Here I am, fresh from a night out in sunny Brum. Missed Tiger, and of course there were no Eels on this date. Totally characterless venue, like a big hangar but without the airplanes. It felt as if you were outside, but of course you weren't. Lots of people dressed in dark clothing (people don't seem to dress up for Pulp concerts anymore) I spotted a few Nine Inch Nails T Shirts - will someone explain to me how it is possible to like NIN and Pulp? Watched Coronation Street, Brookie and Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (very poor) backstage. Jarvis tells me Tony Christie was there, so I got quite excited and stared intently at every likely looking man I saw, in an attempt to identify him, but to no avail - he was probably hiding. "Don't Go Down To Reno" was played over the PA before Pulp came on, which was pretty cool.

Mark was ill with a sore tummy and was asleep until shortly before Pulp went on stage. The crowd, save for the central 'pit' and a small group of people going mad at the left of the stage, were rather unenthusiastic...this resulted in one song less than there would otherwise have been. Jarvis tried to get everyone going, you know how he sometimes lapses into Sheffieldisms and tells crap jokes? He did that for a while (probably until he realised no-one was laughing - what is the matter with you all?!). A brilliant Do You Remember The First Time woke the crowd from their reverie, but they drifted off again until Common People, which I sometimes think is the only Pulp song many concert goers know. For some reason the balloons above the stage refused to drop down, despite Jarvis getting Roger & Colin to lift him on their broad shoulders in a final, futile attempt! It all seemed to be over very quickly and it was back to the dressing room to take some photos and chat to Richard and Candida. Richard was sad at the imminent end to his nine month sojourn in the Pulp Camp...without him the Pulp Live Experience would not have been the same. Cheerio Richard! Good luck with The Longpigs! (NB: Looks like things turned out ok in the end for Richard!)