Britpop icons Pulp to reform for 2023 shows

Danny Jones

Good news for Common People

Legendary Britpop band Pulp are set reform for a series of concerts in 2023, the first new slate of shows they will have performed in over a decade.

Drummer Nick Banks confirmed the reunion on BBC Radio Sheffield, remarking, “it’s not bad [news] is it?”, confirming that the band’s home town of will be on their list of dates next year. The 56-year-old long-serving member took to Twitter shortly after to inform fans that it has “all gone a bit mental” following the announcement.

Hey folks, unsurprisingly it’s has all gone a bit mental on here. Gig details will be revealed as and when.

Stay calm, hug your #pulp records and dream of going mental sometime in 2023.

— Nick Banks (@therealnickbank) July 25, 2022

Banks insisted that popular 80s and 90s UK band never suffered a particularly acrimonious split, arguing instead that they just put everything on hold for a while – as they did in the years between their split in 2002 and the first, short-lived reunion in 2011.

“It was never a case of us all starting calling each other names and chucking our toys out of the pram”, he said; “The band gets put in a drawer under the bed and you know it’s safe there and eventually it’s going to get resurrected.”

Hints at a potential comeback were first made by frontman Jarvis Cocker, who posted this somewhat cryptic video to his Instagram, asking his followers: “What exactly do you do for an encore?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPdzGTKKf-/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=336632cc-794a-4a9e-9a36-4f01eeceece1

The 58-year-old co-founding member then went on to confirm the news himself on during a Guardian Live event on Monday night, shouting “Next year Pulp are going to play some concerts!” to a reception of massive cheers.

A version of Pulp last played together back in December 2012 for a first homecoming gig in Sheffield, as well as on board SS Coachella with a then-new standalone single called “After You.”

It is unclear whether the band is working on any new material ahead of their much-anticipated return but something tells us this second homecoming is going to be even sweeter.