Pulp at Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA | September 26th, 2025

Written by Delyla Carline

For the first time in their long career, Britpop icons Pulp took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, the famous 17,500 capacity venue that Los Angeles loves and knows so well. Last week, the second of two co-headlining nights with LCD Soundsystem, frontman Jarvis Cocker seemed as captivated by the Bowl as the crowd was by him. Midway through the set, he paused, taking a moment to admire the endless sea of people and the star light stretched across the hillside. 

“This might be the last time we play the Hollywood Bowl, so we want to get a good look at you,” Cocker joked as he absorbed the atmosphere at the end of Do You Remember The First Time? 

The setlist didn’t miss. “Disco 2000,” “This Is Hardcore,” “Spike Island,” and of course “Common People.” That song has always felt different to me. On the surface it’s about class and privilege, but there’s something in it too. You have to really listen to catch it, the feeling of wanting to escape the life you were handed and reach for something that might not even be written in your story.

The show unfolded like a dream sequence, blurring the lines between concert and theater in the way only Los Angeles could embrace. And the one main thing that kept me stuck and set into my seat were the hypnotizing visual backdrops. Each song carried its own distinct visual world, perfectly timed to every beat and mood. The transitions between songs felt almost cinematic, surreal enough to make the entire night feel suspended in time. 

By the end of the night, I realized how rare it is to witness music that feels both from the past and completely alive in the present.