Review: Pulp are different class at St Anne's Park
Pulp in concert in Dublin's St Anne's Park on Friday night
Jarvis Cocker's moves haven't changed in all the decades Pulp has been in the public consciousness.
His index finger wraps around one eye as the gravelly Sheffield voice emerges for the opening song at Dublin's St Anne's Park: 'I Spy'.
It's an encouraging start from an audience that probably fears change.
It wants Pulp to look and sound like it did 30 years ago in this, their 525th gig.
And with all eyes on their iconic frontman, there's no fear they'll disappoint.
Cocker deadpans during breaks between songs, telling fans the band is happy to be back in Europe.
He throws Starburst sweets at the thronged crowd, one of them responds by throwing back a bar of chocolate.
'Disco 2000' follows 'I Spy' and the crowd remembers why they loved it before it was played on what seemed like a never-ending loop on the radio.
The assorted hits keep coming, from the Britpop earworms such as 'Mis-Shapes' and the troubadour-tastic 'Something Changed' (dedicated to their late bassist Steve Mackey) to 'Feeling Called Love' and 'Sorted for E's and Wizz'.
The set is under two hours, but perfectly crafted, cranking up and up, and as the light fades the stage becomes a set, lit up and lasered.
A few hundred people once turned up to see Pulp play at Skibbereen's Liss Ard Festival in 1999.
That night, the band remained hidden behind blinds for the opening few songs as they stuck faithfully to their 1998 album, . The set finished abruptly, the fans went home.
In Dublin, after the curtains lift, there are a handful of unhappy Pulp punters, too, but only those who can't comprehend why the bars are closing at 10pm.
The field is mostly filled with people waiting for the next tune or dancing without a care. A sunny evening in Dublin and a throwback to their twenties.
A 'golden circle' brings superfans closer to the stage, or allows for an additional cost on punters who can afford it, depending on your view. It means plenty of fans don't have the chance to work their way up to the stage to see their heroes up close.
The majority don't seem to care — the acoustics are good at St Anne's — though a cautious circle emerges as the dancing gets wilder in the centre of the park and the people cleaning up plastic are fighting a futile battle, for now.
There's no space for the likes of 'Live Bed Show' or 'Bar Italia', but 'Babies' and 'Razzmatazz' are highlights and Cocker hits all the right notes on 'Do You Remember the First Time'.
The music sounds the same. The frontman swivels his hips.
They play out with 'Common People', the one everyone was waiting for. And thousands of people stream for the exits humming and singing and hoping they'll look and sound the same the next time. Perfect.
