rain had worked! The rest of the world was hanging on his every word & move! Well, I was! It was interesting to see how they went down to a not-totally Pulpy audience - from what I saw they went down a storm. It was good when everyone sang Happy Birthday to Candida, wasn't it? It's obvious the new songs are going to be real killers live. F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E was another highlight for me - not heard it live before. The songs from Hardcore sound better & better live too. Of course, Sorted is THE festival song. And starting with Common People was a brilliant idea - typically Jarvis! Who else would dare try that! I've always felt a bit miffed at getting into Pulp so late & missing so many great concerts which is why I have so much on video. But I feel I've caught up a bit, these concerts felt like all the best bits over the years in a way. One other thing - I know I'm getting a bit old for getting crushed at concerts etc., and I know that I'd have felt out of place in the scrummage if I'd been watching, say Oasis or whoever else. But watching Pulp was OK - it's alright to be different if you're a Pulp fan! I felt fine! Sorry to have gone on so much! But that's it apart from please say thanks so much to Pulp & tell them just how brilliant they were! Hope Jarvis's throat is better too, but he sounded lovely anyway!" [Toni Sutton]

"What can I say about Leeds other than it was a complete and utter triumph (even though it chucked it down with rain for most of Pulp’s set)? The Fear sounded magnificent in such a huge setting, as did F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E., with Mark adding a layer of sleazy Velvet Underground-style organ and Nick’s drum-machine noise between the “why now?”? and “It doesn’t make no sense” lines reverberating around the field. Candida (who was looking especially beautiful tonight) got a rendition of Happy Birthday To You from the crowd as it was her birthday two days previously. After the closing strains of DYRTFT had drifted across the field, it only remained for us to swim through the lake of mud back to our tent, my third and final Pulp concert that week over…"[Rich Bradley]

"The whole reason I came to Leeds was to see the return of the almighty Pulp. Unfortunately I had to camp for the 3 days which meant lots of mud and I thought it might turn into a Glastonbury '98 weather wise. I fell victim to sickness and headaches on the worst of the 3 days, the day Pulp were playing!! The Sunday went so slow, I just kept reminding myself I was going to see the best band in the world, onstage 15 feet away...And so the time arrived, the year of waiting for pulp to get off their arses and change more people's lives with the wisdom of Cocker's lyrics. I was at the front, feeling on top of the world waiting for Roger and co. to finish setting up the gear then suddenly, 'URGH!!' - I instantly thought I was gonna be sick. I thought, shall I stay here at the front or shall i go the the back and chill?. The lights went down. I thought 'fuck this' and just went off my head, and it felt good. I knew the set-list would be the same as the Garage gig so I knew what to expect. As soon as the 40,000 people recognised Common People, they, including me, went off our heads and it felt fucking great. After Common People, Jarvis was commenting on how hot he felt with that multi coloured jumper of his. When he asked "What do you think of it anyway?" some idiot, shouted out 'OXFAM' honestly, some people. [Yes, it was probably Cancer Research - Charity Shop Ed.] People were really going off their heads for Pulp, jumping up and down during every song, even the choruses of Help The Aged which was kinda weird 'cos the Glasto '98 and the Finsbury Park audiences were silent during these songs. The 1hr 15 mins went flying by, with the new songs sounding fantastic. I thought that after Party Hard, they would go, but they decided to play one more song and without any discussion, they jumped into a fantastic '1st time' . After that, they really did have to go, one fucker of a night I can tell you. We all went back to our tents knowing that the state of the current U.K. {err, don't' you mean World?? - Ed] music scene will change, all good things come to those who wait. The future's bright , the future's Pulp." [Edd Donnelly]

"And so to Leeds, an almost-home gig. 40,000 people standing in a field in torrential rain, and they love Pulp. And everyone ecstatically bounding along, even going wild to the new stuff - Sunrise has us all out of our minds! No Babies, but First Time is orgasmic, wet, wonderful people exploding in a storm of passion? Just how good are Pulp? And then it's over.... o-o-ver. What else could there be? How can we last until they're back again? Just how good are Pulp???????????!!!!!!!!!!" [Milena & James]