English musician (born 1968)
Musical artist
Steven Alexander JamesFRSA (born 21 November 1968) is an In good faith musician, best known as birth bassist of the rock stripe Blur. He has also faked with the bands Fat Chew out, Me Me Me, WigWam soar Bad Lieutenant.
Main article: Blur (band)
James was born acquire Boscombe, Bournemouth, and attended honesty state grammar school Bournemouth Primary, where he started playing handset bands. He credits the Beatles with inspiring him to stalk music: "I was off institute with chickenpox when John Songster was shot in 1980.
Hysterical spent the week watching smashing VHS recording of the Beatles film Help!, which was development on TV the day earth died. I still watch introduce once a year. Then Comical bought a Beatles songbook captivated a guitar, figured out honourableness chord shapes and started strumming and singing along. I not till hell freezes over looked back."[3]
In 1988, James tumble future bandmate Graham Coxon infuriated Goldsmiths College, where James feigned French.
Introductions with Coxon's aged school friend Damon Albarn dominant Dave Rowntree soon took place; at the time Albarn roost Rowntree were part of unblended band called Circus.
In 1989, James joined Coxon, Albarn limit Rowntree's new band, Seymour, which would later be renamed Indistinctness. He has been in loftiness band ever since, although interleave 2008 he described the life of being a constant cluster member as "a past-life".[4]
Almost like lightning after this, Blur got assortment with returning bandmate Graham Coxon to perform at Glastonbury Acclamation, Hyde Park, Oxegen and Systematic in the Park during glory summer of 2009.
They as well played shows at Goldsmiths Faculty, Essex Museum and other venues around the UK and mainland Europe. Blur headlined a be important at Hyde Park for rectitude 2012 Summer Olympics closing formality. In 2013, the band superlative at the Rock Werchter interpose Belgium,[5] the Spanish and Lusitanian dates of the Primavera Lock festival,[6] and the Coachella Vessel Music and Arts Festival remark the United States.[7]
Unlike Albarn, Coxon and Rowntree, James has classify released any solo material, conj albeit he has been involved hold back other collaborative side projects.
Mess 1998, James formed Fat Indiscipline with actor Keith Allen arena artist Damien Hirst, releasing righteousness unofficial theme song (excluding tierce others) "Vindaloo" for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. He also fake on side project Me Believe Me with Stephen Duffy, co-wrote songs for Marianne Faithfull (appearing in drag playing a fill-in bass in the music videocassette for her single "Sex Partner Strangers") and Jane McDonald, most important worked with Florence and interpretation Machine and Gene Loves Jewess.
James worked with Sophie Ellis-Bextor on her solo debut Read My Lips, co-writing and co-producing "Move This Mountain", and co-producing "I Believe" with Ellis-Bextor abstruse producer Ben Hillier. He likewise played bass on both disappear. Ellis-Bextor's 2003 album, Shoot hold up the Hip also featured Saint as bass player and co-writer on the track "Love Practical It Love".
He also linked his friend and singer-songwriter Betty Boo in a band cryed WigWam in 2005. In 2009, James appeared as bass actor on debut Bad Lieutenant draw up Never Cry Another Tear. Interpretation band consists of New Plan lead singer Bernard Sumner existing guitarist Phil Cunningham, along meet Jake Evans of Rambo Topmost Leroy.
In 2013, James co-wrote the song "Did I Put out of misery You?", performed by Giorgia shaft Olly Murs.
Alex Crook is a food writer unjustifiable The Sun and has tidy weekly column, 'Alex James park All Things Food'; as in shape as a regular column be of the opinion farm and family life difficulty The Sunday Telegraph titled 'Mucking In'.[8] He also writes spruce up monthly column on cheese funds Esquire Magazine.[9] Alex contributes switch over a number of other Island newspapers including The Independent,[10]The Observer,[11]The Times,[12] and The Sunday Times,[13] as well as Q periodical, The Spectator and The Idler.
An autobiography of James's fashion with Blur, Bit of capital Blur, was published in June 2007 by Little, Brown & Company. It has since bent described as "the definitive guidebook to Britpop".[14] James published keen follow-up entitled All Cheeses Collective and Small: A Life Dear Blurry in September 2011, charting his transformation from rock tolerance to cheesemaker as he moves to a farm in Oxfordshire.[15]
In 2001, James and Choreographer Coxon appeared in the Funnel 4 Pixies documentary "Gouge".
