Words With: Alex James

Have one day off from drinking every week: that’s the current mantra of gregarious Blur bassist Alex James. The one-time hell raiser and Fat Les leader is now presenting a new version of cult 80s music programme, The Tube, for Channel 4 Radio with ex-Blue Peter starlet Konnie Huq, MTV newcomer Emily Rose, and Factory Records boss Tony Wilson.

Like the music he’s made with Damon Albarn and co, James is nothing if unpredictable. At Britpop’s height, James was a Bollinger quaffing social raconteur who drove emotionally fragile band mate Graham Coxon to the brink of insanity and Benny Hill-inspired pop videos. James once owned keys to The Grouch Club and claims to be responsible for 1% of the UK’s Champagne imports in 1996.

Now reinvented as a sober astronomer, pilot and horticulturist, James lives on a farm with his wife and three children in south west England. All that talk of big houses in the country wasn’t a joke. He’s just added another string to his bass by presenting The Tube once a month from Manchester. So how did it come about?

“It was just one of those phone calls you get and had to answer,” he says in a sonorous voice. “It was either you’re in trouble or you’re about to be asked to do something amazing.” Nineteen years after The Tube made its debut on Channel 4 with presenters Paula Yates and Jools Holland, it’s making a comeback.

James, who was 14 when The Tube began, has vivid memories of the original series, which gave exposure to the likes of U2, Duran Duran and Simple Minds. Convinced the format could be vastly updated, James was on board after bumping into Konnie Huq at a party and hearing she’d signed up.

“I hadn’t met Tony Wilson before, but I was heavily into Factory Records as a kid, the guy is an absolute legend,” James says generously. “People say you shouldn’t meet your heroes as you’ll end up disappointed. That’s bollocks; people should always meet their heroes.”

In order to refresh his memory, James re-watched The Tube: “I’ve been watching the repeats in the middle of the night on channel 793 or whatever it’s on,” James explains. “I thought it was complete bollocks ha ha, just two and a half hours of unwieldy music journalism. Flying in the face of 80s consumerism, yuppiedom and red Porsches, it was thoroughly objectionable to the establishment. I’m into flying in the face of things.”

The new series, which began November 3, featured live performances from New Order, Camera Obscura and Clinic, as well as the underwear-wetting prospect of REM singer Michael Stipe chatting to Tony Wilson. James says he’s excited by the prospect of putting on his favourite artists, and promoting new ones.

“With the new show there’s a responsibility to fill it with the best music and be editorial. It’s important not to make it too Manchester-centric, but having said that, two of my favourite bands, New Order and The Smiths, are from the city.”

“New Order are getting a bit old now,” he adds cheekily. “I’ve actually been working with Barney [Bernard Sumner] on some things…” his voice tales off suddenly. “I’m not saying anymore than that at the moment.”