Blur bassist Alex James swaps rock’n’roll for life on the farm, and a trip to new Margaret River event Pair’d

He lives in a house, a very big house in the country. Making tasty blue cheese and a nice sparkly in the country He has five teenage kids, holds big food gigs in the country Oh, it’s like an animal farm, lots of rural charm in the country… How did Blur bassist Alex James go from city-dweller, successful fella to lord of the manor in rural Oxfordshire? Now 55, James has five kids, aged between 14 and 20, and throws huge food, wine and music parties called The Big Feastival on his farm each August. The headline guest at new foodie festival Pair’d, hitting Margaret River in November, also makes cheese — including a blue named after his favourite New Order tune, Blue Monday, and wine — notably a sparkling brilliantly named Britpop. James explains he and wife Claire Neate bought the 80ha Cotswolds property on the spur of the moment during their honeymoon in 2003. “A reckless, romantic leap into the unknown,” James says over the phone from said farm as he reflects on his transition from “metropolitan, nocturnal hellraiser” notorious for cocaine-fuelled benders in London members’ clubs (as detailed in his 2007 memoir, Bit Of A Blur) to “quiet country gentleman”. Cackling down the line, he adds: “I’ve since realised it’s just the next cliche in the book of rock cliches. It’s what rock gentlemen do — either die or go live on a farm”. In Bit Of A Blur, James describes himself as the “fool-king of Soho and number-one slag in the Groucho Club, the second drunkest member of the world’s drunkest band” before his great escape to the country more than 20 years ago. His love of cheese is well established. Audiences would lob fromage on stage when Blur played around the world. James jokes his understanding of the dairy product expanded as the Britpop icons toured the world — fans would hurl cheddar at UK concerts, camembert in France, pecorino in Italy and, presumably, Kraft singles in Australia. “It was a voyage of discovery,” he chuckles. Two years after moving to Kingham, Oxfordshire, a local artisan approached James about turning his obsession into cheddar. “Why didn’t I think of that?” The rocker says he bought the property shortly after foot-and-mouth disease swept across the UK countryside. The epizootic followed hot on the hoofs of mad cow disease. “We bought it off a beef farmer who was basically crawling out on his knees,” James says. “Britain had such a proud and noble food culture. It had been a very bleak time in the 80s and 90s. “British agriculture was in a very different place 20 years ago when we bought the farm. Whenever you saw a farmer on television, he was crying, basically. It was always a man, in those days, and he was always crying.” James says the UK still hadn’t really recovered from rationing in World War II. “You forget that a generation ago, Britain ran out of food,” he says. “There was only one type of cheese being made in Britain during the war, but suddenly dairy farmers who were struggling to make a profit from selling milk diversified into cheesemaking. “There was a sudden renaissance, and old recipes re-emerged. I kind of became the poster boy for that.” The early noughties also saw the rise and rise of English celebrity chefs such as Marco Pierre White, Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal. “We had some catching up to do but we are a nation that has rediscovered its tastebuds,” James says. And not just for food; British winemaking is bubbling away, in part because climate change has made the chalky soils of southern England comparable to the traditional champagne appellations of France. “We’ve had the great British cheese explosion, now it’s the champagne supernova,” James says, namechecking one of Oasis’ big hits. Speaking of Blur’s great Battle of Britpop rivals, James is “delighted” the Gallagher brothers have buried the hatchets and will hit the road next year. He’s equally glad Liam and Noel waited until Blur finished touring their latest album, last year’s The Ballad of Darren — Damon Albarn and co’s second reunion following their first detente of 2015. James reflects on the 2023 shows, and family life on the farm, in his upcoming third memoir, Over The Rainbow. “I was surprised at how exactly the same it was as the very first time we ever rehearsed as Blur,” he says. “Nothing really changes. “Hearing those songs again does snap me right back to when we wrote them,” he says of the beloved band, which released seven albums from 1991 debut Leisure to 2003’s experimental Think Tank before a lengthy hiatus. “It’s almost impossible for bands not to end up hating each other,” he laughs. