Alex James Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Blur have shared some unseen footage from the shoot for the ‘Parklife’ video, as well as a restored version of the video itself.The clip from the visuals of the 1994 Britpop anthem sees the quartet hanging around an ice-cream van, almost kicking a football into its path. They are also shown dancing in the street and spraying paint on a wall.In a post about the shoot, bassist Alex James remarked that he had “great memories” from shooting the video.The release of the archive clips follows the 30th anniversary of the album ‘Parklife’, which the group celebrated last week.

Blur frontman Damon Albarn has revealed that he didn’t want to perform during the band’s second Wembley show last year.In November 2022, Blur announced a reunion gig at Wembley Stadium for July 8, 2023. Due to overwhelming demand, the reunion gig turned into a two-parter, with a second show announced shortly after.That second show – which took place on July 9 – went on to become their “best ever” gig, according to Albarn himself. However, the July 9 show was on the verge of being cancelled by Albarn, who didn’t want to perform.Albarn revealed the near-cancellation during an interview with KROQ during Coachella‘s opening weekend, sharing: “I never thought I’d love Wembley.

Blur‘s Damon Albarn has opened up about the audience and attendees at Coachella, saying that “they’re sort of on their own planet”.The legendary Britpop band – comprised of Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree – took to the annual music and arts festival’s main stage on Saturday night (April 13).In an interview with KROQ before their set, Albarn said: “I don’t know, it’s a weird one Coachella when it comes to audience you know. It’s hard to know sometimes because they’re quite sort of on their own planet really,” after being asked if he was surprised by how excited and crazy the fan reaction was to the band playing the festival.Elsewhere in the chat, Albarn and James explained how they came to play Coachella this year.

Blur have announced an intimate warm-up show ahead of their performance at this year’s edition of Coachella.The Britpop icons took to their official social media pages to share a flyer of the intimate show, which is set to take place on Wednesday, April 10 at the Fox Theatre in Pomona, California. The show will take place roughly three days before Damon Albarn and co are due to hit the stage at Coachella on Saturday, April 13.Opening support for the gig will come from Jockstrap.

Blur are set to release a new documentary and concert film charting their huge 2023 reunion.As Screen Daily reports, UK sales and distribution company Altitude has added the two upcoming titles to its European Film Market (EFM) slate. Both projects will be released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland later this year.The first film is a feature-length documentary detailing the Britpop band’s latest comeback, which saw Damon Albarn and co.

Naman Ramachandran Altitude is launching international sales on two films featuring iconic British band Blur at the Berlin European Film Market. The band, consisting of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree, was formed in 1988 and tasted considerable success until it went on hiatus in 2015. The first film is an untitled feature-length documentary depicting the return of Blur, captured across a year in which the band made a surprise return with their first record in eight years, the #1 album “The Ballad of Darren.” It follows the relationship of the bandmates of over three decades as they come together to record 10 new songs ahead of their sold-out shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2023.

Becky Hill and Snow Patrol are set to headline Big Feastival, a music and food festival hosted by Blur’s Alex James on his Cotswolds farm.The festival will take place on August 23-25 and features a combination of live music, acclaimed chefs, award-winning food and a programme of family entertainment. Weekend and camping tickets are on sale now with prices ranging from £42.50 to £198.95.

Damon Albarn has shared that Blur will be going on a hiatus until further notice with the frontman saying “It’s too much for me”.The band – comprised of Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree – reunited after an eight-year hiatus and released their ninth studio album ‘The Ballad Of Darren‘ earlier this year.In a new interview with French publication Les Inrockuptibles (via Far Out Magazine), Albarn revealed that the band will be taking a break yet again until further notice. “It is time to wrap up this campaign.

Tess Daly and Vernon Kay have been together for more than 20 years, but the duo was looking fresh and loved up in a picture Tess shared at the weekend. She posted that they were enjoying 'festival vibes' as they attended the Big Feastival, a Cotswolds-based event that takes place at Blur star Alex James' farm.

