JAMES :NEWS ARCHIVE SEPTEMBER 2008
Update 28.9.08
James continued their US tour last night with a show at Minneapolis Fine Line Music Cafe. They played Play Dead, Oh My Heart, Waterfall, Whiteboy, Say Something, Bubbles, Born Of Frustration, Hey Ma, Dream Thrum, Of Monsters And Heroes And Men, Out To Get You, Upside, Sit Down, Tomorrow and Sound with an encore of I Wanna Go Home, Laid and Sometimes. The tour moves onto Denver's Ogden Theatre on Monday.
The Smiths' cover of James' debut single "What's The World " will be featured on the deluxe 2cd edition of the forthcoming retrospective "The Sound Of The Smiths - The Very Best Of" released on November 10. The song, recorded at Glasgow Barrowlands in September 1985, originally featured on the I Started Something I Couldn't Finish cassette single and later on a US-only CD and 12" release of Sweet And Tender Hooligan.
Update 27.9.08
Tim Booth has spoken out at the use of James' hit Sit Down by the UK Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch his keynote speech at the Party Conference earlier in the week.
Tim told the Independent that Brown had missed the point of the song. He stated
We have always been supportive of the Labour Party, as well as Greenpeace, Amnesty and CND, but obviously the machinations of a desperate politician trying to restore unity by using our song is not something we are totally behind. The Labour Party has become quite similar to the Conservative party and it's hard to tell the difference between the two these days, it's certainly not as clear cut as it used to be.
There are some real ironies in the lyrics of "Sit Down", which was played just before Gordon Brown spoke to his conference this week. "Those who find they're touched by madness/Sit down next to me/Those who find themselves ridiculous/Sit down next me." That would have been a nice irony if they had played that line and he had put his hand up. And then there's, "If I hadn't seen such riches/I could live with being poor". That looks like it will become a popular catchphrase in America and in Britain thanks to the stupidity of financial deregulation.
The song is about unity and that's obviously how Brown is trying to use it. But it's about unity of people and spirit rather than healing the divisions of political parties. That's kind of missing the point.
Manchester United have used it as their theme tune for years and still do. Once it's out there, it's out there and you let go of it. But it's really more of a Sixties "We Shall Overcome" type song. I think that's where its spiritual home is, a song of feeling alone and wanting to reach out. It's written from a deeper place. I used to get terrible insomnia and panic attacks and it was written as a thank you to Doris Lessing and Patti Smith, the two people who had most inspired me and helped me feel like I wasn't alone. It's about the ability of music to reach out to people in dark states.
If the Labour Party started using it regularly we would have to have some words but as a one off, that's life, isn't it? I would be deeply proud if Barack Obama used it – but that's a different issue."
James played the Vic Theatre in Chicago on Thursday night. The set ran Dream Thrum, She's A Star, Oh My Heart, Waterfall, Ring The Bells, Hey Ma, Bubbles, Say Something, Five-O, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Whiteboy, Laid, Sit Down and Sound with encores of Top Of The World, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and Sometimes.
Last night they moved onto the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee where they played Dream Thrum, Oh My Heart, Ring The Bells, Waterfall, Hey Ma, Say Something, Bubbles, Honest Joe, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Whiteboy, Laid, Sit Down and Sound with encores of Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), She's A Star, Sometimes and Top Of The World.
Tonight the band move onto the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis.
Update 24.9.08
James played their second of two Canadian shows at Toronto's Phoenix last night. They were joined on stage by Michael Kulas for four songs in the main set and encore. They played Born Of Frustration, Oh My Heart, Waterfall, Just Like Fred Astaire, Destiny Calling, Five-O, Bubbles, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Hey Ma, Say Something, Ring The Bells, Sometimes, Laid, Don't Wait The Long, She's A Star, Come Home and Top Of The World. Tim confirmed on stage the band would returning to North America in February.
The band have a well-earned day off before reconvening in Chicago tomorrow night at the legendary Vic Theatre.
