Though 2010 still has a handful of weeks left in it, it's never too soon to start contemplating what might be on your musical menu in 2011. In keeping with recent traditions that saw cult bands get back together to rave reviews and far more success than they ever had during their initial runs (we're looking fondly at you, Pavement and Faith No More), one of the best bands of the Britpop movement will play some old songs together again next year. Pulp, who were icons in their native U.K. but never quite had the same kind of crossover success in the United States the way Oasis and Blur did, will be getting back together for a handful of shows in the summer of 2011.
"Pulp have decided to get together and play some concerts next summer," a statement on the group's official Facebook page explains. "The shows will involve all the original members of the band and they will be playing songs from all periods of their career." The release notes that though the last Pulp album came out nine years ago (that would be 2001's We Love Life), the last time all five original band members were on stage was in August of 1996. The first two confirmed dates are headlining slots at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain on May 27 and at the Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park on July 3, with more dates promised later.
Hopefully the group will make their way to the shores of the United States. Though they were beloved by American Anglophiles, they never had a signature hit on this side of the Atlantic (though they came close to breakthroughs a handful of times, including with the singles "Common People," "Disco 2000" and "Help the Aged"). Their music tended to be a lot more English than that of Oasis or Blur (in that they focused a lot on U.K.-centric obsessions like the royal family, the class system and the specific plights of British blue collar society), and the lyrics tended to delve deep into the wry, fractured psyche of frontman Jarvis Cocker (which is how songs like "Sorted for E's & Wizz" and "This is Hardcore" sounded simultaneously universal and creepily personal).
Whether or not the group will be recording new material during this reunion remains to be seen, but as his two solo albums have proven, Cocker still has a knack for a killer melody and a sly turn of phrase. He manages both in "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time," which was the centerpiece single from his self-titled 2006 solo album.
Tags Jarvis Cocker, Pulp, Reunions, video