Blur bassist Alex James has launched his own brand of ‘Britpop’ sparkling wine.The musician and professional cheesemaker announced the news of his latest venture on social media yesterday (August 2) – sharing a clip of himself on Twitter (X), showcasing the finished product.“Britpop sparkling wine. Perfect for the good times,” James began in the clip.

Blur bassist Alex James played to the band's biggest-ever crowds at Wembley this summer - but he says it was nothing compared to raising five children.The 54-year-old shares Geronimo, 19, twins Artemis and Galileo, 17, and daughters Sable, 14, and 13-year-old Beatrix with his wife Claire Neate, and the whole family live on a 200-farm in Oxfordshire. As of Beatrix's birthday in June, Alex is now officially the dad of five teenagers, all of whom were at home when OK! visited his farm for a sneak peek at his life off-stage. "“Playing bass in a rock band is the easiest f*****g job in the world,” he told us.

Alex James was a rockstar of the nineties with his Britpop band Blur , crafting the soundtrack to a decade with the likes of Parklife and Girls & Boys. Life now is very different though, he tells OK! in an exclusive chat and walkabout his farm, as he spends his days tending to the land, feeding his army of five teenage children, and organising their annual on-site music festival.

Blur debuted new songs from their latest album ‘The Ballad Of Darren‘ along with a smattering of deep cuts and fan favourites at an intimate show at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith last night (Tuesday July 25). Check out footage and the setlist below.As announced earlier this month, the returning Britpop veterans took to the stage at the iconic London venue to perform their new album in its entirety, with the show also livestreamed online.The band took to the stage, backed by string quartet, with bassist Alex James lounging on a sofa and smoking as they eased into playing album opener ‘The Ballad’.

Blur have shared two new songs that are featured in the deluxe version of their latest LP ‘The Ballad Of Darren’. Listen to them below.The two new tracks, ‘The Rabbi’ and ‘The Swan’, both have that signature Blur sound with the latter being a mellow ballad and ‘The Rabbi’ being a bright, upbeat song.

Alex James has claimed that he found returning to Blur a lot more “relaxing” than parenting.In recent weeks, the 54-year-old musician has played countless shows across the UK and Europe – including two mammoth dates at Wembley Stadium – and released his ninth studio album with Blur, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.However, according to a recent interview, the process of being back in the band is more manageable and laid-back than that of being a full-time parent.Appearing on the Parenting Hell podcast, he reflected on one of his previous quotes, where he claimed to have once spent “a million pounds on drugs and booze” while in the band, before going on to become a cheesemaker on his Cotswolds farm.“I kind of made it up and everyone believed it. But that is coming back to haunt me now,” he began.“Playing the bass in a rock band is the easiest thing, compared to parenting,” he added.

Blur‘s ‘Coffee & TV’ with his son, Harrison, and shared the results in a video shared with fans.The Inbetweeners actor, who played Jay Cartwright in the hit ’00s E4 sitcom, posted a clip of himself playing guitar and singing while his son shows off his skills on the bass.“We’ve had Blur fever in the house, but Harrison especially has found a new appreciation for Alex James [Blur bassist],” Buckley opens with in the video. He said that his son has been “working really hard on it”.The pair are then seen performing a short section from the 1994 hit, although only Harrison’s fingers are in view, noodling around the bass’ fretboard, while Buckley is seen fully on camera.A post shared by James Buckley (@buxtagram)But in a nod to the cheekiness of his character, Jay, he tells his son that he has a solo to show him at the end – and then pranks him by farting.“Harrison is brilliant, fart was impressive,” commented one fan on the Instagram video.

