Alex James brought his Britpop Classical concert to Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre for a glorious evening on July 17th.
Far from a Bitter Sweet Symphony, Alex James’ (Blur bassist) Britpop Classical brought together the spellbinding magic of live orchestra (London Concert Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra) and a crowd-pleasing catalogue of Britpop classics to The Open Air Theatre. A night of captivating energy and palpable joy, from stage and spectators, it was truly Unbelievable!
As the crowd filtered in and the fret lifted, DJ Dan, the evening’s opener, set the mood with hit-after-hit Britpop and Indie Classics. From Blur to the Blossoms, Prodigy to Pulp, The Cure to The Coral; we journeyed through some of the best of UK music. The tunes were accompanied by their music-video counterpart, making for a DJ set-up that lent itself to both the boogying standing audience and those in the seated area, playing on nostalgia and high-energy sing-alongs to prepare for the evening ahead.
As DJ Dan ‘predicted a riot’ with his final tune, tech made their final tweaks, the orchestra sat poised, and we were welcomed to the Britpop classical portion of the evening. With familiar faces Joe Whiley, Saffron, Garry Stringer and Alex James himself, in a visual taking us back to the golden age of Britpop through anecdotes and iconic imagery of the era – the Blur vs. Oasis rivalry, Jarvis Cocker throwing up a cheeky ‘V’ and the Haçienda in full force – letting us know this would be a night of music, of course, but also a trip down memory lane.
Brass opened our musical experience, catapulting us into the psychedelic tones of The River Boat Song, immediately letting us know what a full orchestra can do for these classics. And as the lyrics came in, so did Simon Fowler (Ocean Colour Scene) with his deep, distinctive rock tones setting the precedent for the evening. The psychedelic notes moved to punchy rebellion as Saffron (Republica) came to the stage for Ready To Go, bringing her unrivalled energy to the evening. Truly a rip-roaring start to the show – setting us up for a night of nostalgia, surprise and musical exploration.
Alex James maintained his Blur role as bassist for the evening and, as our occasional compere (as, truly, Britpop did most of the talking!). Still, his sporadic narrations of the night were met with such excitement – his contribution to Britpop culture has not been tarred by time, and the crowd certainly did not let him forget it! Amongst vocal cameos, including Reef’s Gary Stringer, we welcomed three Britpop Classical singers that reimagined these well loved tunes. It was wonderful to see the swagger and ‘too-cool’ attitude of Britpop left behind for the evening, replaced by the fun and performance of it all! These performers, not trying to ‘be’ Gallagher or Albarn, but instead bringing an authentic enthusiasm; passion which will always captivate a crowd.
We got our first hint of Blur as we heard the distinct, racing drums of Song 2 only to be met by the melody of Smells like Teen Spirit; it was this imagination and playfulness that brought new energy to a genre known so well. This was only amplified by the orchestra filling out every crevice of these songs, bringing new dimension to the more heavily rock influenced moments, and letting us sail away on songs like Bittersweet Symphony, showing us the beauty and power of live orchestra.
James then invited us to take a journey to one of the epicentres of Britpop; Manchester. Weaving us through The Happy Mondays (it’s always nice to hear thousands of people shouting ‘you’re twisting my melon man!’) and the emotive Love Will Tear Us Apart from Joy Division. This section; a microcosm of the captivating range of the evening; the ability to move between the punchy and the poetic, the combination of symphony and silliness. And, bringing these songs out of headphones and tinny pub speakers, back to being enjoyed communally, where their musicality and messages thrive.
Of course, an evening of music with Alex James would not be complete without a dedicated Blur section. Here, he really felt like our anchor to the Britpop heyday, our slice of nostalgia, our he-was-really-there! The band played Country House, Boys and Girls and, forever the crowd pleaser, Park Life – a song which, I now feel, should never be played without a brass section! Hearing these songs with James leading the way truly cemented the magic of the evening – even after thirty years, the brazen, youthful energy remains and, with the help of Britpop Classical’s fabulous band and performers, have been reimagined for a new era.
As the night neared its finale, we moved into the Pulp era. Pulling from Different Class, the band began with Disco 2000, moving seamlessly to Common People. (The evening was not about the deep cuts, and neither did it claim to be, it was a celebration of the songs people enjoy again and again and again!) Common People sounded all the sweeter for the strings weaving between the beaming voices of the crowd, as we ‘danced and drinked… because there’s nothing else to do!’ The band rode this energy into the finale, where the Blur vs. Oasis rivalry was nowhere to be found, with the evening closing off with Rock ‘n’ Roll star and Don’t Look Back In Anger, here the crowd became a choir, as every word was shouted out and swayed along to.
As the applause died down, James asked if we would like one more song, and with that, the arresting strings of the Universal filled the night sky. As we came down from our high-energy faux-finale, we were left with the orchestral musicality and lamenting lyrics of the Universal washing over us. Holding up a mirror to the evening, a moment of reflection on the togetherness these songs created, not just tonight but in all the memories we brought with us, and the unparalleled power of live music’s universal reach.
Check out more upcoming events at TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre here
