What has Alex James been up to recently ? Well, for starts, he's been flying on a Spitfire plane, making videos, and writing for the Telegraph.
According to Telegraph, Alex "was given the chance to join the Boultbee Academy, a Goodwood-based flying school that compresses as much as possible of what actual trainee spitfire pilots learned, into a two-day course."
"Probably all men dream of being a pilot at some time or another and all pilots want to fly a Spitfire," said Alex. "And it is one of those rare things that is even better than it sounds on paper.
"Or you could possibly imagine it would be."
October 13, 2012
Alex James flies Spitfire
A Blurry Present
(thanks D!) |
October 12, 2012
Blur World Tour 2013 - What's On
The long-awaited hopes that Blur will do a world tour may just be on the horizons. According to a band touring company, Blur is going to play a massive world tour for 2013 - and this time it's going to be truly global.
In a recent INTERVIEW , Ian Huffman off X-Ray Touring revealed that "Blur is planning a relatively extensive world tour next year, including Europe, Japan, South America and Australia."
Huffman also said that the European dates will “likely run through to mid summer”. This means that a visit to Australia in the second half of 2013 is very likely, meaning a new festival to headline: Splendour In The Grass.
Splendour In The Grass music festival is held in Byron Bay, and has featured many famous British bands in recent years including Britpop band Pulp in 2011 and Happy Mondays in 2009. Hence, Blur is highly likely to be playing there with their fellow UK bands in late July.
Oh, and Oasis may also play in Australia this summer. Liam Gallagher’s BEADY EYE is likely to make a visit to the music festival- a place on the Fuji rock festival makes him a decent chance for Splendour.
They're also rumoured for UK's Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Japan. Looks like it's not just Europe after all.
2013 Dates | Country | Description |
---|---|---|
22nd May - 26th May30 MAY–02 JUNE July 4th - July 7th | Spain Portugal Belgium | Barcelona Primavera Sound Festival Primavera Sound Festival Porto Rock Werchter Festival |
Stay tuned for the latest updates on Blur's massive World Tour 2013.
October 10, 2012
Blur to head to Portugal and Spain - 2013 Tour
Blur alert , Blur alert - Blur has announced 3 more dates for their 2013 tour, and it's beginning to sound like the band's planning another massive return for next year's summer.
The new Blur shows for 2013 are:
- Primavera Sound Festival Porto 2013 in Portugal from THURSDAY 30 MAY 2013 – SUNDAY 02 JUNE 2013.
- Primavera Sound Festival 2013 in Barcelona, Spain from WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2013 – SUNDAY 26 MAY 2013
- Parc Del Forum, Barcelona, Spain, on WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2013
No England dates have been announced just yet, but The Guardian reports that "a handful of British festivals", including Reading and Leeds, are competing for a Blur performance.
Rumours about Glastonbury 2013 are also in the midst. This can only mean one thing - Blur's going to still play in the future, and fans are going to be having a blast this summer!
Order tickets for Blur at Primavera, Barcelona, Spain HERE. Tickets for Blur in Belgium's Rock Werchter will go on sale on November 2nd (price not yet announced).
October 5, 2012
Blur to tour Europe in Summer 2013
Latest Blur News - Blur has announced that they WILL be playing more shows in 2013 - and this time it's for the hot summer months!
Blur has just confirmed that they will headline Rock Werchter Festival in Belgium next year. "Thank you for waiting," said the band on their official Facebook page. "Rock Werchter is about to announce that Blur will headline next July. We're excited.. hope to travel in 2013 to play to more of our lovely fans who we haven't seen for a while. Don't know where yet, we'll tell as soon as we do."
This mysterious picture popped out on Blur's facebook a few days ago - now we know what it is for |
The Belgium music festival runs between July 4th - July 7th 2013. It is a massive festival with an audience size of roughly 140,000 and many musicians playing live. Fans - keep your calendars marked up and ready!
No further dates have been announced, but Blur are definitely headlining Rock Werchter (click for official website) in 2013. This means that next summer will also be a year of Blur and the gang, playing music for the fans.
This isn't the end of Blur after all, contrary to so many rumours and stories. Some say Blur will play Glastonbury next year; some say Blur for Dublin. Blur definitely has many possibile locations for shows to choose from in this coming year.
More on Blur's future tours coming soon - stay tuned. Watch the promotional video for Rock Werchter below.
October 4, 2012
Damon Albarn wants to make Another Opera
Damon Albarn has spoken about his future plans - to possibly write and compose another new opera, following the success of his latest 'Dr Dee'.
At the English National Opera (ENO) on October 3rd, Damon Albarn said: "I've got a really good idea. I'm not going to say what it is, but it's interesting".
According to NME, Albarn was at the London Opera house to help launch "Undress For The Opera", a program to attract younger audiences to watch and enjoy opera by lowering prices and relaxing the usually strict dress code.
Albarn supported this scheme, and said "I quite like dressing up, but I also like to have the choice. I like the ritual of dressing up to go and see something, but at the same time you don’t have to."
"I’m quite clearly not someone who had any form of opera education. I’ve done it entirely instinctively. The fact that the English National Opera is prepared to encourage that is a great sign of its health."
It seems that Damon treats opera as a more serious, heavy "long term study thing". "I was too busy jumping up and down on stages around the world when I should have been at college finishing my classical musical education." said the Blur frontman. Without jumping up and down stages, however, where would Damon Albarn be now ?
