James - Definately Playing

[godders1966]

James are far from average,.. a great live band with a list of great songs as long as your arm!

The maccabees are a good young band but not in the same league as yet

[Homer]

I bet Maccabees won't still be gigging and releasing albums in 25 years.

[rhysieg]

saw them twice in festy slots... 2007 and 2009... they whored there new material and hardly played classics, 2009 they played out to get you, sit down and laid... but criminally missed off born of frustration, waltzing along, come home, destiny calling, sometimes etc etc - it was a poor performance to be honest, sure they may have had records to sell but missing off alot of hits was strange when nobody seemed to know what they were playing... 2007 they played a few more hits in the set.

i sure hope we get greatest hits and not new material...

[tomtom.com]

James pride themselves on constantly changing their setlist but a greatest hits gig would be amazing!

[CaledonianGonzo]

I've seen them at a couple of festies since they 'reformed' and I won't be going again. Were poor both times. Tim Booth just didn't seem into it and both times were hampered by odd setlists.

[russycarps]

The 2 latest EPs are ok I think, but if people turn up expecting the likes of sometimes, laid, shes a star etc and the plays loads of the new stuff then there will be a lot of disappointed people as the new stuff is pretty quiet and mellow

[Steve P]

Brilliant news if true. Saw them just after they'd reformed at Brixton and they were brilliant.

[Mardy]

Excellent, they were great in 98

[russycarps]

Precisely. 1998. 13 years ago. And they were well past their peak then. Have they done anything good in the intervening years?

[Wirephil]

I saw them just a couple of months ago and the setlist was great, only about 4 new songs and the rest classics

[Guest blackcockerel]

Don't know Mardy, not a huge fan or anything, just glad they're playing is all

[Mardy]

Don't know Mardy, not a huge fan or anything, just glad they're playing is all

[coma girl]

Saw them a few years ago and they were pretty good, personally I'd prefer a greatest hits type set as I'm not overly fussed about the new stuff.

[godders1966]

Precisely. 1998. 13 years ago. And they were well past their peak then. Have they done anything good in the intervening years?

[robith]

I agree. As much as I like Maccabees too, James are in a different class altogether. I bet Maccabees won't still be gigging and releasing albums in 25 years.

[pinback]

Who cares about a band's time span? Joy Division only made two albums and they piss on most things

[jimmyt]

What! You must listen to Hey Ma from about 2007/2008. It's as good as their Seven / Laid era in my opinion. Their last offering was weaker but they fill their sets with mostly classics and few new ones. ALWAYS good to see live.

[fnchy77]

The Maccabees have writtern an album that is perhaps relevant to today, James turned up thinking it was still the 1990s. I mean enjoy your set, play your songs, but remember its not YOUR gig, its a festival, get of the freakin' stage!

...........

Unless you are one of the many James fans who thoroughly enjoyed their Latitude set.... Personally, I didn't want them to leave the stage, especially given it was The Maccabees on afterwards who played a string of songs that all sound exactly the same and exactly the same as most of the other stuff in their genre thats out there at the moment.

I have been crossing my fingers for James being at Glasto. Seen them about 20 times now and would make my festie. I had a feeling that Tim would be making an appearance either with James or with his new solo stuff. Bring it on!!!

[fullfathom5]

Brill - James are great!

[Stu H]

Saw them in Edinburgh & then Royal Albert Hall last year and thought they were excellent. Can't imagine them putting on a half-arsed show.

Agree with the classics though.

[robith]

Ah, but that doesn't really work because 3/4 of JD became New Order and released great records for another decade. They are still going today in the form of Bad Lieutenant, which contains 1/2 of the Joy Division line up and still plays JD songs, though the less said about that the better.

[Mardy]

Robith is spot on here. I don't see longevity and an inability to realise the game is up and it's time to call it a day as the defining qualities of good music.

Loads of bands make one, maybe two great albums and disappear. That's not so bad. Lots of bands never even make one great song. There's beauty in the transient.

James, mind, I have no strong opinions on.

[fnchy77]

I don't really care how long or how not long The Maccabees or James have been going. At the end of the day, music is a very very personal choice and as someone who has been a fan of James since 1989, I don't think any of it is dross whereas I think everything released by The Maccabees is dross. I also happen to think that New Order are dross and Joy Division are moderately dross but its all personal opinion. No-one is right, no-one is wrong!

[russycarps]

My point is a common argument on here is "Well, they won't be doing anything in 30 years will they!" when I can count on one, at most two hands the number of acts who've had a career that long who've maintained the quality of their work throughout.

[blue6field]

I'd say the cure as well