Pulp performs at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on Sept. 8, 2024.
It’s been 12 long years since Pulp has toured in the U.S. and even longer since Jarvis Cocker and company have graced a stage in the City of Chicago. So, it would be an understatement to say there was an air of anticipation pulsing through the sold-out Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom on Sept. 8, as Pulp kicked-off their highly-anticipated North American Tour.
“We are Pulp. And you are Chicago, but I’m gonna call you by your first name which is Aragon. Aragon Chicago sounds like a film star from the thirties which is when I guess this place [The Aragon Ballroom] was quite new,” said Cocker early in the night before playing the Different Class standout “Disco 2000.” “The thing about a concert is we have to do it together. We’re gonna play some music and you’re gonna make it happen, right. So, We can make magic work together.”
All night long, whatever energy Pulp – Cocker (vocals/guitar), Candida Doyle (keys), Nick Banks (drums), and Mark Webber (guitar) along with touring musicians Andrew McKinney (bass), Emma Smith (violin), and Adam Betts (multi-instrumentalist) – unleashed, the sold-out crowd returned it ten-fold. Whether it was the epic intensity and screeching guitars of “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” or the infectious unease of “This Is Hardcore,” fans were tuned in, totally in the moment adjusting their collective energy to whatever mood flowed from the stage.
This tour is a bittersweet one for the band as it marks their first trek abroad since the 2023 passing of bassist Steve Mackey. Cocker dedicated the reflective love song “Something Changed” to Mackey as well as the late Steve Albini, the legendary founder of Chicago’s Electrical Audio, who worked on Cocker’s 2009 solo album, Further Complications.
“I don’t know Chicago very well, but the amount that I do know is due to the fact that about 15 years ago I did record a record here. And the reason for that was because Steve Mackey, who’s no longer with us, suggested it. And that record was recorded by Steve Albini,” said Cocker introducing the song in honor of “The Two Steves.”
Pulp performs at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on Sept. 8, 2024.
Elsewhere, “Do You Remember the First Time?,” which found Cocker reaching into his jacket pocket to share candy with fans who wanted something sweet and grapes with those who were on a diet, was dedicated to everyone that attended Pulp’s first ever Chicago show at The Vic Theatre when they opened for Blur back in 1994. The visuals of a silhouetted Cocker book-ended the show as he was seen only in shadows during the set-closer “Sunrise” – the instrumentation for which provided an perfect pre-encore climactic build – just as he appeared at the top of the show during the opening number, “I Spy.”
“Here’s something we’ve all got in common. Something we’ve all got in common, and hopefully something we’re all wearing at this exact moment,” said Cocker before leading a venue-wide, encore sing-along of “Underwear” that led perfectly into an irresistible dance party during “Common People.” “Razzmatazz,” “Like a Friend,” the debut of the new song “Spike Island,” and “Babies” were also among the highlights of the setlist.
Looking around a venue full of smiling, singing faces it was clear that the combined efforts of Pulp and all of their fans, created an evening that was nothing short of magical, just as Cocker promised it would be. Check out photos from Pulp’s Chicago show below and click here to pick-up tickets to future tour dates. More information about upcoming events at the Aragon can be found at LiveNation.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
