Witnness 07.12.01

Considering the 'Sorted For E's and Wizz' single cover featured instructions on how to wrap speed, it could be taken as a sign of Pulp's newfound maturity that with We Love Life, their most recent album, the band have left behind their role as clued-up critics of the chemical world for an altogether more allegorical interest in the humble weed.

Twitching feverishly like some sun-starved creeper whose offshoots need trimming, Jarvis throws out his latest metaphor for the English underclass by opening with album signature tune 'Weeds'. Lines such as, 'Because we do not care to fight, my friends – we are the weeds' are delivered with enough hushed elegance to suggest that Pulp have moved on from dramatising the indie wars to a more in-depth analysis of life spent in the emotional gutter.

'The Birds In Your Garden', a melancholic ballad that sounds forced on the album, comes to life on stage with Cocker crouched against a projected backdrop of flowers mid-bloom, contemplating the perilous prospect of committing himself to a relationship because it's what nature dictates.

With almost no between-song banter and Britpop anthems such as ‘Disco 2000’ notably absent, this gig sees Pulp stick two fingers up to an era which turned Cocker into some kind of cartoon diety for the downtrodden. Early upbeat classics like 'Do You Remember The First Time?' are performed to flawless effect but seem largely out of sync in a set which places pared-down emotional authenticity over showmanship.

For casting aside the 'Common People' years, Pulp have proven themselves to be acres ahead of your common-or-garden popstars!