Pulp Director Garth Jennings on New Film What Do You Do For An Encore?
- The 90-minute film captures the Sheffield group's two sold-out concerts at The O2 in London, combining live performance footage with rare archive material and band narration.
- According to director Garth Jennings in an interview with NME, the project began when he heard rumors of a reunion tour in 2022 and offered to film the...
- The film traces the group's journey from early formation in Sheffield back in 1978 through their mid-1990s Britpop peak and up to their recent reunion tour supporting their...
The 90-minute film captures the Sheffield group’s two sold-out concerts at The O2 in London, combining live performance footage with rare archive material and band narration.
Inside the Making of Pulp’s Career-Spanning Film
According to director Garth Jennings in an interview with NME, the project began when he heard rumors of a reunion tour in 2022 and offered to film the band. Jennings previously directed classic music videos for Pulp’s ‘Help The Aged’ and ‘A Little Soul’. His initial role filming the 2023 live dates quickly expanded into serving as creative director for the tour visuals and eventually directing a full-length career documentary.
The film traces the group’s journey from early formation in Sheffield back in 1978 through their mid-1990s Britpop peak and up to their recent reunion tour supporting their eighth studio album, More, produced by James Ford. Jennings noted to NME that he finds the band’s history reassuring, pointing out how unexpected obstacles repeatedly shaped their path.
NME
It’s so full of ups and downs and false starts, but all the way through there are these little signs – like John Peel playing them or falling out of a window – that show that adversity can be your greatest asset.
Honoring Late Bassist Steve Mackey On Screen
A central emotional anchor of What Do You Do For An Encore? is a stripped-back live performance of the Different Class track ‘Something Changed’, served as a tribute to the band’s late bassist Steve Mackey. Jennings told NME that watching four members stand before a curtain to perform the song stands out as a deeply moving highlight of the production.
Archive footage of Mackey appears throughout the documentary to keep his presence alive within the band’s ongoing story. Jennings recalled to NME that Mackey always stood out for his style and warmth, noting that he was exceptionally cool with countless great haircuts and remained an essential part of the group’s dynamic alongside frontman Jarvis Cocker.
A Found-Footage Aesthetic Built From Basements
Rather than relying on traditional talking-head interviews, Jennings and his archival team raided the band members’ personal homes and gathered materials from the BBC. Jennings explained to NME that they sought period-appropriate stock footage that matched the kitchen-sink aesthetic of Pulp’s music rather than utilizing standard documentary formats.
NME
Jarvis says that what people throw away says a lot more about the culture than the objects they revere. I found that fascinating. That’s why all the stuff we used had to feel like it was found in basements.