be setting myself up for a fall. But we’ve got mixing now: well. we can‘t do it but our friend Anthony can do that mix stuff. so that‘s developing. Who knows. in ten years time we might be good.‘
From these humble shifts behind the decks sprang their Desperate Sound System. with their own arena/tent at Homelands festival in England this summer. where Pulp also played one of their few live shows so far this year. The more unusual the venue for the club. in Jarvis‘ book. the better. ‘Our last was at a fetish club in London called the Fringe in Vauxhall. that was good. Not everyone had to dress in fetish gear. though there was some apparatus around that people seemed to enjoy having a go on.‘
The club may well. if logistics and time for planning allow. go on tour round the country with the band when they hit the road come November. Jarvis. if not exactly ardent in his excitement to get back on the bus. is quite looking forward to their UK jaunt. including a date at Glasgow Barrowland on 22 November. He's in talks with the set designer and wants ‘toys to play with on stage to stop me getting bored’. And. while touring’s tiring. ‘l’ve never been a wild man of rock. I have a laugh. but I’m a mild man of rock.’
So far this year. Pulp have played a quite particular selection of shows. choosing to give songs from We Love Life their first airing at Hay- On-Wye literary festival. where they shared the bill with Bill Clinton. After that. there was a headline slot at the cosy. rural Guildford Festival. traditionally the domain of the nice wine and picnic basket brigade. as well as impressing the Homelands crowd. ‘Rather than taking the easy option. you’ve got to experiment sometimes. give yourself a challenge. something that takes a bit more effort.‘
The much talked-of film project — Jarvis' directorial debut with Harland Miller's script. Slow Down Art/rm: Stick '18) .s’(). which tells the story of a nonhem club singer — is at a bit of a standstill while Pulp grinds back into action. 'I really want to do it. I‘m the man for the job.‘ he declares. ‘But there's too many other things going on at the moment. I don‘t blame the production company if they’re worried. because I've not made a feature film before. They probably think. "Can we tnrst this drug—addled wreck to make a film?" The subject matter is
‘l'm glad we made another record after Hardcore.‘ says Jarvis. 'l wasn’t sure we would'
something I‘m completely au fait with. my experiences of
growing up in Sheffield in the early 80s. so I‘d be bringing something to it. But if] don‘t do that. I will definitely. by hook or by crook. make a film.‘
Despite the mini-drama narrative of his lyrics. he has never
thought of writing a screenplay. but deeply desires that control of vision that a director wields. ‘Though. if it took as three years to make our last record. making a film would probably take me ten.‘
It‘s unlikely that the future holds a career as a TV presenter though. Jarvis having agreed to front the fascinating series on Outsider Art for Channel 4 only because he knew his fame
would persuade it to commission the series. 'l‘d much rather
have been behind the camera.‘ he grumbles. ‘l‘ve no desire to do that “David Jason goes to look at gorillas in Africa ~ oh. they're hairy" celebrity presenter world.‘
One project he is proud of. though. is l’ulp‘s recent collaboration with Marianne Faithfull. having written a song for her new album. ‘I think it‘s a pretty good song we did.‘ he says. ‘I was slightly worried when I delivered it that she'd be offended by the lyrics. I tried to write it from her perspective. using the stuff I knew about her. It's quite harsh and I thought she might balk. But she‘s sung it really well. There‘s no point in doing collaborations or other projects as some sort of ego gratification exercise. You have to do it because you think you're going to make something good.‘
He says how people perceive what he's doing now is less important than how he does it and. more essentially. how
20 THE LIST 18 Oct—l Nov 2001
happy it makes him. ‘ln terms of visible success. people would say I'm on a downward slide. But for personal happiness. l’m rntrch happier than l was four or five years ago. I guess that was the peak of fame. '(‘ornmon l’eoplc‘ and all that kind of thing. That had a fairly negative impact on my social life. It was hard for me to go out and I didn‘t like it. Nowadays. I can walk around and people say “all right" and will recognise you. btrt it’s not the mayhem that it was back then. Personally. I‘m much happier at the moment. I hope that I‘ve slightly grown upf He doesn‘t mention it outright. but the Jacko/Brits/stage invasion is clearly a gnawing regret: ’liverybody in a band is a show-off. When you join a band you go through that show-off phase of going “look at me. I’m great. take notice of me". Maybe I overdid that at certain points. at certain events. certain things that I did in my life.‘
The swagger. stagger and tabloid hell has been replaced with a cool ability to stun up what he’s done. analyse where he’s at and be happy in himself. ’lt may sound very boring and mature and sensible. But the main reason I'm doing it now is to try and make something that‘s a valid piece of work. not be so egotistical about it. 'l'her'e's more emphasis on what we‘re prodtrcing now than how wide my trousers are this week.~
On its first few plays. the band‘s seventh album evokes autumnal vibes and the artwork for debut single ‘The Trees” certainly does. But. says Jarvis. it‘s a big lie. l’u/p Love [.1]? (potted review: 'Br‘illiantf J. (‘ockert is in fact a summer album. cruelly disguised and held back by The Man. ‘I wanted it to come otrt in the summer. btrt the record company said nobody buys records in the summer. It‘s been ready since March. But I won’t go into the bitterness of that] he censures himself. After .st\ months of living with the album he is pleased he‘s not yet grown bored of it.
l’roduccr' Scott Walker (his first time producing for someone else) \\ as ‘lovely‘ and 'managed to coax some reasonable perftrrmances‘ from the band. taking them back to