Sheffield - Pulp's Beautiful City - 7th June 2014

AN ORDINARY DAY MEETING COMMON PEOPLE BRINGS AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENING IN TIME.

If I owned a time machine, there are many places I'd visit. Perhaps the rise of the Roman Empire, The Battle of Hastings, The invention of the Steam Engine, The Union of 1707. My list would be extensive. However first amongst my ports of call would the 1990's.

Something beautiful happened to me in the 1990's. It began in the last throws of my teenage years and all the angst and awkwardness that came with being a teenager. I was working and throwing off those shackles. It's fair to say I was a nerdy teenager and by my own self admission clumsy, forgetful and self-conscious, however upon leaving school, I began to develop a taste for life's vices.

One change that happened in the late 80's/early 90's was a complete turnaround in my musical tastes. I was never too enamoured by the 80's music scene and all that was "New Romantic" meant very little to me. Something needed to change and it did.

During the early 1990's bands became more guitar focused, we had Suede, Oasis and Blur leading a new British phenomena that would later coin the phrase "BRITPOP". Many others would come to the fore, briefly burn brightly and fade into Britpop's sunset...Elastica, Supergrass, Menswear, but to name a few. However there was one band that burned far brighter for me, that shone above the others.

Jarvis Driving his "old banger"

They had been around for a while but they were coming to prominence. Their enigmatic front man was unlike any front man I'd seen before. He represented me, for all my nerdiness, ordinariness and beliefs. Yes I speak of PULP.

1995 - NO TIME MACHINE EXISTS

So here I sit. My time machine is still in the planning stage. Visits to the 1990's are confined to re-runs of keeping up appearances and one foot in the grave on Dave. So what to do?

It came to my attention, thanks to my daughter Zoe (a Britpop Fanatic) - Oddly preferring Oasis to Blur...Booooo...shhhh don't say anything - that PULP were screening a live documentary film called Pulp: a Film about Life, Death & Supermarkets. An intriguing title - very Jarvis Cockeresque and it was immediately pencilled into my diary as a must see. I booked four seats at the Grosvenor Cinema, Ashton Lane, off Byres Road, Glasgow for the showing on 7th June. 

HEADING OUT

So the 7th June duly arrived. My two PULP fanatic daughters (Lucie and Jodie), my friend William Lawrie (Another PULP Fanatic...it does help) and I set off for Glasgow. I had booked a table at Arcaffe where we had a pleasant lunch before heading off in the direction of Byres Road.

Grosvenor Cinema, Ashton Lane

We parked up and headed over to the Grosvenor Cinema. It was "Wet" but hey...skin is waterproof and we had a date with the Queen Mother of Britpop - Jarvis Cocker.

THE GROSVENOR AND ASHTON LANE

I think this area is worthy of a mention in this Blog. As you enter Ashton Lane, you leave Glasgow and enter a short cobbled street full of cafe's, restaurants and bars. Covered in fairy lights and "packed" with people leisurely strolling about its really a joy to behold in the West End. I always think it looks a little bit run down, but that's the joy of it as you mingle amongst the pavement cafes, smell of food, buskers and people spending their valuable leisure time there.

Inide the Grosvenor

The Grosvenor cinema is an extension of the Grosvenor cafe and it's exactly how all cinemas should be. In my piece of heaven, the Grosvenor cinema will be there.

I never counted the screens, but I'm guessing it has three. All small and cosy (I'll describe in a moment). The beauty of the Grosvenor cinema is that it has a bar. But a bar you can frequent to-and fro while the film is on to fill up your beer glass. Its perfect. I was driving and couldn't take full advantage, but William was certainly piling in.

The screenroom is fantastic, You get an old-fashioned leather seat, padded with its own shelf for drinks. At the back there are sofa's. The house was roughly half full with most people enjoying a drink. One couple had champagne. Ohhhhh its just perfect...but I digress, this is a blog about PULP's film...The Grosvenor is a Blog for another day.

PULP - A FILM ABOUT LIFE, DEATH AND SUPERMARKETS

Jarvis Cocker arriving in Sheffield

So to the main theme of the evening. I wasn't too sure what to expect. I don't think anyone really was. We sat down to see the Sheffield Laser show being beamed live onto the screen in front of us. Occasionally it would break up - showing this was an Internet broadcast - we were hoping discussing jokingly (but with some sincerity) if the Grosvenor had paid their broadband bill. The show went on for quite some time - easily 25 minutes after we sat down, but we were in no rush. It was interrupted to see the band members enter the Sheffield City Hall along with Florian Habicht, the film's producer. After they entered the hall, the laser show resumed.

