Pulp
Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ
Saturday, February 21st
A week or so before Jarvis Cocker and his Pulp band were due to begin their New Zealand tour, they quietly arrived in the country and made the journey south for a visit to Dunedin to stay at the Museum of Natural Mystery. While the South Island was left off their tour schedule (as is so common), I’m glad they made a point of visiting — Aotearoa is much more than just our largest cities, and Dunedin’s rich and long music history clearly spoke to a musician of Cocker’s stature.
We arrived at Spark Arena early to catch the mystery opening act, which as it turns out was no one so the mystery remained unsolved, even though this would have been a great opportunity for a local act to reach an audience outside of their usual scene.
But the stage was set for a big band — not just big as in legendary but big as in numerous players, movers, and shakers.
Cocker and his band walked out on stage to a huge round of applause, and as the opening notes of “Sorted for E’s & Wizz” rang out everyone was transported back to their days of trippin’ out in fields sharing collective experiences with friends you came with and all the friends you’ll meet. Then you come down… but not for long… straight into “Disco 2000”.
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The truly spectacular stage show was cosmic and so fitting. Massive inflatable, flailing tube people shot out from in front of the monitors and swayed throughout. The disco ball reflected light all through the arena and projections lifted the show.
Cocker, dressed in a classic history teacher-esque suit, commanded and conducted the night in the sassiest manner possible. He’s got the moves, oh damn has he got the moves, and with a band as polished and professional as Pulp it seemed almost effortless.
Cocker’s also an excellent storyteller, both in song and in between them. During “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” he spoke softly: “The room is cold / And has been like this for several months / If I close my eyes, I can visualise everything in it / Right down / Right down to the broken handle / On the third drawer down of the dressing table.”
Between songs further stories were told, with the Limit nightclub in Sheffield, England, getting a shout-out for introducing him to bass music and club culture. (Here’s to you, Limit nightclub. Thank you for your service.)
The setlist was curated from across the years, and it was heavy on material from 2025’s album More. “Sunrise”, the final song of act 1, was heady and psychedelic. As the screens counted down, Act 2 opened with “Something Changed” off the band’s legendary 1995 album, Different Class.
Dedications were made to places and people, most notably to Florian Habicht who was in the crowd. Florian is a New Zealand film director who, after approaching the band after a show, ended up making the documentary, Pulp: A Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets (which is now top of my list of films to see).
Global tour shows in Aotearoa very often take place either at the start or tail-end. Both have their merits, but being the first show brings a unique energy that is hard to recapture as you settle into life on the road. That energy was present and flowing inside Spark Arena.
New single “Begging for Change”, only released the day prior, got its live debut. The energy didn’t fade onstage, and the crowd responded in kind, with “Do You Remember the First Time?” likely being a cathartic highlight for many.
The show reached its peak with the iconic anthem “Common People” offering a total release. It was truly phenomenal. Everyone sung their heart out, and someone even let off a firework in the crowd which was clearly not a part of the stage show. It was wild.
We were brought back down to earth as the band lined up front of stage to perform the final parting song, “A Sunset”, to see us off into the night.
If you’re new to Pulp or have been a fan since the 90s, I highly encourage you to go see them on this tour. Don’t question it, just go. Pulp, a band of many peaks, are peaking once again.
James Sullivan is a musician based in Tāmaki Makaurau. His Jim Nothing project won Best Alternative Artist at the 2025 Aotearoa Awards. Find out more about his music here. Check out Pulp’s upcoming Australian tour dates here.
