September 23, 2002 14:32

VEGAS JARVIS!

The Pulp mainman goes all electronic while supporting Lee Hazlewood...

Photo Gallery: Pulp

JARVIS COCKER unveiled four new songs at the ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL last night (Sunday 22 September 2002) in support of 60s veteran LEE HAZLEWOOD.

Jarvis performed with Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley and Jason and Ross from Fat Truckers. They performed six songs; four new and two covers of classic Lee Hazlewood songs.

Talking to NME.COM after the performance Jarvis
played down any idea that he was going solo and refused to be drawn on the future of Pulp, about which there has been much speculation.

The new material was much more electronic than Pulp’s efforts, sounding closer in spirit to the electroclash movement and ‘Scorpio Rising’ by [a][/a] than ‘We Love Life’.

Jarvis himself was in restrained form with his trademark spasms and gesticulations held very much in check - although he did find time to break a bottle (made of sugar glass) over his head and karate chop two pieces of balsa wood.

The lyrics to ’Rod Of Iron’ in particular were uncharacteristically impenetrable with a repeated phrase of "Doe, a deer, a female deer" (from ’Do-Re-Mi’, the Sound Of Music soundtrack) before culminating in a mantra of "ruled my woman with a rod of iron".

The full set list was:

'The Heavy'
'Rod Of Iron'
'Branded'
'Oh My Child' (sung by Richard Hawley)
'Pour Man' (Lee Hazlewood cover)
'A Cheat' (Lee Hazlewood cover)

Lee Hazlewood (or "the master", as Jarvis described him) applauded his support: "Jarvis Cocker is just a gas… And not just because he sang two of my dumbest songs."