Prior to the film commencing there was an introduction to the film, discussing its idea and how it came to the screen. Then the lights were lowered and the magic began.

A COMMON FILM - A MAGIC WORLD

The first thing you realised about this film is that it wasn't an adulation to PULP and it's members. The stars were never ever going to be the band members. The film was a series of VOX pops, where New Zealander Habicht had found the real characters and ordinary people who brought Sheffield to life. I'm so glad he did this. 

It was interspersed with songs from PULP's last Sheffield gig. It opened with the anthem of a generation "Common People" which had me singing...its so one of those songs...before fading into the films storyline.

Common People

Was there a storyline?...probably not. It worked though. We met super fans (one young lady who had flown in from ATLANTA), we met ladies with home made PULP underwear and one lady, arguable of pensioner age - who in her thickset Yorkshire accent attested to being a PULP fan.

Two Elderly Ladies - Great Characters

Terry, the newspaper seller was a real character and made me feel very comfortable, knowing that endearing people like him exist. he resembled a cartoon character but I mean that with the greatest respect. He was endearing. Then there were the two old ladies, great friends, Sheffield characters who ascribed to knowing Jarvis as a boy before he was famous. Like the Northern lovelies we come to expect they aren't fussed by all his fame and fortune but if a face could say a thousand words, these elderly ladies said it all.

Terry - A star

We then meet a young chap in makeup...was he a transvestite? or is that just my thinking? Anyway he was brilliant. We learn the story of his move to London where he was mugged and left alone but upon returning to his hometown of Sheffield, he is again mugged. He exclaims it to be OK though because you know who mugs you in Sheffield and you can always get them another day - it's that kind of town.

Did I mention the knife maker - he was scarily enthralled by his knives.

The film makers return to two young girls (guessing aged 10ish) who were a delight. Disco 2000 was played to them and they vaguely recognised it, thinking it was called Different Class. 

Jarvis Cocker

Jarvis and the band are interviewed throughout the film. Jarvis delights as he brings out a large (shoe type bag rack) where he keeps all his stock of necessities for touring. This was an OCD side of Jarvis I should have expected and I did laugh as he described his various ointments, tablets and even made a risque comment on some less than legal substances...Only jesting...yes?

I could go on and on but the film was genuinely a tribute to Sheffield and PULP were a by-product of  the most unglamourous but enchanting place in these isles. 


WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE SUPERMARKET?

When the film ended, we were taken back, live to Sheffield City Hall where the band members along with Habicht were asked a series of questions, hosted by Mr Paul Moreley.

In one question, they were each asked their supermarket of choice and in the mini vote that followed, we know that Waitrose is the favourite. Jarvis however exclaimed that he preferred the corner shop. Paul Morley reminded him that common people was filmed in a supermarket, to which Jarvis retorted, well I have to get it out my system somehow.

Help The Aged - Brilliant Rendition

They were all asked their favourite parts of the film. Memorably for Jarvis, he particularly enjoyed the rendition of "Help the Aged" by the people in the Old folks home, even noting the improvement the guitarist made by adding an extra key. I have to say that this was a particularly memorable part of the film for me too as those elderly ladies and gents made an artwork of the song as they were served tea and biscuits.

It was excellent to see members of the audience ask questions.

LETS ALL MOVE TO SHEFFIELD

From the film, Sheffield looks every part the run-down industrial northern city I expected it to be. A bit grimy and un-polished. Sheffield however has an inner beauty that could not be ignored. It's people are not phased by fame and in that traditional Yorkshire way we come to expect, they never seem to overstate anything. If people make up a city and if people are its beating heart then Sheffield can rightly hold its head up high. As someone who has never visited the city, I came to love its characteristics and nuances.

PULP, by their own admission are a product of the city.

Toilet Roll Throwing

They have made a film that portrayed ordinariness and every day life. Rather than look down, the film looked up.

Well done PULP and Habicht. You created a mini-masterpiece here. Undoubtedly it won't win an Oscar because those Hollywood types wont understand the psyche of its content, its surrounds and it's people. We were treated to a lovely journey tonight. We met new characters and strummed and hummed along to a few Jolly tunes.

I love you PULP - Don't break up forever - you must occasionally play again.