Pulp are an alternative rock band that formed in 1978 in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom. The band's best known and most stable lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker (vocals), Russell Senior (guitar, violin), Mark Webber (guitar), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass) and Nick Banks (drums). Although many members have had a long tenure with the band, the only constant member has been Cocker. In 2011, it was announced on Pulp's official website that the band's classic lineup would reunite and perform at several festivals, including Isle of Wight, that year. ...show more

Pulp are an alternative rock band that formed in 1978 in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom. The band's best known and most stable lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker (vocals), Russell Senior (guitar, violin), Mark Webber (guitar), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass) and Nick Banks (drums). Although many members have had a long tenure with the band, the only constant member has been Cocker. In 2011, it was announced on Pulp's official website that the band's classic lineup would reunite and perform at several festivals, including Isle of Wight, that year.

Originally called "Arabicus Pulp" (although they shortened it to Pulp within a year), the band achieved sudden success some thirteen years after their formation and became known during the Britpop era as much for their music as for frontman Cocker's antics (notably conducting a stage invasion during Michael Jackson's performance of Earth Song at the 1996 BRIT Awards). Achieving little success off the back of a Peel session in 1981, Pulp were finally able to release their debut album, It, in 1983. This album and its 1986 follow-up, Freaks, showcased a Pulp keen on Nick Drake (notably on the It single, My Lighthouse), with strong folk roots and little sign of the tendencies for storytelling and acid house music which would eventually bring forth success. After the release and commercial flop of "Freaks", the band disbanded for a year, but reformed a year later to record a third album, Separations.

Delayed for three years after its recording, Separations showed Cocker's increasing exposure to acid house, featuring multiple synths, and a hit single, My Legendary Girlfriend, which helped Pulp's career start to rocket. Their next single, Babies, which would eventually feature on their 1994's commercial breakthrough His 'N' Hers, and it was the first example of the Pulp-sound most listeners associate with the band--cheap synths, rolling guitars, and Cocker's deadpan vocals telling a story. "His 'n' Hers" in sound, was lumped in with the Britpop movement of the time, receiving commercial and critical acclaim. However, it was the 1995 single Common People, which finally saw them become known, eventually charting at number 2 in the UK charts. ...show less