21 June: Roseisle Forest, Near Elgin, North Scotland

Support: British Sea Power

Set List: Trees / Sorted for Es and Wizz / The Night Minnie Timperley Died / Bad Cover Version / Laughing Boy / Live Bed Show / Help The Aged / Feeling Called Love / This Is Hardcore / I Love Life / Sunrise / Wickerman / I Want You / Babies / Underwear / Common People

All went well although I am informed there was a bit of fighting going on (Fighting?? At a Pulp concert??), and the crowd was a bit on the rough side...

Pulp were joined on stage at one point by Tim Allcard, who was a member of Pulp back in 1984, and played on the Bad Maureen demo, and who had, earlier in the day, constructed a 'Wickerman' stage prop, what with it being the longest day in Scotland and all....we are looking for a photo of this -  if anyone has one please send it in!

There was some fighting at the concert about 10 - 15 rows back from the front, but my impression is that it was one person that caused the pushing and shoving and did not seem like a Pulp fan but just there to wind people up. Anyhow, highlights for me included Help The Aged, Bad Cover Version and Common People at the end. (David)

I was at the Roseisle gig and although it was a bit rough at the front of the crowd - I didn't see any fighting.  A few leary lads with too much beer in.  It was a fabulous gig in a great setting - perfect midsummer night out. (Nic)

With such a unique setting I knew this gig would be very different from anything else Pulp had played, this was confirmed when I walked in.  Instead of people rushing to get down the front everyone seemed quite happy to be sitting down, and from what I could tell most people came from the surrounding towns and villages.  No disrespect to the locals, but I do believe many of them just came for a night out rather than to see their favourite band.  I was surprised to see people of many ages there, instead of younger audience.  There were quite a few old women (!! - Ed.) ; some who brought there own chairs and blankets to sit on. Anyway I hope these people enjoyed the concert the same, and maybe Pulp have gained some new fans (I think you'll find they are the old fans - Ed.).  I was beginning to fear that when Pulp came own everyone would remain sitting on the grass, but to the crowds credit they came alive and made it a great gig. While the support band, British Sea Power, were on I saw Mark emerge from back stage.  I asked about Richard Hawley, and why he wasn't playing.  Mark said Richard had busted his finger (not broken as someone from the forestry commission announced) and wouldn't do himself justice by performing, but he said he would still be able to play with Pulp, and Mark said this may give him the chance to rank up the guitar solos.  I wished him a good gig and off he went. Pulp came on, Jarvis with glass on wine in tow and they played The Trees, which Jarvis said being where they were they had to start with that one. Pulp sounded up to their usual standard of greatness, but there did seem to be something lacking in their performance at the same time.  I believe it was the connection between the crowd and band that was different, as usually there would be a lot more true Pulp at their gigs, but again as I said this one was different, but although they may not have been making that audience / band connection, they still gave it their all. After they played Help The Aged Jarvis talked about the old folks home he saw on the way to the forest. He said he never stopped to help, because he is horrible.  The band then launched into Feelingcalledlove, which had Jarvis soaking his pink shirt with a bottle of water, and then rubbing his chest, nice! After This Is Hardcore Jarvis said they had never played that song while it was light and it felt like having sex in the woods.  He then started to make a series of grunts and groans while lying below the drum riser. When Pulp returned for the encore the brought with them a man who had what can only be described as a wooden wickerman (above left) and a horn.  Jarvis then said that they have to play this next one because of where they are, and in case you couldn't guess the next song was Wickerman.  The guy held up the wooden man and blew on his horn when at certain points in the song. Next up was a treat for Pulp fans as they performed I Want You, which apparently hasn't been aired for about 10 years.  They made a few little changes to some of the guitar parts of it.  It was nice to finally see Pulp perform a song from  those years of their career.
So all in all it was another great Pulp experience, even if we never met Jarvis for that post gig swim he
promised.  Richard Hawley seemed to perform well for having a busted finger and Mark never quite managed that great solo he mentioned. (Scott McGinn)

The gig itself had a very nice setting in Roseisle Forest.  It was like a mini-festival but with toilets that didn't smell and reasonable prices at the stalls.  A good format especially for Pulp.  As it was the longest day, it was never going to be that dark being so far north, but the setting was very nice and from what I saw during the support act (British Sea Power) the crowd was very laid back. 