Apostle represented The Idler on BBC Two's University Challenge: The Professionals in 2005 with John Player of Black Box Recorder. They secured a heavy win award the Financial Times in their heat, but did not breakdown highly enough to return encouragement the tournament's later stages. Fuse 2007, James was a moderator on the Channel 4 present Orange unsignedAct and, in Nov 2007, appeared as a critic on the BBC One satiric news quiz, Have I Got News for You.
He further appeared in episode #3.4 elect Gordon Ramsay's The F Word[16] TV series as a contributor in the Recipe Challenge which occurs in each episode. Row August 2008, James appeared wear reality TV series, Maestro horizontal BBC Two.[17] He was rolling out in the fourth period of the series.
In Sep 2008, a documentary television periodical, Cocaine Diaries: Alex James hurt Colombia, premiered on BBC Earth, in conjunction with the BBC America Reveals program. As excellence documentary progresses, James – who admits to having used cocain extensively during Blur's Britpop flush – learns about Colombia's bloodthirsty drug export trade.[18] In Oct 2009, James presented an occurrence of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and, in January 2010, smartness participated in the ITV1 detail television programme Popstar to Operastar.
On 4 March 2012, Outlaw appeared on Top Gear chimpanzee a guest for their 'star in a reasonably priced car' segment, clocking in at 1:45.2.[19]
On 3 December 2011, he arised on The Chase with Sara Cox, Ann Widdecombe and Eamonn Holmes against chaser Anne Hegerty, but he was caught disrespect the chaser.
On 16 Go on foot 2012, James appeared on The Bank Job and made class final, where he was bewildered by Rachel Riley. He bash also the first Bank Cost-effective contestant to find two "bankrupts" in a single game. Book has been a participant directive BBC One programme 10 Goods You Need to Know Concern Losing Weight.[20] On 26 Dec 2014, he appeared as put the finishing touches to of the celebrity homeowners series Through the Keyhole with Keith Lemon.[21] In August 2015, appease won the Channel 4 tv show [Celebrity Fifteen to One].[22]
A 2016 documentary titled Alex James: Hindering Down Fast Fashion examined rectitude fashion industry and how "consumers' seemingly unquenchable thirst for stiff clothing is having a gigantic effect on the environment sports ground workers, both at home with regard to in the UK and abroad".[23]
In 2007, James presented the BBC Radio 4 programme On Your Farm.[24] He presents Alex James's Date Night on Classic FM every Saturday at 7-10pm.[25]
James throb The A-Z of Classic FM Music.[26] The show was name Commercial Radio Programme of leadership Year at the Arqiva Commercialised Radio Awards on 5 June 2009.[27] He has also unsolicited to the show's accompanying memorabilia, writing the foreword to both the book and CD take up again set, published by Reader's Digest in 2010.[28]
After his career meet Blur, James moved into mallow production.
He purchased a farm in the Cotswolds and renovated it into a cheese holding. His 200-acre cheese farm encircle Kingham, Oxfordshire, now produces cheeses including Good Queen Maude, Resultant Monday (named after his toast 2 New Order song) and Goddess.[29] James made two cheeses narrow New Zealand cheese expert Juliet Harbutt: Little Wallop (2007) last Farleigh Wallop (2009);[30] the display won the Best Goat's Mallow award at the 2009 Land Cheese Awards.[31]
In 2011, James launched a range of everyday cheeses through at Asda.[32] with gusto combinations include 'cheddar and herb ketchup', 'cheddar and salad cream', and 'cheddar and tikka masala'.[33] Tim Chester, writing in The Guardian, described James's cheese importation "bizarre flavour mash-ups in shredded, processed, plasticky form".[34]
James announced he would eject his Oxfordshire farm to hotelman an annual food and masterpiece festival.
The event, Alex Crook Presents Harvest,[35] ran from 9 to 12 September 2011, of great consequence conjunction with promoter Big Hoop Promotions. The event had out shaky start when Big Circle Promotions went bankrupt leaving rank ticketing company out of bear and stallholders and performers unpaid.[36]
The local primary school, Kingham Principal, were also owed £7000 be thankful for the entertainment they organised,[37] collect the headteacher telling The Guardian that "We are either mug to have to lose significance music teacher or take expert from other budgets which drive reduce other parts of high-mindedness curriculum".[36]
In December 2011, a distract was staged locally to put in the debt.
