Alex James to judge Ambition AXA Awards

AXA, in association with Arts Council England, have recently launched the Ambition AXA Awards, making available £200,000 to 5 talented 11-18 year olds in the UK.


Each winner will receive up to £40,000 worth of personalised mentoring, to help develop their ambitions in their chosen field of arts, enterprise, science, community or sport. The prize will be judged by an expert panel, which includes Laura Gander Howe, ACE Director of Learning and Skills Strategy as well as celebrity musician Alex James from Blur.


He also had a little interview that talked about his life, bio and achievements so far. 

Alex James - How to aim for a career in the arts and get the most out of it 

I’ve always loved music, but I never thought it was a career option.

My dad bought a piano when I was 13 and showed me how to play boogie woogie. Not much later I got a bass and joined a band. I went to London to study French, but spent all my time playing music. I dropped my studies because I wanted to be in Blur.

It’s very hard to know what you want to do with your life – in fact it’s the hardest thing there is. I’ve never had a master plan, but I’ve always followed what has interested me most.

Do what you love

I don’t think you can help following interests. And it’s vital, even if it makes you look ridiculous – there was a time when leaving university to be in a band that had songs that all went very, very fast and were very, very loud seemed ridiculous, but that was what I cared about.

I’ve always loved music, but journalism and even inventing cheese are equally creative. I really love cheese so I always find it interesting.

Get into a band

Whenever you find something that interests you, you’ve got to go after it with everything you’ve got even if it makes you look stupid. If it’s music, get involved in a band. If it’s writing, write. If it’s cheese, er, give me a call. Whatever it is, the important thing is doing it, not dreaming about it.

Don’t fret about music lessons/training/not having enough money

I didn’t have any training when I was younger. I just played every day and eventually I could do it. Pop music is great, as you don’t have to know loads -  it’s just a way to express yourself. But I don’t think I’ve ever stopped learning. I’ve had loads of music lessons recently, and I wish I'd done it years ago.

Enjoy yourself

I like playing the guitar on my own. I love making records, I love playing music, I like talking about it – always have, always will. So I was drawn to music.

If you dedicate yourself to something you like, it is surprising what will come out of it. I still find it amazing that what I enjoyed messing about at as a teenager has led me. Who’d have thought when I formed my first band in my bedroom all those years ago that I’d be playing to thousands at Glastonbury? (Apart from me, I mean – I knew it was going to happen).

Read about Alex James from AXA's official website HERE. 

Alex James talks Blur Reunion 2011

Alex James has spoken on BBC 6 about the possible Blur reunion and whether it's official or not. Looks like it's not, but hey that's not new news. Here's what he said, taken from BBC's twitter account:

Nothing new. Old news. Old news.

Blur's Alex James to sort out Libya crisis - and his crazy career

Another episode of the Alex James sequel, of the strange things he's been up to since the Blur hiatus and their last album...read on to find out...the suspense! 


***


Blur bass player, Alex James, has confirmed that the UN has asked him to take a lead role in searching for a 'just, peaceful and ultimately cool' solution to the crisis engulfing Libya.


Alex James, cheese-maker, classical musician, newspaper columnist, panel show host and fete-opening radio-presenting former bassist with Blur, has confirmed that the UN has asked him to take a lead role in searching for a ‘just, peaceful and ultimately cool’ solution to the crisis engulfing Libya.

James, who reportedly did a GCSE history project on Rommel’s North Africa Korps, caught the eye of Ban Ki Moon when he came second to David Platt from Coronation Street on the BBC reality show ‘Diplomat’ last year in the challenge to reunite Korea.

‘His agent gave us a good deal,’ said Moon. ‘All he needs to do is keep talking to Gaddafi until he capitulates. And he’s free to write about it in the Telegraph, publish a book, write a song – whatever.  

After all, as he told me, Jesus himself said ‘Blessed are the cheesemakers’.’

***

Well, well well, looks like Alex James has been, er, expanding his career! Now he's to save Libya by being totally Mr. Alex James himself. Great. 

Lets recap on all the things he's been up to since 2003:

Cheese making Alex

Breast milk with Gordon

Bit of a Blur - letting us into the world of Blur

Raising kids, animals and his wife

Hosting food shows

Getting ridiculous haircuts

Modeling 

Cocaine Diaries series

Glastonbury 2010 with Blur

Blur reunion ! 

Advertising corned beef

And of course, much more involving beautiful women, celebrities, money making, more cheese making, farming, vegetables and all things natural. Not to mention, the occasional jamming with his bass guitars and the rare award show appearance. Radio shows, music, blogging, writing on his weekly column and even plans for a 2nd Blur book. 

I leave you, dear readers, with Alex James on the joys of cauliflower. 

