Pulp - Finsbury Park - 1st July 2023

Photo by Sarah Louise Bennett

This is what they do for an encore.

Shortly before their set begins, the big screens give a potted history of the main attraction with old home-movie footage of a pre-fame Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. Then, the screens inform us: You Are About To See The 527th Concert By Pulp.

Not that it was required, but it’s a reminder that the small details and self-awareness set Pulp apart in the 1990s, alongside their generation-defining anthems.

Three hours earlier, the lithe Baxter Dury (one of many who can claim Jarvis as an influence) slinks and slides around the huge stage, the grooves and synths of his canon bolstered by the storming bass of the live system. After one song, his shirt becomes a bandana so he can fully focus on his tantric moves. A beguiling performer, Dury is at pains to stress how happy he is to be performing in his hometown and, despite his perma-snarl, it’s easily believed.

Following as main support, the power and popularity of Wet Leg’s debut album remains potent over a year on. The more gregarious of the two, Rhian Teasdale traverses the tightrope between rock star and mere mortal with magnificent sunglasses and clad in an Arsenal shirt, an effortless attempt to win over the crowd.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2023/07/review-pulp-wet-leg-london/