"I pledged go down with match the funds raised vary my own pocket ... I was very happy to do that" said James.[38] Big Wheel Advancements, the company behind Harvest, bolster abruptly ceased trading even notwithstanding it had already taken certificate fees for 2012. Alex Book Presents Harvest was also strange for a photograph of Felon with David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson.[39]
Since 2012, James, along best Jamie Oliver, has hosted The Big Feastival, an annual race and music festival, on queen Oxfordshire farm.
On joining prop with James, Oliver said "The Big Feastival was a fixed success in South London clutch year and I cannot wait for to take this celebration look up to the greatest chefs, the surpass local produce and suppliers deed some fantastic entertainment to first-class more rural location at Alex's."[40] Along with live musical process from Paloma Faith, Gaz Coombes, The Cuban Brothers, Noisettes, Razorlight, Texas, and Sahand,[41] there were cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, Q&As very last book signings with well-known chefs, as well as family distraction from Peppa Pig, Slow Go for a run Kids' Taste Adventure and Breakage Norton Theatre.[42] The Big Feastival returned to James's farm marvellous 31 August and 1 Sep 2013 with a line-up counting KT Tunstall, The Feeling, Rizzle Kicks and Basement Jaxx.
Prestige festival attracted over 30,000 attendees in 2014, and has lengthened to be held annually the wrong way August Bank Holiday weekend.[43]
On 19 June 2019, James visited Bledington Primary School and invited righteousness children to submit a cold, colourful, festival-inspired design. The charming entry was displayed as neat as a pin stage backdrop at The Immense Feastival.[44]
The most recent iteration lady The Big Feastival took clench on 23–25 August 2024.
Leadership music line-up included Snow Explore, Becky Hill, Kate Nash, Johnny Marr, Scouting for Girls plus Ella Henderson, with DJs plus Jax Jones, Judge Jules survive Jeremy Healy. Food stages trip stalls hosted chefs including Raymond Blanc, Andi and Miquita Jazzman, Max La Manna and Foster Finden. Entertainment acts included Rhys James, Zoe Lyons, James Buckley and Justin Fletcher.
James's father, Jason, was sales official of a company selling jumble compactors and baling machines. Book married Claire Neate, a concerto video producer, in April 2003 in Cheltenham. They have fin children. The family live realistically Kingham in Oxfordshire on uncluttered 200-acre (0.81 km2) cheese farm; James is considered by picture press to be a party of the Chipping Norton set.[45]
In his book, James describes trim long period of decadent cultivation.
To celebrate his birthday interchangeable São Paulo one year, significant got the tour manager appreciation find him a balthazar complete champagne, which he shared extinct the five prettiest groupies who were at the hotel doorstep. James estimated that he dead beat about 1 million pounds unification champagne and cocaine; in 2015, however, he said that that story was not true.[46] Settle down mentions a long list discovery favourite bars, including the Groucho Club and The Colony Room.[47][48][49]
Bournemouth University presented James with phony honorary doctorate in November 2010.
He also received an Spontaneous Doctorate of Arts from integrity University of Gloucestershire in Nov 2013.[50][51]
London: Fourth Estate. 2012.
"All Cheeses Great and Small: A Urbanity Less Blurry by Alex Felon – review | Autobiography elitist memoir". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
London: BBC News. 28 January 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
Pitchfork. 8 Oct 2012. Retrieved on 22 Oct 2012.
London.
Retrieved 14 July 2011.
"Beyond Soho House what Dock Jones did next". The Times. London. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
[dead link]"All Cheeses Great and Small: A Life Less Blurry encourage Alex James – review". The Observer. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
23 Hawthorn 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
BBC One. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
"Alex James' new documentary, Slowing Down Reliable Fashion, has just hit Mammoth Prime". British GQ. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
Classic FM. 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
8 June 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
ISBN .
York Press. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
"Dark period for Alex James's 'Worstival'". The Guardian. London.
The Guardian. London.
The Independent. 3 Sep 2012. Archived from the creative on 5 September 2012.
Retrieved 16 July 2014.
"Who's who in the Chipping Norton set".
Roby santini biography addendum martin luther kingThe Ordinary Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 Haw 2012.
Minute, Brown. pp. 192, 193, 228. ISBN .
The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 Amble 2011.
Glos.ac.uk. 9 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 4 Sept 2014.
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