What do you think of Alex's "career" ? Have I left out a significant thing he's been involved with since the last Blur album? 

Spur of the moment drawing

I had this little burst of creativity and decided to draw the Blur boys using an online paint software....

Thinking this can be my new logo or something. Do they even look like who they're supposed to be? Can you guys guess who is who ? 

And FIY, the Blur demo tape that's being sold on eBay has closed and reached a crazy price of GBP 217.12! Hope that new song "Us" gets shared soon, I'll post it up if it comes out! 

A new Blur album "in progress" ?

Hooligan from the Blur Forums sends news that:

"I was out drinking with a friend who was accompanied by someone who was intimately involved in the making of NDLTR. We were talking about Fool's Day & its relative merits & he let slip that 'it doesn't sound like anything on the new album.' Obviously we pounced on him for more info to which he furiously back-pedalled but the cat was out the bag. So there is a new album on the way, people. Rejoice."


The other forumers and myself included reacted accordingly.

As damon4president puts it, now all we need is for Alex to say something along the lines of, oh, I dunno, 'it was like putting the A Team back together for one last job. We had to bust Rowntree out of law school' for me to consider it confirmed...


Plus, the Summersonic lineup of 2011 features a special secret guest. Could it be Blur ? Would Blur play a few songs at this year's music festival?

Exciting times! I'm impatient and thirsty for more solid news. How about you ? 

Alex James reviews kitchen gadgets !

Thanks 2-J for this article (Click to enlarge):

Oh Alex, are you out of your head? Too much time on your hands, living on a farm and hosting festivals?

I guess its not only the media lapping Alex up, but Alex really really needs the cash!

Site Competition: Blur Caption Contest !

Friday afternoon. Library. Work. Procrastinating. BLURBLOG CAPTION CONTEST!

Anyways here's a new thing for the Blog - every Friday afternoon I will post up a picture relating to Blur/Gorillaz and you guys got to make up a caption to go along with it.  Think of the best, wittiest, funniest caption for the picture and submit it in the Comments section at the bottom of the post.

The winner will be selected based on originality and of course creativity. Feel free to leave votes and comments about the captions!

Thought I'd post my current favourite Blur picture.

Blur for thought... Anyone know who that 5th guy is? Any guesses where this picture was taken ? What are all the boys looking at ? Why is Alex shirtless?

Leave a comment and caption below!

Winners announced every week. Stay tuned.

Alex James on the possible Blur reunion

Blur bassist Alex James has refused to talk about rumours that the band are recording new material.

Last month, Blur's drummer Dave Rowntree told Gigwise the band would “definitely” do something together again in 2011.

The band were planning to reunite and gather in the studio together again at the end of January and into February. 

But when asked about the speculation, James told BBC Newsbeat: "Musician makes record, that's not news, but musician makes cheese and puts on festival that's news.

"Nothing to report from Blur, we're mates and we always will be. We'll always get together now and again."
 
James added that he was currently concentrating on his forthcoming musical festival, Harvest, which will take place at his home in Oxfordshire in September.

"Would Blur play? You should ask them. One day. Who knows? Could be good," he said. 

Just a little update on what's going on in the Blur world... Alex's keeping it positive and Dave and Graham have tweeted and facebook'd about this. All up to Damon now!

Read the original article: Gigwise

Dave and Graham on Facebook - speculation

I was just browsing through the blur boards this morning and I saw this post by Cold War Kid:

This leads me on to think about the possible new Blur material, EP or even album.

Now Damon has always been rather... indecisive. He'd say something like he'd never want to do Blur again, and then next week we get something in the news about a surprise single release (Fools Day anyone?).

Dave - he's as the fans call him, the Reliable one. Honest, down to earth, political red-head. The drummer who famously smashed Song 2. Dave has been sort of the spokesman of the bad these few years. Graham's busy with his elusive life a a guitarist bachelor, Damon's apeing with Gorillaz and Alex's busy making cheese and appearing on random talk shows.

Dave was quoted says 'nothing concrete' is confirmed and admitted any plans for any new material from the four-piece are still up in the air. "We’re in touch," he said. "But we've got nothing concrete and nothing formalised about doing anything." Check the article out here.

Anyways, two things I want to say.

Firstly, I do think that the band are getting along well and have reconciled their differences before. Fools Day, the single out by Blur as a charity record, sounds like something straight out of Parklife or Modern Life is Rubbish. The reunion gig last year was also great, great for the fans and the band. If they do have something coming up to spring upon us, I wouldn't be too surprised!

Lastly, Graham Coxon has facebook? I would not have thought he would make it so public and comment on Dave's status. Hmm... I question the actuality of the facebook page itself.

Thanks for reading and what do you guys think of Dave and his facebook saga?