We were at the Roseisle gig on Friday and I’m sorry to say that we didn’t see Pulp at their electrifying best! Though in their defense it wasn’t really their fault. For a start, I don’t quite know what I expected or what the other forest locations had been like, but we were far from lost in the deep dark forest with Pulp as I had hoped! It was in fact quite a dull clearing right at the edge of a rather flat, uninteresting bit of forest It didn’t really get dark either being mid summer’s night so far up in the northern hemisphere which didn’t really do much for the ambience (Yeah sorry - as great as Pulp are, they aren't able to control the weather - Ed.). However, the main problem was definitely the crowd. Being a big event in such a small town area, all the "local people" and village idiots were out just because nothing else has happened there for the last 20 years! A lot of them were there just for somewhere different to air their usual ‘Friday night is tossers night’ mentality. There was some fighting, though I couldn’t really see what happened, a lot of beer cans were flying around and some moron got up on shoulders, centre front, during a softer moment and tried to cause a riot by waving a Brazil shirt around – it said it all really. What can I say, just typical small town all brawn and no brain behaviour. They had a good time but they weren’t particularly interested in Pulp and could have probably had more fun at the local dive where the beer wouldn’t have run out!! The rest of us would definitely have had more fun without them. If I’m not mistaken I think Jarvis was quite rightly pissed off with them and subsequently a bit flat and not entirely his usual entertaining self. He performed beautifully of course but I got the impression he couldn’t be bothered to try and communicate much in between which was a shame for those of us who were there through genuine devotion and adoration! But then we’re obviously smart enough to be able to see what was going on and of course we forgive them and respect them for their sensitivity to it!! But it wasn’t all doom and gloom – far from it! We met loads of lovely genuine people who were very definitely there for Pulp. They were damned good given the circumstances, well they just are aren’t they? Without a shadow of a doubt they are just brilliant, in a class of their own. But somehow they were remote at Roseisle and there just wasn’t quite that feeling of ‘connection’ that Pulp and their genuine fans hold so precious. I don’t remember the order of the set but they kicked off with Trees of course then there was Minnie Timperley, We Love Life, Feelingcalledlove, Bad Cover Version, Sunrise, Underwear, Babies, Help The Aged, Wickerman, This Is Hardcore, Live Bed Show, Sorted, Laughing Boy, our blast from the past was I Want You which was quite lovely – better than the original! And it all ended with Jarvis asking "Well – are you up for it?" – "it" being a strange rendition of Common People which I personally found a bit flat, but it certainly got the crowd jumping – they obviously knew that one! So what can I say? Sorry Pulp, you know that you deserve better. Rebecca and I loved you and so did a lot of people around us and we’ll definitely be there for you next time - though hopefully somewhere else!! (Jill Fennell)

