Pulp and Director Garth Jennings on New Documentary What Do You Do for an Encore?
Frontman Jarvis Cocker and director Garth Jennings are bringing Pulp’s 2023–2024 reunion tour to the big screen in the feature-length documentary Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore?.
From Sheffield Outsiders to Arena Theatrics
Formed in Sheffield, U.K., in 1978 by Cocker and original guitarist Peter Dalton as teenagers, Pulp spent decades evolving into one of Britain’s most distinct alternative outfits. The band defined an era with seven classic studio albums released between 1983 and 2001, including the 1995 milestone Different Class. Following a split in 2002 and a brief touring reunion from 2011 to 2013, the group retreated for another decade before returning to the studio and the stage.
That second major comeback yielded More, the band’s first studio album in 24 years, recorded in roughly three weeks. Rather than relying purely on nostalgia, the supporting live shows embraced an elaborate theatrical staging.
“No one’s trying to prove themselves or kickstart something or reinvigorate something,” Jennings tells SPIN. “They’re doing it because they love it and the people want it.”
Overcoming Setbacks and Crafting the Archive
The road to capturing this era on film was far from linear. An initial attempt to shoot the reunion shows in 2023 collapsed when financing fell apart. However, that disruption ultimately salvaged the project, allowing the band to record new material and expand the scope of the production.
Jennings initially approached Cocker via text message in 2022 after hearing rumors of a tour, offering to film the live shows. That casual inquiry eventually expanded into directing the arena production and editing the documentary. While Cocker initially expected a straightforward concert recording, Jennings made the executive decision to weave in four decades of unseen archival material.
“I guess I just took a deep breath and thought, OK, so really what this film is going to be like is, there’ll be certain sections that will be like I’m dying and I’m seeing my life flash before my eyes,” Cocker tells SPIN, reflecting on the inclusion of personal home footage.
Collective Effervescence and Future Plans
The documentary highlights the distinct personalities within the lineup, from keyboardist Candida Doyle arriving on stage with a glass of champagne to guitarist Mark Webber painting his nails. Cocker attributes the band’s enduring chemistry to a shared, spontaneous energy he describes as “collective effervescence,” a sociological term.
For now, Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore? stands as a document of a band refusing to coast on its past, celebrating an uncompromising artistic vision well into its sixth decade.