Alex James says playing bass in Blur is easier than day job on farm

14 May 2025, 17:56 | Updated: 14 May 2025, 17:59

Is Alex James bringing Britpop back?!

By Jenny Mensah

The Blur bassist turned cheese farmer and Big Feastival founder has revealed that it's much more relaxing for him on stage.

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Alex James says it's easier to be the bassist of Blur than a cheese farmer.

The Briptop rocker turned cheese farmer caught up with The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X and discussed plans for the next instalment of Big Feastival and his life in the Cotswolds.

When Chris Moyles suggested being in band is a lot of work, he replied. "No, it isn't. It just doesn't. That's relaxing! Playing the bass in a rock band is the easiest thing."

Referring to Blur's epic duo of London dates in 2023 he added: "A weekend at Wembley. That was in the diary as a weekend off. I could really relax!

“Yeah, it’s more difficult trying to get the hedges cut on the farm than doing that”.

Despite the fact he says farm-life isn't easy, the Country House bassist - who also sells his own range of sparkling wine - added that it's still like “being in a band” because he's doing what he likes.

“It all fits squarely within my preoccupations," he went on. "But it’s a bit like being in a band, you know. It doesn’t feel like work and then you realise you’ve had four hours sleep a night for the last three months.”

Blur's Alex James performs in 2023. Picture: Sipa US/Alamy Live News

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Alex James' Britpop Classical will also be headlining Big Feastival, bringing his Cotswold festival to a close on Sunday 24th August.

Quizzed about some of the special guests joining himself and the live orchestra on stage, the 56-year-old rocker teased: "I wanna keep a few up my sleeve, but I will be pulling strings and calling in favours. Phil Daniels will come and do Parklife. Gaz from Reef's gonna do Place Your Hands, because I book Reef every year if I could. I love them. John Powers from CAST's gonna pop up on The La's one [There She Goes].

"They'll be a few that we'll keep as surprises, I mean it's not gonna be Noel and Liam [Gallagher], but I'm gonna do one or two of the Oasis songs. Why not?

Speaking about how festivals have changed over the years, James recalled: “Festivals have become a huge part of the British summer time. When Blur started doing them there was only two. There was Reading and Glastonbury and that was it. And it was all the promoters could do to get the sound systems to work and the bogs were nasty and the food was a nightmare, but they’ve become very popular and now you can add on all these extra layers of sophistication.”

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The Big Feastival will also see headliners in Nelly Furtardo and Faithless and play host to the likes of Travis, The Wombats, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Maximo Park and more.

Tickets are on sale now. Visit bigfeastival.com/tickets for more.

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