Blur bassist Alex James has described the band's 2023 reunion as "magical", but admitted the initial meeting was nerve-wracking after he arrived four stone overweight. In his new book, Over the Rainbow, he recounts the band's reformation and tour, which included two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium and the release of their ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren.
James, who formed Blur in 1988 with Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree, said returning to the band felt "like riding a bike downhill, purely joyous", unlike the gruelling work of getting back into shape. He lost the weight through a strict diet of broth and daily gym sessions, noting: "When you are doing your 100th burpee, you know that it's working."
The musician, who started making cheese in 2003 and hosts the Big Feastival on his Cotswolds farm, spoke about the event's "cheese hub" – a "party within the party" open for three days a year. He said professors get free entry, and the secret to a successful festival is to "geek out, freak out": teach people something in the daytime, then let them forget it in the evening.
Reflecting on Blur's musical chemistry, James described Graham Coxon's angular guitar playing as a necessary counterpoint to his own basslines. "You need your lemon juice and you need your honey," he said. He also recalled his teenage years, when his love of Wham! and The Smiths made him a target for bullies, and the early 1990s, when the success of There's No Other Way saw him move from a condemned building in Lewisham to Covent Garden.
James, who is married to Claire Neate and has five children, said his optimistic outlook comes from his father, who endured a difficult childhood but always saw the bright side. He added that he has been "blessed" throughout his career.