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about one or all of the boys. It’s a really weird thing to be estranged from what defines you. It’s such a shame.” James’ excitement about the Oasis reunion ends there. “I’m delighted, it’s wonderful,” he says. “I’m not sure I’ll be going . . . I’d book ‘em for Feastival, that’s for sure.” From Britpop back to Britpop, the sparkling wine made in partnership with Dorset’s winery Furleigh Estate, launched last year. James had had the trademark registered since 2013. “Every time I heard that word a little part of me died,” he says. “I never liked music being pigeonholed. There are only three kinds of music — great, OK and rubbish — and they exist in all genres. “Britpop just sounded like a nicer thing to drink than to listen to.” His range now includes a cider and non-alcoholic beverages, but the fizzy vino is the big hit. “English sparking wine has gone from zero to world-beating in a very short space of time,” James says. “I think it’s the same as in Australia. There’s a real sense of momentum and excitement.” The Big Feastival combines three of his passions — food, wine and music — into an indulgent long weekend that should be nicknamed Gastronbury. (“Ah, that’s a good one,” James laughs.) Funnily enough, music was the furthest thing from his mind when he launched the event alongside Jamie Oliver back in 2012. It took cajoling from his wife for James to DJ at the festival, which is a real family affair, attracting around 25,000 people to their farm. This year, eldest son Geronimo, who is forging his own musical career as an in-demand turntablist, also spun records in one of the bar tents. “It’s one time where having a big family comes in really handy. As they’ve got older, they’ve all found roles within the event,” James says. “It’s completely exhilarating. If you care about something, you’re not working, you’re playing.” He admits now his partying days are over, for the most part, it’s great to bring the party to himself. “Living here with kids, I didn’t really want to go on tour,” James laughs. “So, yeah, I’ve moved the mountain to Muhammad.” The Big Feastival involves an “element of jeopardy” thanks to England’s notoriously fickle weather. “If the sun’s shining, everyone’s happy, standing around drinking in the sunshine,” James says. “But if the weather’s horrible, you could have ABBA and the Beatles playing and it would still be miserable.” He expects abundant sunshine when he heads to WA for Pair’d, which will take over Margaret River from November 14-17. From his previous visits a decade ago to film Recipes That Rock with local chef Matt Stone, James recalls the sun-drenched intensity of flavours and aromatics in the South West’s herbs, as well as his favourite WA delicacy. “The yabbies, man!” he exclaims. “I went to a few vineyards and they’re all happy to give you a bottle or two of wine, but they’re not sharing the yabbies.” James says he also sampled “the best cheese I’ve ever tasted” in WA — a sheep’s milk cheese from Cambray Cheese in Nannup. “It was absolutely outstanding,” he says. From wild nights carousing in Soho bars to penning three memoirs and his full immersion in farming, cheese and wine, it’s fair to say James doesn’t do anything by halves. “I think I’m an all-in kind of a guy,” he laughs. “You’re probably right. “That said, I had a little nibble at the Blur thing last year — that was really magical, actually. I hope we can continue to do that forever. “Making music and making food are things that continue to fulfil you spiritually.” Will James land Down Under with a few wheels of Blue Monday and a crate or three of Britpop? He laughs: “It would be rude not to, really.” Pair’d Margaret River runs November 14-17, see pairdmargaretriver.com. WIN: A VIP weekend at Pair’d Western Australia’s new wine and food festival, Pair’d, offers the chance to learn from some of the world’s most exciting chefs, sip excellent wines and taste seasonal dishes and produce across its array of events in the Margaret River region from November 14 to 17. Better yet, STM readers have a chance to pick up a prize that ties in some of the tastiest offerings of the weekend into a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The winner will have an exclusive meet and greet with Blur bassist turned cheese and wine maker Alex James, who features on our cover this weekend, as well as two tickets to Margaret’s Beach Club — expect a four-course dining experience and DJ set from James — and The Grand Tasting at Howard Park Wine. Also included is two nights accommodation at Edge Luxury Villas, a private escape overlooking a lake, plus bus transfers. The competition is exclusive to The West Australian subscribers and runs until 11.59pm, October 27. Enter at thewest.com.au/Paird.