Alright! Pulp were perfection at Forest Hills Stadium: review, pics, full video

“I’m probably going to make loads of bad tennis jokes,” Jarvis Cocker warned the crowd at Forest Hills Stadium on Thursday night, noting the venue’s history as the former home of the US Open. “We’re here to serve you.”

What a perfect night. Pulp‘s More tour is a pure pleasure-delivery device, with Jarvis Cocker’s wit, words, and undeniable charisma—not to mention those dance moves—holding us all in the palm of his hand. The tour is much like last year’s reunion shows, before we knew Pulp were truly back and about to release their first album in 24 years, but this time given the grand treatment, with bigger, better visuals and stage production. The night kicked off with “Sorted for E’s and Wizz,” a perfect opener—a song about being off your face at a rave—made all the more awesome by the unexpected addition of three inflatable tube men at the front of the stage, while the giant LED screen multiplied Jarvis into dozens of trailing figures for a properly trippy effect.

They immediately hit with another Different Class classic, “Disco 2000,” which sent the crowd into hysterics. Some have complained that Oasis crowds in America were tame compared to the UK (fair point), but on Thursday everyone was dancing and fully engaged, with a few Glastonbury-style flags waving on the field. The enthusiasm carried over to the new songs from More, too. “Spike Island” went over big—Jarvis tossed whistles into the crowd in tribute to the infamous Stone Roses show the song references—and stormer “Got to Have Love” was a perfect lead-in to the climax of the show.

Pulp have multiple showstoppers, but none more dazzling than “This Is Hardcore,” a real tour-de-force of louche decadence. The LED screen’s red velvet curtains pulled back to reveal a glowing chandelier, and Jarvis sang part of the song from a ‘70s-style leather armchair. (He also spent some time on his back, singing from the floor.) The expanded lineup—including strings and a second percussionist—was put to thrilling use, bringing the song to lurid life.

“This Is Hardcore” had competition from “Something Changed,” played acoustically with just the original members (Jarvis, Nick Banks, Mark Webber, and Candida Doyle); the crowd-participation magic of “O.U.”; and the anthems “Do You Remember the First Time?,” “Misshapes” (which plays so much better live than on record, IMO), and “Babies.” And, of course, “Common People”—a song I don’t actively listen to much these days but which remains undeniable live, with everyone singing every word.

Other highlights included “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” (maybe my favorite from Different Class), one of two songs of the night to feature spelling, and “Sunrise,” whose gloriously psychedelic finish had Jarvis dancing in silhouette against a glowing horizon.

Unfortunately, with an 8:15 start and Forest Hills Stadium’s hard 10 PM curfew, there was no encore and a few songs were shaved from the setlist. Still, the night ended on a lovely note with “A Sunset,” with the whole band at the front of the stage for a wistful finish. The weather was perfect, and so was the show.

Opening the tour was Hamilton Leithauser, though I only caught his last couple of songs. See the setlist and full video of the show below; more pictures from the whole night by Emilio Herce are coming soon.

Pulp’s tour continues Saturday in Boston and wraps up in Los Angeles with two nights and the Hollywood Bowl co-headlined by LCD Soundsystem. All dates are listed below.

Pulp’s More made the shortlist for the 2025 Mercury Prize, and Different Class is getting the 30th anniversary box set treatment.

SETLIST: Pulp @ Forest Hills Stadium 9/11/2025
Sorted for E’s & Wizz
Disco 2000
Spike Island
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
Slow Jam
Farmers Market
This Is Hardcore
Sunrise
Something Changed
O.U. (Gone, Gone)
The Fear
Do You Remember the First Time?
Mis-Shapes
Got to Have Love
Babies
Common People
A Sunset

PULP – 2025 TOUR DATES
Saturday 13 September – Boston Suffolk Downs
Tuesday 16 September – Toronto Budweiser Stage
Wednesday 17 September – Detroit Masonic Temple
Saturday 20 September – Minneapolis The Armory
Monday 22 September – Denver Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Thursday 25 September – Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl
Friday 26 September – Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl