* READ MORE: Jarvis Cocker teases more Pulp shows and discusses new project ‘Biophobia’: “I used to be scared of nature”
Announced today (August 15), the new tour date will be held as part of the new Rockin’ On Sonic festival, which will take place at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall in Chiba.
Held between January 4 and 5, the recently shared line-up sees the Jarvis Cocker-led band top the bill, alongside California rock band Weezer.
Also on the first list of artists confirmed for the new festival are Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream, The Lemon Twigs and Wednesday.
More artists set to perform at Rockin’ On Sonic 2025 are set to be announced at a later date, and tickets for the festival go to pre-sale on Tuesday (August 20). Visit here to buy yours.
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The announcement that Pulp have locked in their first live show for 2025 comes amid speculation that the band are working on new material.
Rumours of the band working on new music came to a head after the frontman was recently spotted in Walthamstow. The image saw him wearing a bucket hat and carrying an orange Rough Trade tote bag while waving at the camera. Those who took the photo reportedly claimed that he revealed that the band were “back in the studio”.
The spotting in the London Borough took place just days after Pulp performed at Flow Festival 2024 – where they debuted a new song titled ‘A Sunset’, which was co-written by Richard Hawley – and after the vocalist spoke to NME earlier this year and suggested the song could be officially released at some point, as well as confirmed Pulp’s touring plans for 2025.
Pulp’s last full-length release was 2001’s ‘We Love Life‘. In a three-star review of the LP, NME shared: “Produced by legendary ‘60s icon and professional recluse Scott Walker – the first time he’s done that for anyone apart from himself – ‘We Love Life’ is a grandiose, symphonic affair buoyed by succinct orchestration and white-light choral interludes. At times, the music really sparkles as it soars above Cocker’s bleakly-intoned spoken-word meditations.”
Jarvis Cocker of Pulp performs in 2024. CREDIT: Julia Reinhart/Redferns/Getty
The band then released a one-off track back in 2013 titled ‘After You’. The single was originally demoed during the early recording sessions of ‘We Love Life’ and was left unfinished until 2012 when the band returned to it and finished it during their comeback tour.
More recently, Pulp debuted a new track called ‘Background Noise’ at a show in Mexico last November. It came after they performed an unreleased track titled ‘Hymn Of The North’ in Sheffield.
Speaking to NME last October, however, Pulp drummer Nick Banks put a dampener on hopes of new material, downplaying the rumours by saying that their reunion gigs were “more about getting the party back”.
Their ongoing run of ‘This Is What We Do For An Encore’ tour dates will continue next month, as the band gear up to embark on their first dates stateside since 2012.
The Britpop legends will be hitting the road in Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York this September, and went on to announce further dates due to high demand. Visit here for any remaining tickets.
The post Pulp’s first gig of 2025 confirmed – at huge new festival with Manic Street Preachers, Weezer and Primal Scream appeared first on NME.
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