I saw Pulp play at Glasgow's OVO Hydro and it was a perfect blend of relaxed chatter and theatrics

And yet there’s something about the way Jarvis Cocker spoke to his fans while he meandered around on stage throwing chocolates to those in the front row as he kicked off Pulp’s tour at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro that made it feel like an intimate exchange between friends - even when he was sunbathing in a spotlight, reclining in a leather armchair under a chandelier and sharing the stage with flailing air dancers.

Despite the frontman’s easy-osey approach to performing - admitting he can no longer hit a high note and chatting candidly about how he used to be unable to talk about love - the show has been planned meticulously in order to make it less of a gritty gig and more of a theatrical experience. The show was played in two parts, with the band appearing from behind a grand red curtain alongside a string ensemble and backing singers.

Opening the show with three back-to-back tracks from the band’s new album More, which was released just a day before, was a ballsy move but Spike Island, Grown Ups and Slow Jam set the tone for the night with the crowd hanging on every word and every note - a testament to how true-to-the-band the new record is.

Pulp played new tracks and old favourites on the first night of their UK tour, | Calum Buchan

Old favourites came thick and fast after that, with everyone getting to their feet for Disco 2000, which was sandwiched between Sorted for E’s & Wizz and F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.

The remainder of the first act saw a peppering of new tracks Tina and Farmers Market, played between the likes of Help the Aged - the first time the band has played it live in more than a decade - This is Hardcore and Sunrise.

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An unorthodox 15 minute intermission came next and it’s hard not to imagine that Cocker requested the interval purely to let him have a sit down and enjoy a cup of green tea and some grapes but, regardless of the reason, it worked well.

Far from dampening the mood, the audience were buzzing when, as fans returned from the bar, they were given the chance to cheer for their song of choice - with underrated hit Seconds beating Dishes to the win.

Jarvis Cocker had the audience hanging on his every word | Calum Buchan

The band came out in front of the red curtain for an unplugged rendition of Something Changed before treating the audience to lesser-heard-live 90s tracks including The Fear, O.U. (Gone Gone) and Acrylic Afternoons.

There wasn’t much danger of people leaving on anything but a high, but to make absolutely sure that was the case, Cocker saved some of the band’s best known tracks until last. Do You Remember the First Time? got everyone up on their feet, where they stayed for the remainder of the show as Cocker belted out some of the band’s most iconic tunes, including Mis-Shapes, Babies and, of course, Common People.

I will say that I left the concert wishing they’d also played the likes of Pink Glove, Underwear or Like a Friend. But, far from that being a comment on what I’d have changed about the night or the setlist, it’s merely a wish that the night could have lasted even longer.