Blur’s Dave Rowntree has shared his opinion of Labour leader Keir Starmer in a new interview with NME.The Britpop veteran was taking part in the latest installation of NME’s Does Rock N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! series when he was asked to recall key moments from throughout his career, including his work in politics.Alongside his role as the drummer for Blur, Rowntree has also had a successful career in politics throughout much of the 21st Century – even going as far as to be elected as a Labour Councillor in Norfolk in 2017.Now, following his time in the role, which came to an end in 2021, the musician revealed his thoughts on current Labour leader, Keir Starmer.“Well, the test is at General Elections,” he began, discussing how well he thinks the figurehead is faring with the public. “If he wins the General Election, he’ll be widely touted as the most visionary Labour leader of modern times and will join the incredibly small number of Labour leaders who’ve gone on to become prime minister.”“If he loses, he’ll be regarded as an idiot who wrecked the Labour Party and achieved nothing,” he continued.

Alex James has shared a video of him playing ‘Vindaloo’ at Wembley Stadium before Blur’s headline show at the venue.The 1998 football song was co-written by James, actor Keith Allen and bassist Guy Pratt. The track served as the band Fat Les’ (Alex James, actor Keith Allen and artist Damien Hirst) debut single and was recorded for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.James took to social media to share a video clip of him playing ‘Vindaloo’ on the Wembley Stadium stage during Blur’s soundcheck for their show on July 9.

Blur have wrapped up the first of their highly anticipated reunion shows at Wembley – see their full setlist below.The first of two shows at Wembley took place last night (July 8) and saw Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree turn back the clock to play an assortment of their biggest hits – including one track they haven’t played since 1994.The stunning 25-song setlist would see Blur play ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘Tender’, ‘The Universal’ and of course, ‘Song 2’. They also performed ‘Lot 105’ for the first time since 1994.They also performed ‘Under The Westway’ live for the first time since 2014.

Blur have cancelled their upcoming headline slot at a French festival due to an injury. The news comes just days ahead of their upcoming shows at London’s Wembley Stadium.The returning Britpop veterans were set to play the set at Festival Beauregard this Thursday (July 6) – but according to an update from the festival’s official Twitter page, the band will no longer be performing drummer Dave Rowntree has suffered a knee injury.“The bad news has just fallen: Blur will not be able to perform their concert in Beauregard,” the update began (translated from French).

Damon Albarn has recalled the first time he showed his bandmates the demos for Blur’s upcoming album, and admitted he only wanted Graham Coxon to be in the studio at first.The singer-songwriter was speaking as part of a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, when he recalled what it was like reuniting with Blur and starting work on their new album, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.According to Albarn, he began writing the demos for the new tracks before he gathered his bandmates together, but felt reluctant to show all of them at the same time.“When I finished the demos and I felt I’d got something I’m excited about, I got everyone into a studio in January this year. I just sort of sat them down and I said, ‘Right. This is what I’ve got.

Blur have announced that Sleaford Mods and Phil Daniels will be the latest acts joining them at their upcoming shows at Wembley Stadium.The long-awaited shows are set to take place on Saturday July 8 and Sunday July 9, and come ahead of the band’s upcoming ninth studio album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ — set for release on July 21 via Parlophone and Warner (pre-order here).The first of the two new acts joining the bill is Nottingham post-punk band, Sleaford Mods. Announced today (June 13), the duo — comprised of Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn — will join Damon Albarn and co for their Saturday show.Now sold-out, other acts supporting the Britpop legends at the Saturday gig include English singer-songwriter and Mercury Prize nominee Self Esteem, and London-based electro-pop duo Jockstrap.Paul Weller, the second of the newly announced artists joining the bill, will perform at both the Saturday and Sunday shows in the capital.

Blur performed ‘Sing’ for the first time in 10 years in Madrid last night, and added ‘Country Sad Ballad Man’ to the setlist for the first time since 2015. Check out footage of the show below.The free gig took place at La Riviera in Madrid last night (June 8), and saw the newly-reformed Brit-pop legends perform fan-favourites, tracks from their upcoming album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ and rarities from throughout their discography.Originally, the show was meant to be held during the opening night of Primavera Sound Madrid, but was relocated due to extreme weather conditions in the city which led to the opening night of the festival being cancelled.Amid the 22-song setlist, Damon Albarn and co surprised fans with a rendition of ‘Sing’.

