JAMES : DVD LINER NOTES

TIM BOOTH

"Hello, it's over." 

So here, to my knowledge, is the final visual document of the band formally known as James. It is fittingly a live concert. We are becoming an extinct species. That is, bands that really go looking for a communication / communion with their audience. This was probably our strongest suit. Getting a record to sound cohesive and just damn right, always felt more elusive. Gigs were our domain. So here is one of our final concerts in our birth city, Manchester. Songs ranging from Pop to Avant Garde. Structure, chaos and spontaneity existing within the same moment. The usual technical cock-ups abound (Saul's equipment broke down due to a power source problem of the venue's making, not our own.) You can tell it was a special night. A farewell party. Hopefully this DVD will serve to inspire and remind you of the great live "happenings" we were able to create. We have no doubt about our place in the scheme of musical excellence. But hey, why should I blow our own trumpet, when Andy can do so with so much more grace. Thanks B to all, see you soon. Turn up the volume. Tim.

SAUL DAVIES

It was an unfair contest from the start really - 16,000 of you lot and only seven of us! I should include our road crew on our side, and some of them are BIG, so let's say 16,000 to 50 - still pretty awful odds, and yet, I think we won. No? Let's call it a draw then! We needed you to make our shows happen - to push and support us. We always made music for ourselves, but it became yours once it was out, and the gigs were all about celebrating this. Thank you for your years of service to the cause of James ! If you came to us late you missed some great moments but this DVD captures much of what we are about, so enjoy !!

DVD BACKSLIP

In any list of the greatest British bands of the last 20 years, the distinctive name of James wouldn't be far from the top. Emerging on Manchester's Factory Records in the mid-Eighties, they ploughed their own idiosyncratic furrow - through line-up changes, business problems and medical ailments - to become a rare example of a rock group who combined commercial success with integrity. The recent decision of vocalist Tim Booth to walk away while the band were still at the top is typical of James' dignity and uniqueness.

The band made some wonderful records -among them quintessential anthems like Come Home and Sit Down - but were perhaps never happier than in the live environment. Here, with the most feverish fan base in pop hanging on the jerking, dancing Booth's every incisive word, James' wonderful music took on even greater levels of emotion. Filmed during their last ever tour, at Manchester Arena, this definitive live document captures the exuberance and poignancy of a classic James performance, recording the unique collision between between celebration and sorrow that all this has come to an end. Brilliantly shot, the communal relationship between a band, their music and their audience has never been better captured. Along with the live performance, this unique DVD also features discography, promos, unseen and illuminating backstage footage, interviews and other crucial live clips from various venues around Manchester. Sit down and enjoy.

DVD INSIDE BOOKLET

The special DVD format allows for an unexpurgated, revealing look at the story of one of Manchester's greatest exports. The last ever James concert to take place at Manchester Arena is undoubtedly one of the most moving and emotional the band ever played. Here, the seven-piece line-up of James are at last rejoined by former members Andy Diagram (trumpet) and founding guitarist Larry Gott as James deliver their classic songs for the very last time. Highlights include a life-affirming Tomorrow, a haunting Top Of The World, the strobe assault of God Only Knows and, of course, the colossus, Sit Down. There are several crucial, classic scenes - the camera panning onto the exuberant girl in the crowd in She's A Star; the band's spontaneous response to equipment failure, with a jagged, invigorated rendition of early favourite Johnny Yen.

In addition, there is other, earlier unseen live footage from various venues around Manchester; the roving camera eye also allows unparalleled access to the private James. There are surreal backstage encounters (find out why guitarist Adrian Oxaal is nicknamed Mr. Pastry!), chats with Tim (on "tortured artists"), Larry (on returning) and Saul (on onstage arguments!) and several surprising revelations. Both band and fans tackle the difficult subject of Tim Booth's leaving. Warts, technical failures, fiascos, arguments, ultimate triumphant unity and all, this is a definitive portrait of a fascinating, complex rock band who will not be forgotten. As it says on Tim Booth's Arena T-shirt, "James Lasts."