Out to fashion themselves as far more than a nostalgia act, this month saw the release of Pulp’s first studio album since 2001. The wryly titled ‘More’ sees frontman and lead songwriter, Jarvis Cocker weave through a series of musings on love, aging and identity, accompanied by a layered production of strings and synths plus a tone which maintains the band’s trademark sultry twists on the mundane. Released to widespread critical and fan acclaim, the album debuted atop the UK album charts, a fact Cocker revels in reminding the crowd of during Thursday night’s Birmingham gig. And he’s right to do so as, based on this performance, Pulp’s new material stands shoulder to shoulder with the old favourites and has firmly thrust the band into 2025.

Following a voiceover declaring that “this performance is an encore”, the velvet curtain that had previously enshrouded the stage splits apart revealing the band, now complete with a dedicated string section who provided added texture to Pulp’s sound throughout the whole night. Jarvis joins them seconds later, characteristically rising up through the floor and floating into the opening lines of the modern Pulp classic, ‘Spike Island’. The set begins with a trio of songs from the new album, ‘Grown Ups’ is a quirky but introspective romp while ‘Slow Jam’ is a showcase of Pulp’s ability to organically concoct a rich, evocative atmosphere. What's immediately clear from these opening numbers is that Pulp’s dedicated fanbase has promptly accepted these new songs into Pulp canon, gleefully singing along during the choruses and listening intently during Cocker’s frequent spoken-word ponderings.

As Pulp slide into their extensive catalogue of former glories, which remain as empathetic as they are idiosyncratic, the crowd within Birmingham’s Utilita Arena is an absolute joy to be a part of. Unashamedly belting out the words to ‘Mis-Shapes’ breathes extra life into the song, morphing it into a raucous rebellious anthem while the endlessly romantic ‘Something Changed', performed acoustically here, is tantamount to a hymn. It is unsurprising then that Pulp’s two biggest successes, ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘Common People’, are met with a scintillating response, all led by Jarvis, who is able to deliver these anthems with the same unbridled energy as ever.

To pile on the fervour, the majority of Pulp’s set is bolstered by elaborate staging and intricately crafted spectacle. Lasers bounce around the room during ’Sorted for E’s and Wizz’ while a gothic performance of ‘The Fear’ is met with the unleashing of surprisingly striking inflatable balloon figures. All this leads to an explosion of confetti near the climax of the show as Pulp take a nostalgic turn through ‘Babies’. The sheer technical acumen and loving thought poured into each song makes for an unforgettable series of set pieces that could threaten to become a sensory overload if not for the magnetism and attention Cocker commands over any audience he finds himself in front of. The frontman is charismatic enough to usurp the detailed choreography and ground the performance with his own improvised, serpentine flailing.

Pulp close their set with the final track from the new album, ‘A Sunset’, a hopeful ode to everyday endings. If this 2025 tour is to truly be an ending for Pulp, then this is as fitting an encore as you could possibly imagine.