James to Headline Super League Grand Final

[southernpie]

Thanks CPW I do recogmise that track,but if you had played it to me before, I would have been able to sing along but wouldn't have had a clue who the artiste was.

[endoman]

From an interview with Tim Booth ,

...Just don't mention to lead singer Tim Booth the "next Smiths" or, worse still, the "second-rate Smiths" designations that were pinned on the band by the English press.

"It might be fair to say we influenced them," says the cordial Booth during a call from Brighton Beach. First off, Booth mentions that his group was formed in 1982 — one year before the Smiths. He also points out that Morrissey himself was a huge fan of the band, proclaiming James one of the best bands in the world in 1983 and covering the group's discordantly frantic folk track "What's the World" in 1987 on the Smiths' cassette single for "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish."

Booth, who feels that Joy Division and Patti Smith would be much more obvious influences on James' sound, does not have one bad word to say about the king of mope or his quartet, however. He doesn't normally set the record straight on this topic, because the Smiths were extremely supportive of his band early on. "They got famous first and then tried to get us famous," he adds. "All part of a great legacy of Manchester bands looking after each other." After being lent a hand by the Smiths and former Factory Records labelmates New Order, James paid it forward to fellow Mancurian groups the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, taking them on the road when they were first coming up.

[medlocke]

I think that's pretty good for a grand final to be quite frank.

A more modern act like Ian Brown? Really? Ian Brown has been around longer than James!

The rest of your bands are either unobtainable (Arctic Monkeys) or haven't released albums in a while and no longer have any profile (Pigeon Detectives?!)

Well done to the RFL. For once. PS I'm 24 and I know them as do most of the people my age...in fact they had a gig outdoors in Manchester in July which was packed of people of all ages. Good move imo.

like i said they are not my kind of bands, was just using them as an example, also i believe the bands stated (except for FF) have members or are all fans of RL, Ian Brown being a huge Wire fan, so they might of been easier to get imo, i will agree that James are a good act, in fact they are better than anything thats been before but with the new wcc coming up and the league/play off changes next year i would have thought the RFL would have pulled out all the stops to get somebody that would make the final more high profile, the RFL really need to start promoting the game in big ways as it's on it's arse at the moment

[southernpie]

From an interview with Tim Booth ,

...Just don't mention to lead singer Tim Booth the "next Smiths" or, worse still, the "second-rate Smiths" designations that were pinned on the band by the English press.

"It might be fair to say we influenced them," says the cordial Booth during a call from Brighton Beach. First off, Booth mentions that his group was formed in 1982 — one year before the Smiths. He also points out that Morrissey himself was a huge fan of the band, proclaiming James one of the best bands in the world in 1983 and covering the group's discordantly frantic folk track "What's the World" in 1987 on the Smiths' cassette single for "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish."

Booth, who feels that Joy Division and Patti Smith would be much more obvious influences on James' sound, does not have one bad word to say about the king of mope or his quartet, however. He doesn't normally set the record straight on this topic, because the Smiths were extremely supportive of his band early on. "They got famous first and then tried to get us famous," he adds. "All part of a great legacy of Manchester bands looking after each other." After being lent a hand by the Smiths and former Factory Records labelmates New Order, James paid it forward to fellow Mancurian groups the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, taking them on the road when they were first coming up.

Well I think this sums up their "fame" or influence, as a 55 year old I know every other band mentioned in this piece, but had never heard/registered James although I do recognise a couple of their tracks.

[weststand-rich]

You're philistines the lot of you!!!

This, for once, is a great move by the RFL. Instead of getting some photogenic chancers singing three songs karioke-plus over a backing track, they've pulled out one of Manchesters biggest bands with a 30 year history. I'd pay more than the Grand Final ticket price, just to go and watch James at the G-mex.

They've released albums continously over that period and even with a few fallow spells, they've always been around. Tim Booth is a genuine maverick - along with a spell in cult, he was in the Manchester Passion in the mid 2000s and he popped up in Batman Begins a couple of years ago.

They'll put on a great set!

[southernpie]

Don't get me wrong I am looking forward to seeing them, Good on the RFL for trying something different. I'm always open to expanding my music taste. I'm just saying they are not that big outside their following.