Synopsis

Pulp perform "Party Hard" in a deliberately artificial television setting modeled on a kitschy German variety show. Jarvis Cocker stands at the center while women in tight Pulp T-shirts dance around him, giving the performance a knowingly dated, theatrical feel. The band mimes along amid bright studio presentation and choreographed movement, turning the song's weariness with compulsory nightlife into a glossy parody of entertainment culture.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was produced by Hammer & Tongs and drew its visual concept from an old German variety-show tape shown to the filmmakers by Pulp.

• The dancers' routine was important enough to be recreated by Pulp when the band performed "Party Hard" on *Top of the Pops*.

• The visual presentation deliberately contrasts with the song's subject: the track expresses dissatisfaction and exhaustion with clubbing, while the video packages it as an upbeat, highly controlled television spectacle.

• Balloons became associated with the song during Pulp's live shows. They were dropped onto audiences as a reference to the music video.

• Released on September 7, 1998, "Party Hard" reached No. 29 on the UK Singles Chart.

• The single's second CD release contained remixes that were too long to meet newly introduced chart-eligibility rules, which contributed to the release's disappointing chart performance.

• The B-side "We Are the Boyz" was written for the 1998 film *Velvet Goldmine*.