Damon Albarn also said: "Opera as a form can go forward and allow people to use these incredible facilities to find something new. At some point I hope I can deliver something to the ENO that ticks every single box but doesn’t compromise where I come from as well."
Looks like we'll be getting a new Albarn opera soon, one that ticks every single box for the fans.
Check out Telegraph.co.uk comprehensive article on "Undress for the Opera" scheme.
October 2, 2012
Graham Coxon celebrates at Reeperbahn Festival - Sep 2012
Graham Coxon recently played in Hamburg, Germany's Reeperbahn Festival. The festival is a club-run musical festival that runs from the 20th - 24th September 2012. Graham said it was "historic, legendary and famous". He even said he enjoyed sightseeing the places where The Beatles played, Beatlemania museum and searching for the Beat shop.
September 29, 2012
21 things you didn't know Graham Coxon said - Quotes
Graham Coxon, the quiet, shy guitarist from Blur. Contrary to what most people think, Graham has actually said a good many things that are hilarious, deep and memorable. Sometimes they are downright strange! Here's our list of the top 21 things you didn't know Graham Coxon has said.
1. "Watching Noel Gallagher play, he has too much fucking respect for the instrument. To get the best out of a guitar, you've got to fucking hate it as well."
3. "We can make good music together but God knows what might happen if we tried to make music individually, it'd be shit."
5. " We rode the pop-horse until it dropped dead"
7. "I used to have a cat called Bastard. He ran away."
8. "I like it when girls go "Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me." - a very young Graham
9. "It seems that Damon and I are going to be in each other's lives musically forever, in some way or other. Whether it's with Blur or without Blur or sort of like the Old Gits, probably. Which is quite an amusing thought. We just get on very well, especially musically."
12. Of course I'm a hedonist, what else is there to live for? The rest is just killing time.
13. Most of America don't even listen to music probably. They just go raccoon hunting or something.
15. 'Pikachu, it's just saying it's own name, like Craig David, over and over again. Little egoist' - MTV Cribs
16. "My next album is only going to be understood by a certain race of elves."
17. “Damon and I especially have done that. I’d give him lovebites and he’d give me lovebites. A cruel trick. But it’s never really soberly. And after kissing him… it’s a bit like when farmers force sheep into sheep dips. When they come out the other side they’re probably quite similar to how I feel after kissing him. To quote Justine, he’s a washing machine mouth. He’s got a very large tongue, you see, and I haven’t.” - On Kissing Men
18. "I've never stuck with any particular look. I want long and short hair - at the same time" - on Looks
19. “My new album, A+E, is very English. If it was an outfit, it would be some battered Oxford brogues with a toe cap, a Velvet Underground T-shirt and any old Levi’s.” - on A+E
20. “I’m one of those self-conscious people who needs drink before I can [dance]. I used to dance a lot to The Smiths when I was a teenager. And The Jam, I used to go to a lot of mod clubs and stuff. But as soon as I got mildly famous it just stopped. I got self-conscious, I dance at home…” - on Dancing and Shyness
September 25, 2012
Blur - 15 memorable Alex James Quotes
Alex James - the laid-back one, the cool one, the one with the long haircut... He's been labeled as the cheese farmer, the man with a-lot-of-kids and is known as the one most of Blur gets on well with. Here are our top 15 favourite Alex James sayings.
- "The thing I really like about this band is that every time I walk out of my door I bump into Graham, no matter where I am! That always reassures me." - Alex.
- We're genre-sluts, really. We're all good players, and I don't see why we should have to confine ourselves into playing in one particular style. The Beatles never did. It's whatever floats the boat, really.
- I'd always wanted to be an idiot genius Soho alcoholic.
- "What you've got to do is look in your cupboard, see what's there, put it all in a big pot, sprinkle some grated cheese on top and bung it in the oven. That's what pop music is all about."
- “Damon? What can I say? He’s a confrontational… objectionable … big-headed…arrogant...beauty.” - On Albarn
- “All you need are three chords, a good haircut, and balls.” - on Fame
- Alex (To liam about the chart battle): "Both our fucking songs where shit anyway!"
- Graham thinks he can fly, Damon says he can fly, Dave's got an aeroplane, but I've got me feet on the ground.
- "We've always been too friendly, too clever and too good-looking for a lot of people." on Blur
- 'Watching football is like watching sex. It's good, but participating's much better'
- "You can't say that we're unemotional! Emotion is inherent in everything we do. Emotion isn't about standing on mountains going, "I'VE GOT A BROKEN HEART!" If you're going to sing about your heart, you might as well rhyme it with fart, as far as I'm concerned..."
- "From the start, my relationship with him was confrontational. He asked me how good his songs were and I said, "Not very good at all". Damon liked the theatre and Hermann Hesse. He wore sandals, had a collection of magic hats and followed the cycles of the moon."
- on Damon Albarn - "I only go out once or twice a week now. Monday to Wednesday and Thursday to Sunday."
- "Damon had just finished drama college and was working in a fast-food hellhole at Euston Station.It took me a while to get to know Damon, and I never really knew what he was thinking - unlike Graham, who, like me, just wanted to be down the pub."
- "Champagne gives you bad breath - so you have to eat one raw carrot per bottle".
Inside Alex James' head |