Pulp formed at The City School

Pulp were formed in 1978 at The City School in Sheffield by Jarvis Cocker, then 15 years old, and Peter Dalton, then 14. Cocker’s original preference was to name the band after the film Pulp starring Michael Caine , though it was decided that this was too short. Instead, the two took inspiration from a copy of the Financial Times which listed the Arabicas coffee bean in its commodity index. Cocker and Dalton used this, with a slight spelling change, and the band became “Arabicus”. Early rehearsals took place in Cocker’s house and featured Cocker, Dalton and Dalton’s younger brother Ian. After finally deciding on “Arabicus Pulp”, a fixed line-up was then established: Cocker, Dalton and two friends of theirs, David “Fungus” Lockwood and Mark Swift. The band played their first public gig at Rotherham Arts Centre in July 1980. Later that year, Cocker met future member Russell Senior, who recognised Cocker from his charismatic sales techniques in his part-time job at the local fish market .