Pulp: 9th October 1995 - Rock City, Nottingham (live)

Not since The Velvet Underground has such an Art-Pop band incited such enthusiasm, both critically and from the common people as Pulp.

At their head Jarvis Cocker - the guv'nor of intellectual pop: Clever, funny (remember the appearance on Richard & Judy) and drenched in popular culture.

Having grown weary through numerous gigs over the years, I can honestly say that I have never witnessed such an adoring, tumultuous welcome as that which greeted Pulp. And the annoying thing is, he's more deserving than most of the pedestal on which he is placed.

Sorted For E's & Wizz opens as a singalong - the boys want to be that cool, the girls ... well Jarvis is an inspiration for all skinny, pale men, fashioning the stereotypical 'weed' as an object of desire. During Lipgloss he launches himself off the monitor to a deafening scream.

As a man of the people, he gives the kids pretty much what they want: Pink Glove, Razzmatazz, Do You Remember The First Time?, Babies. So many times pop gurus lapse into self-gratification and play pretty much what their art dictates. Pulp's new album (out in two weeks kids) is touched upon but it's the Pulp classics that dominate.

And he talks to us: "I used to come to Nottingham for shopping ... and that thing about there being two girls for every boy. Although it didn't do me much good at the time". Me neither mate and I live here.

Dedicated to "all the people in Nottingham with a tight curly perm" the new pop smasher Mis-shapes kicks in only to be be blacked out mid-way - some power failure that leaves us in darkness for 15 minutes. The band leave the stage and an acapella Common People strikes up from downstairs, as they search for another 50 pence piece.

"We're obviously using too much energy, you'll have to calm down." he drawls on return, then finishes off the song, followed by the anthem Common People. Then they're gone. No encores, no fuss, no bother. But something special. You had it once, but now it's gone.