"The sun is shining, and it truly makes a difference, doesn’t it?"
Alex James radiates positivity. Sitting in a barn on his English farm, he happily shares some of his recent adventures—attending a Blur-related opera by Damon Albarn in Paris, playing a few DJ gigs, and gearing up for this year’s Big Feastival. By turning his farm into a vibrant festival, he has cultivated a dedicated following, with families returning each year for great music, good vibes, and delicious cheese.
This year's theme is fittingly titled Britpop Orchestral, bringing orchestral renditions of hits from Oasis, The Verve, Blur, and others, transforming them into rich string compositions. "I've definitely got a lot on my plate this year. Last year's headliner was Ministry of Sound Classical, and it set the bar incredibly high. I'm convinced that this Britpop theme will surpass it. The more we delve into it, the more thrilled I become. It's generating excitement. These Britpop tracks are all festival favorites, so I hope that energy translates!"
Words spill from Alex James—one hand holding a wobbling lit cigarette, the other gesturing animatedly as he takes the floor. "Nowadays, I mostly attend gigs with my kids. I recently went to see AC/DC, and it was just okay—just okay!—but then my daughter wanted to catch the Michael Jackson musical, and within half a minute, it felt like you were witnessing Michael Jackson live. And let me tell you, the band in that show outperformed AC/DC! They simply had it. It hit me that when the band is exceptional and the songs are classic, you don’t need an elaborate storyline—you just set it on stage and let it flow!"
“There’s no better way to wrap up the festival,” he asserts. “Even if Blur were here... it would be akin to Damon Albarn featuring Blur on a Gorillaz album! What’s the point?! Even Oasis wouldn’t fit the crowd here, would they?! So this is the ultimate way to conclude.”
In a bustling festival field—no pun intended—Big Feastival is thriving, thanks to its dedicated audience and a deep understanding of their needs. “When we launched Feastival, I used to say we were up against 750 festivals across the country. Now it’s 1000! You have to keep evolving and elevating the experience, as it’s always changing.”
Recognized for his long-standing role in Blur, Alex James was initially hesitant to engage with the music side of the event until an unexpected scheduling break presented itself. “About five years in, my wife suggested, ‘Why don’t you DJ?’ So I cobbled together some tracks, plugged in the headphones, and the crowd went wild! It didn’t matter what I played; they just loved it! I was knackered when Jamie Oliver came on stage and performed an Oasis song... and the crowd erupted even more! It made me realize that people really enjoy it when I get involved musically at Feastival.”
He shrugs: “Familiarity plays a significant role in it. When you have a massive crowd, you need that.”
Britpop Orchestral is part of a long-standing tradition of orchestral experiences offered to Big Feastival attendees. “Initially, we didn't have an orchestra—our budget only stretched to a single instrument of each kind. So we had one violin, one flute… one bassoon! But now we understand that if we can deliver these iconic hits—complete with a band, an orchestra, lights, lasers, you name it!—it’ll be a showstopper.”
Ever humble, Alex James knows the place of Blur’s discography in the grand narrative. “Blur has seven or eight major hits, but we’re talking 90 minutes of classics! We created a playlist, and it ballooned to four and a half hours. We trimmed it to two hours, but you have to be quite ruthless. Many of those mid-90s anthems hold significant meaning in people's lives.”
Reflecting on the past, he notes that numerous defining Britpop tracks feature grand orchestral arrangements, which he credits to Blur and their formative work on ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish.’
“That stemmed from deliberate efforts to incorporate classic English songwriting. I recall listening to ‘For Tomorrow’ during playback, and it was a total game changer. I thought: this is exceptional! It features full orchestration and a choral component. It felt like a pivotal moment.”
“The label visited midway through our recording of 'Modern Life...' I was actually in the process of laying down bass for a track called ‘Starshaped’ when they asked to listen. Their reaction was shock—British pop?! You must be insane! You’re mad. No one’s going to buy that!” he chuckles.
“That experience came from our first significant American tour, a disastrous 13-week run.
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“The sun is shining, and it really changes everything, doesn’t it?” Alex James is smiling brightly. He’s sitting in a barn on his English farm, happily reminiscing about some