Did you remember the first time? Will you remember the last time? As the cryptic messages on Pulp's website become talked about almost as much as their triumphant comeback shows during the past 18 months. Primavera in Barcelona in May 2011 was the first Pulp show for aeons, followed by their own Wireless headline slot, T in the Park, Reading and Leeds festivals, two Brixton gigs, a Royal Albert Hall show and a tour of the US and Europe - it's been quite a journey. The question is - has Jarvis Cocker's final top-up been applied to his musical Travelcard? 'Tissues are optional', sputters the crackled message on 'pulppeople.com'. Unless he's planning extreme burlesque, this may mean only one thing.
Whatever the outcome, happy or sad, you can bet that Pulp's homecoming show on 8th December will be a very VERY special occasion, one which could set the old tear ducts going at the very thought of it. Their chosen venue is Sheffield's trusty Motorpoint Arena, probably not large enough for just one Pulp show but a show nonetheless. As recently as April, Cocker hinted that the band's comeback 'might' result in them all working on new material, although nothing has happened so far, not even a deluxe reissue of the lamented 'We Love Life' album, their 2001 swansong (or was it?).
To get your hands on tickets to Pulp's Sheffield show in December, head back here on Friday 13th July - we will have tickets on sale from 9am, priced from £30.