Flashback: Pulp at Hollywood Grand (May 22, 1996)

Pulp at Hollywood Grand (May 22, 1996) Setlist I Spy Do You Remember the First Time? Monday Morning Live Bed Show Acrylic Afternoons Sorted for E’s & Wizz Pencil Skirt F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. Underwear Common People Bar Italia

Can you believe it? It’s 2025, and we have a brand new Pulp album called More and with an upcoming 2025 Tour of the USA!!! The band re-united last year to some selective American date (their first appearance in country in many years). Their last US appearance was 1998, but they only played a handful of dates (5 to be exact).

I saw the band in Los Angeles on May 22 (Morrissey’s Birthday), in 1996. I believe it was Pulp’s first headlining world tour… they previously opened up for Blur in 1994.

There were a couple of notable things about my 1996 show, I was travelling with Melinda and we were to meet my friend Mark, in Claremont, California. It was an exciting time, as we stood line for the Hollywood Grand venue.

I spent the whole show sitting on the left side of the stage, behind a grand piano. It was a great view, and Jarvis Cocker came on stage to play some of my favorite songs from Different Class.

I really love “I Spy”, and was thrilled to see the set started with that song. Their biggest hit song at the time was “Common People”, which they played near the end. Unfortunately, Jarvis was coming down with a cold or something and they didn’t do an encore… or show up for their appearance in Denver (their next show on their schedule).

 

Back in 1996, it was rare to sneak in a camera, so obviously I don’t have any photos from the show. Instead, there were some photos, published in a fanzine Blah Blah Blah #4 (July 1996), written by Mark Blackwell: “The lights dim and a warm hum begins to emanate from the stage. Finally, the real Jarvis Cocker will stand up. The frontman purrs and poses, making all the right hand gestures at all the right moments, stage-strutting with a strangely graceful awkwardness… Pulp forge ahead gracefully, yet Cocker begins to visibly fade toward the end of the hour-long set, apologising at the close for cutting the encore down to one quick song. He’s ill, see. After the performance, as guitarist Russell Senior, bassist Steve Mackey and drummer Nick Banks oblige the upstairs VIP crowd with smiles and handshakes and grin-and-bear-it poses with record company proles, Cocker sends his regards and further apologises, opting to lay low and get some rest. Next up, it’s all aboard the bus for the long trek up and over to Denver, Colorado – where the show will eventually be cancelled as a result of Cocker’s poor health.”

 

Remember how I said I saw Pulp on Morrissey’s Birthday, May 22, 1996? That’s not the end of the story, exactly one year before that, on May 22, 1995, I was at a special Common People singles release signing at the HMV store in London, England. The entire band was there and they all sat in one long table… with Jarvis Cocker sitting at the very end. I got everybody’s signatures – and even “secret” band member Mark Webber, who signed it “Secretly Mark”.

Jarvis signed it “It’s not a problem”, Candida wrote, “the pleasures all mine”, everybody had a catchphrase.

It’s weird to see Steve Mackey’s signature with “Nouveau Wavo”, knowing that he died in 2023.

Anyway, in support of More, set for release on June 6th, via Rough Trade Records, the band will be playing these North American dates listed below:

 

Read more Flashback