Carling Weekend: Reading, 26 August 2000

Set List: Common People; Weeds; Something Changed; Minnie; Help The Aged; Sorted; F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.; The Fear; I Love Life; This Is Hardcore. Encore #1 Sunrise; Party Hard. Encore #2 Babies; Do You Remember The First Time?
JarvisHi Alex, I have to tell you immediately!  Reading & Leeds - MAGNIFICENT!!! Jarvis & Pulp are so wonderful. The new songs, which sounded 'nice' at Edinburgh last year, now sound brilliant. Pulp are back in full force.  Thanks so much Jarvis!!!  and Pulp  for the D.A.M.A.G.E. - I just want to keep getting damaged now! (Toni Sutton)

The grand prize goes to a barefoot Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, who returned after a two-year hiatus to send the crowd home smiling on Saturday night. Cocker gives his all on stage, chatting amiably in between the twisted suburban tales of his songs, and then dancing like a man trying to run in several directions at once while the music plays. Several new songs were unveiled, including 'Weeds', another classic Pulp hymn to the downtrodden, and a glorious guitar-led climax in the form of 'Sunrise'..." (David Smyth, The Daily Telegraph, 28.8.00)

The view from here...
Few would want to follow Beck, especially after an absence of two years, but Pulp are, to borrow their own terminology, a different class. Jarvis Cocker, barefoot, spec-less and thoroughly de-geeked, sauntered on like he'd just come back from lunch, and led the band through the perfect conclusion to the evening. Five highly promising new songs sat contentedly with Common People, Do You Remember The First Time?, This Is Hardcore and the rest, as Pulp restaked a claim as Britain's ultimate festival band - in a Carling Premiership all of their own.  (Paul Sexton, The Times, 29.8.00)