BLUR legend Alex James is changing tempo to give Britpop a classical twist – with the help of a symphony orchestra.
The musician, 56, will lead a unique Scots gig featuring Nineties anthems from some of the genre’s biggest names.
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Alex James from Blue will be leading a unique gig in Glasgow’s Royal Concert HallCredit: Peter Powell – The Sun
But in a departure from their normal style, the hits — by the likes of Oasis, Pulp and Blur — will be accompanied by the ensemble and a live band.
Alex, from Bournemouth, said of next March’s Britpop Classical gig at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall: “The basic idea is it’s a symphony orchestra with a kick-ass top band, with a whole bunch of vocalists plus guest artists, just bringing those hits to life again.
“A lot of those bands have split, some are sadly no longer with us, but they’ve stood the test of time.
“There’s such riches there. I happened to hear the Top 40 countdown on Friday and I hadn’t listened to it for a while. I was astonished multiple artists have got multiple records in the charts — and half of it is Taylor Swift.
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‘Music brings joy’
“You look back at the Nineties and everyone was in a band, but now it’s a small handful of massive brands that dominate the marketplace, the same as the high street.
“There’s so much music from our period that actually means more to people now than it did when it was released.”
Alex — who now makes his own line of cheese — recalled how, when Blur reunited in 2023 after their latest haitus, he was unsure how his kids would react.
But he admitted: “It was incredible. All their friends wanted to come. The Oasis tour has just been amazing as well.
“The music just brings so much joy and, if you can find an authentic way of bringing these songs to life and just sort of gassing them up, why not?”
As well as a symphony orchestra, the Glasgow Britpop gig will feature an all-star line-up including Phil Daniels — who provided vocals on Blur’s 1994 Top Ten hit Parklife — Saffron from Republica and Gary Stringer of Reef.
More names will be announced soon.
Alex says it wasn’t easy picking which hits they would cover as there were too many bangers to choose from. He added: “There were so many brilliant gigs and brilliant bands.
“I remember being in the West Village in New York, walking down the street, and just hearing a band playing in a bar. I went in and it was Stereolab. I think that was the best gig I’ve ever seen.
“I remember the first time Blur played in Glasgow at King Tut’s and it was the furthest we’d been from home.
“It’s always such a brilliant night in Glasgow or Edinburgh.”
In a nod to his own band’s legacy, Alex added: “People who were teenagers when Blur were in their glory aren’t kids anymore.
“These Britpop bands actually had an influence on the following generations of music makers. Even contemporary artists kind of cite Blur as an influence. Music in that period has influenced a lot of people since, in the same way that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and T.Rex kind of influenced the bands of that time.”
Alex revealed that reuniting with Blur — a move which led to 2023 album The Ballad of Darren and a tour — made him nostalgic.
Britpop band Blur reunited for a legendary tour and new album in 2023Credit: PA
And he joked that in a recent meeting with frontman Damon Albarn, who also founded the band Gorillaz, he teased him that Blur’s comeback had made him a megstar, adding: “I went to see a Gorillaz gig a couple of weeks ago and I told Damon Albarn I don’t need him any more.”
On a more serious note, Alex continued: “It was great to see him — and that last tour was the best we’ve ever done.
‘Latter-day monk’
“It was the first time we’ve got to the end of a tour or album cycle without at least one of them saying, ‘F* you, f* this, never again’.”
Alex said turning the clock back 30 years to revisit Britpop’s 1995 glory days reminds him of movie Back To The Future, when Marty McFly and Doc Brown travelled back three decades from 1985 to 1955. “Blur goes as far back into the past as they go in Back To The Future,” he said.
“It’s a lifetime ago now, but there’s something magical about a bunch of drunk idiots, often with guitars, making a racket and enjoying themselves.”
Since Blur finished their latest, sell-out tour, Alex has been putting all his energy into other projects.
He’s already gearing up for good food and top tunes at the Big Feastival, which takes place on his farm in the Cotswolds in August. And with decades of touring under his belt, plus the lasting success of Blur, Alex recognises that he has lots to be thankful for.
Unlike other musicians, he didn’t pick up too many bad habits on the road.
While some big stars might have been requesting lavish food and drink backstage at their gigs, he was happy with CHEESE.
The band’s latest tour was a massive success and a sell-outCredit: Getty
And his love for it has led him to produce his own line of the dairy favourite. Alex, who also makes Britpop Brut and Lager on his farm, said:
“Monks sing in the morning and make cheese in the afternoon, and we’ve recently started making sparkling wine, too. I’m basically a latter-day monk.
“Having cheese on the rider touring the world with Blur made me realise that, as soon as the word changes for cheese, the cheese changes.
“So cheese means Cheddar, but fromage means Camembert, queso would mean manchego. Cheeses were really just a way of preserving milk in the dark ages.
“When civilisation collapsed after the Roman Empire, the only places where things were made were in war communities and monasteries. Everybody worked out their own way of preserving milk. That’s why Cheddar is so different from Stilton or Gloucester, even though they’re only a few miles apart.”
While Alex loves working on the farm, he is excited to get back to music. He said of the Glasgow gig: “It’s a full symphony orchestra with bells and harps. A lot of these songs already have brass and string sections, so they lend themselves really well to orchestration.
“We haven’t reinvented them, we’ve just gassed them up.”
Alex James’ Britpop Classical comes to Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on March 19. For tickets, see britpopclassical.com.