Pulp joined by Steve Mackey’s son, Warmduscher guitarist Marley, at London Hammersmith show
Pulp paid tribute to their late bassist Steve Mackey last night (Friday July 28), by inviting his son and Warmduscher guitarist Marley on stage at their Hammersmith Eventim Apollo show. Check out footage, photos and the show’s setlist below.
The Sheffield indie icons announced the two Apollo gigs back in May as relatively last minute and intimate additions to their ongoing reunion tour, which saw them headline London’s Finsbury Park and Latitude Festival earlier this month – as well as two homecoming gigs in Sheffield, joined by former live guitarist Richard Hawley at the latter.
As they have been at all concerts on the run, the band dedicated the 1996 ‘Different Class’ single ‘Something Changed’ to their late bassist Mackey – who died back in March.
Introducing the song and highlighting a film played in his memory earlier on the evening, frontman Jarvis Cocker brought out a small booklet that was handed out at Mackey’s memorial service that he said had “been in my guitar case ever since” and noted that the reunion tour had become somewhat of a “tribute” to their late bandmate.
He also pointed out that Mackey’s wife and son were in attendance, with the latter – Warmduscher guitarist Marley Mackey – joining the band on stage later in the evening to close the first encore with ‘Common People’.
Elsewhere, Cocker commented on how he’d been to many shows at the Apollo – including Kate Bush and Iggy & The Stooges – but had always longed to perform here.
Other highlights of the set came from early outings of classic singles ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘Mis-Shapes’, the frontman donning pink gloves thrown at him from the crowd for fan favourite ‘Pink Glove’, their reunion single ‘After You’, the crowd singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to drummer Nick Banks, and the recently live debuted Cocker solo track ‘Hymn Of The North‘.
Cocker also introduced the first encore under a spotlight with the following reading, written by the frontman back when first moved to London after college, after successfully catching a grape in his mouth:
“It’s summer, and each breath is like inhaling thick, heavy syrup,
You spend acrylic afternoons in the damp green behind dusty garages with dead cats hidden in the undergrowth on waste ground,
Throw stones into the river by abandoned railway viaducts,
Watch girls in tops carry bags full of warm lager to housing estate parties that start while it’s still light,
Smoke hollow twigs,
Camp out with a friend in the back garden.
I’m glad that you made it here tonight,
I’m glad that we’re here together,
Because tonight we’re going to go all the way.”
He followed up with: “Now that was written 30 years ago. Are we going to go the whole way?”
Pulp return to play the second of two sold-out nights at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith tonight (July 29).
Pulp’s Eventim Apollo setlist was:
‘I Spy’
‘Disco 2000’
‘Mis-Shapes’
‘Something Changed’ (Dedicated to Steve Mackey)
‘Pink Glove’
‘Weeds’
‘Weeds II (The Origin of the Species)’
‘F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.’
‘Sorted for E’s & Wizz’
‘This Is Hardcore’
‘Do You Remember the First Time?’
‘Babies’
‘Sunrise’
Encore:
‘Like a Friend’
‘Underwear’
‘Common People’ (With Marley Mackey on guitar)
Encore 2:
‘After You’
‘Razzmatazz’
‘Glory Days’
‘Hymn of the North’
In other news, the band’s drummer Nick Banks recently announced details of his new memoir, So It Started There: From Punk To Pulp. Arriving on September 28, the book is set to tell the world the story of his life and career.
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Andrew Trendell
NME