As we approached the forest aboard the "Happy Bus", a shuttle service my friend and I were lucky enough to blag our way on, the coach's rather corny title actually did reflect the mood inside.  It was the longest day of the year, the sun was shining 'til late (my friends' chic Pulp sun visors came in handy), did I mention we were going to a Pulp gig? The setting was stunning: a grassy clearing surrounded by towering but friendly and beautiful trees.  Jarvis himself acknowledged this with the opening song being Trees: "We had to play that first really".  From then on it was business as usual from the Pulp clan as they mixed old favourites such as Sorted for Es and Wizz, Live Bed Show and a bouncey Babies with...well new favourites like Night that Minnie Timperley Died and I Love Life.  The set was varied unearthing such gems as I Want You and including the spoken word Wickerman, even though it is hardly capable of whipping the crowd up into a frenzied sing song.  But perhaps this was the point given the peaceful location.  Some have said that the band and Jarvis in particular looked out of sorts or unenthusiastic, whether this is true or not he was certainly subdued, or at least more so than the raucous figure cutting a dash across the Barrowlands' stage some six months earlier.  Yet lively or not he's still got an engaging stage presence and is foxy as ever!  The songs in the final encore, as the sun set quietly in the background, were quite dark.  Underwear, according to my souvenir set-list, replaced Birds In Your Garden, whether a simple crowd-pleasing swap or a nod to the allegedly rough crowd (I never saw any fighting though I apologise to all those people I barged past in being a little too eager to reach the barrier), cos when you think about it Birds in Your Garden is a more positive, gentle variation on the things in Underwear, who knows?  The ultimate song was a menacing but roof-raising (if there was one!) Common People.  The gig was something a bit different.  It didn't exactly set the ground on fire but with all those trees around that would just be plain dangerous.  No, we took our seats on the bus, content and amused at having been part of a funny night, ha ha and strange. (Claire McManus)

British Sea Power gave interesting support with a quirky stage presence - uniforms, long johns, dummy birds and foliage stuffed everywhere. They had to try and ignore some heckling from well out of it lads shouting for 'the Coral'. Jarvis came on looking great in grey jacket, pink shirt and black flares. After Trees and Sorted he did his best to pacify some troublemakers in the crowd, quite rightly pointing out that we were all there to enjoy ourselves. It was a beautiful setting, pine trees all around and access to a stunning beach. Jarvis asked us if it was safe to swim there,  then,  "Now you wouldn't just be saying that would you?!" At two points in the set hats were thrown on stage and each time Jarvis put them on, lending a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to his outfit. We were treated to Wickerman, long and atmospheric it suited the setting. A lot of visual interest was provided by the appearance of a giant Green Man type figure (that was meant to be a wickerman - Props Ed.) made out of tree trunk and branches with foliage head and also a horn. What a great way to celebrate the solstice! The big treat songwise came in the first encore - I Want You. Brilliant and we all felt privileged to hear it. Jarvis was really on top form all night, dancing like a man possessed and lots of funny stuff between songs. He was really connecting with all of us tonight, and appeared to be really enjoying himself. The band had looked a little anxious at the beginning with the rowdiness and I was slightly dreading Common People wondering how much we would get shoved around. We survived only semi-squashed  and with all our facilities intact. Jarvis said it had been fantastic and we all felt that. (Leilah Leask)

Longest day, truly stunning setting, gorgeous beach, good weather, cool vibe and Pulp. What the hell more could you ask for?  I can't believe some of these reviews are bitching about people in their 30's and 40's being there. The 5 of us are aged from 23 to 40 and we all 'dug' it.  The only slightly 'down' side was that the bouncers didn't grab the moron causing the hassle at the very beginning.  That would have made it an even better night. The beach parties, skinny dipping and camp fires after made the evening complete.  If only Jarvis had been there too it would've been the PERFECT end to a perfect evening.  (Maggie, LB, SB, China Pig & the Boston Strangler) 

I wanted to just say that i really enjoyed the Pulp concert at Roseisle Forest.  A pretty amazing gig.
Was really strange to be outdoors and light at night - was thankful it didn't rain but it was so dusty my
husband and I got hayfever.  But it was worth it - and worth 14 hours on a bus from and to Edinburgh (argh!). As always, Pulp's songs really came to life live and the crowd really enjoyed it although I did feel that Jarvis wasn't as chatty as usual between songs.  We did have some thugs pushing people around at one stage and had to move away which was a shame.  But most people seemed really relaxed and I thought it was true what Jarvis said about it being a special night because it was midsummer.  It was like our own little midsummer's dream.  I was amazed to hear I Want You which I listened to as I travelled around Europe and brings back an amazing time in my life.  Also really enjoyed Babies and Minnie Timperley.  And of course the Wickerman was a wonderful piece of theatre with our own little tree man. (Johanna Monk)