The creative bond between Jarvis Cocker and director Garth Jennings spans nearly three decades, beginning in the late 1990s when Jennings directed the music videos for Pulp’s singles “Help the Aged” and “A Little Soul.” Their latest collaboration, the documentaryPulp: What Do You Do for an Encore?captures the band’s recent resurgence, including a live performance at London’s O2 Arena in the summer of 2025. That same night, the group learned thatMoretheir eighth studio album and first new record in 24 years, had reached number one on the British charts.
Reflecting on their long history, the pair recalled a chaotic early encounter in Paris. Cocker, who was living in the city, attempted to welcome Jennings with fireworks on Bonfire Night. The display took place near the École Militaire, leading to a brush with the authorities. “And I nearly got you arrested,” Cocker recalls. Jennings, who has resided in Paris for 13 years while working on theSinganimation franchise, remembers the incident fondly, noting that while the local authorities did not appreciate the explosives, the gesture itself was a memorable welcome.
The documentary serves as a hybrid of a concert film and a retrospective, a project spurred by the success of the Abba Voyage experience. Both Cocker and Jennings were inspired by the sheer joy of that production, which blends live performance with high-tech visuals. “I was so glad when Garth got in touch, because it felt as if he could help make it something that people hadn’t seen before,” Cocker says. The film incorporates a mix of animation, archival VHS footage, and personal items from Cocker’s 2023 bookGood Pop Bad Popa process facilitated by archivist Tess McNally-Watson.
The path to this reunion was not immediate. After Pulp split in 2002 and completed a reunion tour between 2011 and 2013, Cocker was initially hesitant to return to the stage. He feared that a new tour might diminish the “happy ending” the band had achieved during their previous reunion. However, after teasing a return on Instagram in 2022, he received an enthusiastic message from Jennings, which helped set the project in motion. The band is currently planning to reconvene in October to celebrate the conclusion of a tour that began in 2023.
The film also addresses the band’s more difficult chapters, including the period surrounding the 1998 release ofThis Is Hardcore. Cocker describes that era as a time when he was “going down a dark tunnel.” While Jennings was directing videos for the band during that period, he admits he did not perceive the frontman’s internal struggles at the time, noting that the act of creation was always a positive experience.
A poignant element of the film is the tribute to bassist Steve Mackey, who joined the band in 1989 and passed away in 2023 at the age of 56. Although Mackey was not part of the recent tour, he had offered his support to his former bandmates, and the filmmakers ensured his family was included in the process of honoring his legacy.
For Cocker, the documentary is a way to look at the reality of his career rather than the fantasy. “You think that if you achieve fame, that will be the magic wand that makes everything in your life work, and obviously that’s not the case,” he explains. He likens the experience of watching his past to viewing a wedding video, where the initial magic is tempered by the passage of time. Despite his youthful “Pulp master plan” written in a school exercise book, Cocker insists there was never a rigid strategy. “I’m glad that things didn’t go according to a plan,” he says. “And if the intellectual weather is right in the next couple of years, maybe we’ll sprout another record.” The report also notes that “It turned out Garth’s apartment was quite near to the – not an army base, but what’s it called?”. The report also notes that almost 30 years later, they are working together again, on Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore. The report also notes that on the night that Pulp were told that More, their eighth studio album and first album in 24 years, had gone to No 1 in the British album charts, the live show was filmed at London’s O2 Arena in the summer of 2025. The report also notes that you can see Cocker waving around the trophy on stage. The report also notes that jennings, director of Son of Rambow and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, has lived in Paris for the past 13 years, where the animation for Sing, his wildly successful kids’ musical film franchise, is made. The report also notes that and the third and final film in the series, he is working on a short Christmas special. The report also notes that “It’s a slow process,” he says, from the studio, “but we’re getting there.” Cocker moved back to London a few years ago, and today he is at home, getting ready to headline the End of the Road festival. The report also notes that pulp, formed by Cocker in Sheffield in 1978, split up in 2002.
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