Blur brought fan-favourite ‘Country House’ back to their setlist at Primavera Sound last night (June 1), and played the rare track ‘Luminous’. Check out the setlist and footage below.The Brit-pop icons took to the stage for their headline set at the Barcelona festival, performing a series of classics, rarities and new tracks from their upcoming album, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.One of the main highlights of the night came midway through their set, with Damon Albarn and co.

Blur played a second warm-up show for their 2023 reunion tour in Eastbourne last night (May 21) – watch them reunite with Phil Daniels for ‘Parklife’ below.The Britpop heroes first announced their comeback back in November with news of a huge Wembley Stadium show – before going on to reveal a second date at the venue before a run of European festival shows and an intimate UK warm-up tour.This week, the band also announced details of a surprise new album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ and shared its first single, ‘The Narcissist’.On Friday night (May 19), the band played their first gig since 2015 in their hometown of Colchester, playing hits and new songs from ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.The Eastbourne gig featured largely the same setlist, and the notable appearance of Daniels for one of their biggest hits.Watch the ‘Parklife’ performance below.blur blowing the roof off Eastbourne Winter Gardens tonight…with a little help from the legend Phil Daniels. Sensational! pic.twitter.com/hZEbpsfB7j— ajyeet mabs (@AjyeetM) May 22, 2023In a press conference at Colchester Castle ahead of their gig at the town’s Arts Centre, Blur spoke about the recording process of their ninth studio album.“There were moments of utter joy,” enthused bassist Alex James.

Blur have spoken about recording their surprise new album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.The 10-track LP, was announced earlier this week and is the band’s first since 2015’s ‘The Magic Whip‘. It was produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Depeche Mode) and recorded at Studio 13 in London and Devon.Speaking in a press conference at Colchester Castle ahead of their gig at the town’s Arts Centre last night (May 19), all four members opened up about the recording process of their ninth studio album.“There were moments of utter joy,” enthused bassist Alex James. “The new song we open with [‘St Charles Square’] I just thought, ‘Oh my God, we’ve pulled it back’.

is already streaming.The new record was announced ahead of a series of warm-up shows that the band are playing around the UK this month, kicking off at the Colchester Arts Centre later today.Those shows, which also include gigs at Eastbourne Winter Gardens, The Halls Wolverhampton and City Hall Newcastle, precede a summer of festival appearances plus the two dates at Wembley Stadium on 8 and 9 Jul.And now some quotes from the band…Damon Albarn: “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now”.Graham Coxon: “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job”.Alex James: “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that”.Dave Rowntree: “It always feels very natural to make music together.

Thania Garcia Blur will be releasing their first album in eight years, “The Ballad of Darren,” later this summer, the band announced on Thursday morning. The news arrived with an early taste of the 10-song collection, a guitar-driven single titled “The Narcissist.” The album, which will be released on July 21 on Parlophone, follows their last reunion album — 2015’s “The Magic Whip” — and was produced by James Ford, who last worked with Blur’s Damon Albarn for the Gorillaz’s 2018 album “The Now Now.” “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now,” said Albarn of the new record in a statement. Lead guitarist Graham Coxon added, “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.”

Blur have announced a run of intimate UK warm-up shows for this spring – find all the details below.The Britpop icons are due to play two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium in London this July as part of their 2023 live reunion.Additionally, Damon Albarn and co. will perform an outdoor gig at Malahide Castle in Dublin and make appearances at Primavera Sound, Roskilde, Lucca Summer Festival, Flow Festival and Japan’s Summer Sonic.Today (April 25), Blur have confirmed that they’ll warm up for the comeback shows with four small dates next month.The stint will kick off with a performance at the 300-capacity Colchester Arts Centre on Friday, May 19.