Blur’s Alex: Homage to fromage is just grate

BLUR star Alex James says life is a breeze now he has embraced the whiffy world of cheese.

But that doesn’t mean he is ruling out a reunion with his bandmates… after a Brie-ther.

‘It’s great when Blur get together, it really is but it takes me two years to f***ing recover,’ Alex told Guilty Pleasures during an exclusive chat.

‘It’s much more convenient if everyone comes round to my house for a party than having to go on tour.’

Alex caught up with the boys — Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree — for 2015 album The Magic Whip and a string of shows.

‘It’s weird, coming home and having to wash up after doing stadiums in South America. It’s bonkers,’ the 49-year-old mused.

And the band’s bassist admits the guys are rubbish at staying in contact, too.

‘I love them dearly but we’re really crap at keeping in touch with each other.’

Not that the ’90s Britpop legends won’t cross paths again in the studio.

‘I’m sure it will happen eventually,’ he assured fans. ‘[But] there are no plans at the moment.’

The father-of-five famously swapped the stage for the quiet life in Kingham, Oxfordshire, to become an award-winning cheesemaker — one who has just released a new range of dairy delights.

That life-changing decision grated on him at first, though.

‘I did wonder when we moved out here to the country, how I would fill the vast void of not playing to thousands of screaming people every night,’ Alex said.

But he found a way to scratch that itch when he decided to combine his two passions — music and food — to curate The Big Feastival, on his farm no less.

‘I don’t think I’ve had so much fun and I’ve devoted my life to having as much fun as I can. It’s f***ng brilliant. I’ve had five children, six cheeses and seven albums,’ he said.

We can’t wait to hear what No.8 will be.

■ The Big Feastival returns for a seventh year, from August 24 to 26, with headline sets from Basement Jaxx, Craig David and Paloma Faith.

Author: Tom Stichbury