Update 23.9.08
James moved onto their Canadian leg of the North American tour last night, playing a show at Montreal's Club Soda. They played Dream Thrum, Just Like Fred Astaire, Oh My Heart, Waterfall, Whiteboy, Destiny Calling, PS, Bubbles, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Hey Ma, Say Something, Ring The Bells and Sometimes, with a first encore of Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Laid and Sit Down, followed by a second unplanned encore of Top Of The World and Born Of Frustration. Just Like Fred Astaire's appearance was its first since the reformation apart from a couple of semi-acoustic in-store and promo shows in Manchester last year.
Again, the band spoke to fans about returning to North America in February, including the intriguing prospect of new songs. The band move on to a sold-out show at Toronto's Phoenix tonight.
Update 21.9.08
Going back to headline shows, James played the Stone Pony in Astbury Park last night. They played Dream Thrum, Five-O, Oh My Heart, Seven, Waterfall, Whiteboy, Ring The Bells, Bubbles, Don't Wait That Long, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Hey Ma, Sound, Sometimes, Laid, Say Something, Born Of Frustration and Sit Down.
Update 20.9.08
James supported Squeeze last night at New York's Radio City Music Hall. They played Dream Thrum, Oh My Heart, Waterfall, Ring The Bells, Hey Ma, Born Of Frustration, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Sometimes and Laid.
Update 19.9.08
After a well-earned day off, James played Washington's 9.30 Club on Thursday night. The set included Dream Thrum, which had only ever been played a couple of times back in 1994. Tonight, they move on to support Squeeze at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
Update 18.9.08
James continued their US tour at the Philadelphia Trocadero on Tuesday night, where they played Seven, Come Home, Oh My Heart, Ring The Bells, Waterfall, Bubbles, Say Something, Play Dead, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Hey Ma, Sit Down, Born Of Frustration, Sometimes, Lullaby and Laid.
They have a well-earned night off before restarting the tour at Washington's 9.30 Club tonight.
According to fans who spoke to Larry, plans are in the offing for a return to the US in February 2009.
Update 17.9.08
Decca, the band's US record label, have issued an electronic press kit including interviews with the band, rehearsal footage and clips from Later With Jools and the recent KCRW session
Last night's show at Philadelphia's Trocadero concluded with fans being invited on stage to sing Laid. The encore of Lullaby and Laid can be seen on youtube by clicking below
James
Trocadero Philadelphia Encore
Update 16.9.08
Hey Ma is released today in the US. There are a series of shops from which a free 7" vinyl of Waterfall with a live version of Laid (source unknown) can be obtained with purchases while stocks last. Shops participating are :
Online (12" vinyl
Denve
New Engla
New York : Loone
New Jersey : Vinta
Philadelphia : Main Stree
DC: Melod
Balti
Chica
Milwa
Minne
St.Louis
San Diego
Los Angel
James opened their first US tour for over eleven years with two shows at the Boston Paradise Rock Club on Sunday and Monday nights.
The sets were :
Sunday - Say Something, Oh My Heart, Ring the Bells, Waterfall, Whiteboy, She's A Star, PS, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Hey Ma, Sit Down, Sound, Tomorrow and Sometimes with a first encore of Lullaby, Born Of Frustration and Laid and a second encore of Top Of The World and Come Home.
Monday - Laid, Seven, Oh My Heart, Ring The Bells, Waterfall, Bubbles, Say Something, Five-O, I Wanna Go Home, Out To Get You, Upside, Hey Ma, Sit Down, Sound, Whiteboy, Tomorrow, Sometimes with an an encore of She's A Star, Born Of Frustration, Lullaby, Don't Wait That Long and Come Home.
The Boston Globe reviewed the Sunday night show here.
Monday night's show saw the band invite a member of the audience, Jonah Soolman, on stage to play guitar on Come Home. For more details of the experience and photos (to come), follow this link.
The tour moves onto Philadelphia's Trocadero Club tonight. Next week's Toronto show appears to have sold out.
Update 6.9.08
James played their second Portuguese festival show at the Largo 1o de Maio in Agueda, Portugal on Thursday night. They played Born of Frustration, Oh My Heart, Ring The Bells, Waterfall, P.S, Say Something, She's a Star, English Beefcake, I Wanna Go Home, Out to Get You, Upside, Whiteboy, Sit Down, Tomorrow, Sometimes. Laid with an encore of Hey Ma, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and Come Home.