The frontman of Pulp, Jarvis Cocker, infamously crashed the stage of the Brit Awards while Michael Jackson was performing Earth Song at the 1996 Brit Awards on this day in London. 

The incident has gone down in history as one of the most controversial musical moments of the 1990s, not least because immediately after he stepped off the stage Cocker was promptly arrested and taken into custody.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why the Brit Awards had invented an award, Artist of a Generation Award, just for Michael Jackson; reveal why the Daily Mail declared the evening the “Night Our Dreams Were Pulped”; and discuss why if he had his time over Cocker wouldn’t do it again… 

Further Reading:

• ‘Jarvis Cocker's on-stage mooning of Michael Jackson at the BRITs turns 25’ (The Daily Mirror, 2021): https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/jarvis-cockers-stage-mooning-michael-23527875 

• ‘Bum rush the show! Jarvis Cocker’s Britpop celebrity moment’ (The Guardian, 2021): https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/feb/19/bum-rush-the-show-jarvis-cockers-britpop-celebrity-moment 

• ‘Jarvis Cocker - 1996 Brit Awards Michael Jackson’ (BBC South East, 1996): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymCQyq-9APw 

This episode first premiered in 2022, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.

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