Blur's bassist slams Led Zep & Rolling Bones-this is funny!

Blur bassist slams Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones
ByScott Munro2018-07-17T11:21:45ZNews
Blur bassist Alex James says he’s fed up of rock’s “grotesque" caricatures and says he wouldn’t want to see them play live

(Image: © Joseph Okpako/WireImage - Getty)
Blur bassist Alex James has taken aim at Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.
The Britpop musician-turned-cheesemaker launched a scathing attack on older musicians during a recent interview with The Mirror, referring to them as “grotesque” caricatures.
He says: “There are rumours of Led Zeppelin getting back together again and nobody really wants to hear their ****ing new record, do they? They want to listen to Stairway To Heaven.
“How old were they when they did Stairway To Heaven? Like 20 or something? And how old are they now, they are ****ing 70.

“It’s insane. At least people want to come in and try my cheese as well as listen to Parklife. That is really important. I think it’s really good that I’ve got something else to talk about.”
He adds: “You have to do it otherwise you become this weird, grotesque caricature of yourself by the time you get old like Mick Jagger.
“I’ve been listening to the Rolling Stones recently, but I wouldn’t ****ing go and listen to them live, ****ing hell. You can’t be Jumping Jack when you are 78.”
There’s been a flurry of activity surrounding the surviving members of Led Zep this year, with the band celebrating their 50th anniversary.
Last month bookmakers Betway named them favourites to headline Glastonbury 2019, although that seems unlikely given that Robert Plant has repeatedly distanced himself from any reunion since they last played together with Jason Bonham on drums in 2007.

 

I'd go & see John Paul Jones play bass a million times before I'd ever think about watching that tube.

 

At least we can name all the members of those bands.

I just find it distasteful anytime someone tears people down to prop themselves up. Very bad form.

 

Who?

 

I couldn't agree more. And I'm enjoying the old timers getting butthurt over this...just kidding.

But I can name the members of Blur

 

I'm not familiar with Blur. They make cheese?

 

What do you mean?

Damon Albarn
Graham Coxon
Alex James
Dave Rowntree

Common music knowledge knowing who Blur's members are.

 

Only on this forum could the fifty-something members of Blur be put forward as cocky young whippersnappers.

 

Well he's not really wanting people to come see him play now is he?

I enjoy Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones as much as the next guy and have all their records...but I agree with this guy. If I want to listen to them, I will put on one of their old albums, not go see them play live at 70 years old. No thanks.

 

If you say so.

 

Comically stupid. Perhaps his cheese fell off his cracker?

 

What an *******

 

Bass player for "Blur" huh? - whatever...

 

Grace Slick understood and got out of the game before making a fool of herself any more than she already did with Starship. Keep in mind, I have nothing against people playing music into their twilight years, I'm not age-ist, it's just when they prance around like they're still 20 that I cringe.

 

The singer Damian Alburn has a much more interesting off-shoot band called The Gorillaz. Blur where always a second best to Oasis and a string of others.

 

We need an emoticon for stirring s#*t

 

Aye, and aside from the occasional reunion tour, they've moved on

 

Oasis was a decent rock band that thought they were the second coming of the Beatles. At least Blur grew out of britpop and developed themselves as a band.

 

That's fine. I'd pick Blur's s/t or 13 over Zeppelin II or IV any day.

 

Couldn't agree more. Cue millions of TOFs.

 

Could it get worse than Starship?

 

It could have, had she remained in that group and not retired a few years later. Not that I think she needed to retire, but I think the whole Jefferson whatever was pretty dried up and out of ideas by '85.

 

I don't necessarily agree with James'
"grotesque" remark. It sort of depends on some factors as to what comes off as grotesque. I mean, is being old grotesque? I attended live performances by John Lee Hooker and Willie Dixon when each was in his mid-to-late 70s, and these guys were anything but. Many, many blues and jazz musicians continued past so-called 'retirement age'.
I say it all has to do with attitude. An act that everyone has already seen immortalised in film footage from when a band is young and at the top of their game might look ridiculous if they try, without convincing the audience of their sincerity, to recreate it when they are old.

 

His opinion is not that uncommon really. He likes listening to Zep & the Stones -- but wouldn't want to pay to see them perform live at 70-something years old.

I think part of the equation here is the type of music they play. A 75 year old playing jazz or blues is one thing, a 75 year old performing swaggering, sexy hard rock is another.

 

Well...at least she didn't go "americana."