The son of musical royalty Paul and Linda McCartney, James visited us exactly 50 years after Love Me Do, the debut single by a then little-known band from Liverpool called The Beatles, was on the presses here in Hayes. Melodic and charming, James’s songs are rock n roll meditations on family, friends, spirituality and love. Expect his debut album in early 2013.
James has given many interviews these past weeks promoting his Album "The Complete Collection" that was released a few months ago, He played several songs at each show,where e was accompanied by his band,he seemed more relaxed in the Qradio interview and theBBC's sunday sessions.I really like the fact that he played live in all the shows,which is quite rare for artists to do these days. He needs to loosen up a bit though,and the journalists should stop asking questions about his dad. Source for the videos :www.jamesmccartneyfanclub.com/en/
James McCartney made his Cavern Club debut on the 3rd April, and was inducted to the Cavern’s Wall Of Fame before his historic gig. The wall depicts brick by brick all the major artists to have played the Cavern since it opened in 1957.
James will now sit alongside the likes of The Who, the Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, the Kinks, the Beatles (of course!) as well as more recent inductees including Arctic Monkeys, Travis, Adele and Jessie J. James is the first of the Beatles offspring to perform at the venue where the Beatles made their name all those years ago, although he had visited the club once before in December 1999 when Sir Paul McCartney returned to play his last gig of the millennium. Cavern Club Operations/Entertainments Director, Jon Keats, presented the brick to James. “James said how honoured he felt to be in such illustrious company. It was great to have him performing at the club practically 50 years to the day that his dad had played here with the Beatles. I was saying how important this gig was to the Cavern as it bridged perfectly the historic side of the venue’s history and our continued commitment to feature and support new artists. He was a lovely guy and very down to earth, quite a feat considering his dad being quite possibly the biggest figure in popular music ever”. James is about to embark on his first US tour and we at the Cavern wish him the very best of luck.
THERE are many sons and daughters of famous parents, but some parents are more famous than others.
Surely for the children of even remotely famous parents, it’s a struggle to make a name for yourself. But what must it be like when your dad is arguably one of the most famous people who ever lived? One option is to break the mould and do with your own life something completely different, lest you be compared to your famous progenitor.
So, in that respect, you have to take your hat off to James McCartney, considering that, as a musician, he is walking in a very long shadow. It was hard not to think that many of the audience were there on the off-chance that Sir Paul himself would make a surprise appearance for the encore. That wasn’t to be, but McCartney Junior’s performance was worthy in itself. His music is an interesting blend of influences: primarily a big wedge of his dad’s old chum Neil Young, with a slice of Jeff Buckley thrown in to the mix. It’s easy to see why he is popular in the USA, as his sound (while vocally reminiscent of his dad) is very American. The four-piece combo with him were clearly extremely capable and tight, and, taken out of the Beatles context, would have been a perfectly solid little outfit that would have gone down well with the attendant crowd. But where we’re used to seeing Sir Paul bouncing around the stage for three hours, thumbs up, shadow boxing, the younger member of the clan seems quite awkward in front of an audience, and hardly said a word to the crowd throughout the whole, albeit short, gig. The highlights were the last number of the set, Moonstar, which, after all the introspection of the earlier songs, was a welcome foray into old school rock and roll, and his cover of Neil Young’s Old Man. For a musician with such a famous old man, he can never hope to achieve the same level of success, but fair play to him, for all his awkwardness, for trying to eke a living out of doing what he feels most comfortable with, even if it does overload him with the weight of expectation. 7/10 Here comes the son
James is doing some promo for his double album 'The Complete Collection",and his tour, he did a 2 TV appearences' ,and gave interviews to the BBC, The Liverpool Echo and the Sunday Times,that I'm sharing with you here.
Meanwhile James and band performed At The Borderline In London Yesterday,and and is scheduled to perform in the Cavern in Liverpool today,and in Dublin tomorow.
Here is The Setlist:
Mix New York Times I Only Want To Be Alone Spirit Guides Fallen Angel Glisten My Friend The Sound Of My Voice Wings Of A Lightest Weight Old Man Moonstar
James McCartney: Why I feel at home in Liverpool ahead of Cavern gig
FIFTY years after his dad made a Liverpool cellar one of the most famous music venues in the world, another James McCartney will be playing The Cavern on Mathew Street. Of course, a few things have changed. The Cavern has been demolished and rebuilt, and the McCartney on the stage is not one of The Beatles, but his only son, also James. Named after both his grandfather Jim McCartney and his dad, James Paul McCartney, the James McCartney who plays at The Cavern tonight has an eye on the future, as well as an awareness of the musical heritage he is a part of.
“It’s cool to think I’ll get to play where my dad played, well all the Beatles played, all those years ago,” says James, 34. “When my manager booked the tour I knew I wanted to play Liverpool. I have a lot of family there. I always say I’m half Liverpudlian, half American. I like to think I have a tiny bit of an accent. “I enjoyed playing the 02 Academy in 2010, and The Cavern seemed like the next step. “I’d met (Cavern director) Bill Heckle in a restaurant once and he gave me his card. I’m looking forward to playing in such an iconic venue.” James is touring to promote his first physical release, The Complete EP Collection. The two-disc set, produced by David Kahne and Paul McCartney, includes James' debut EPs, originally only released digitally, along with an additional EP of five new tracks, partly recorded at Abbey Road. “It’s an exciting thing to look at a physical copy of something that’s only existed digitally before,” says James. “The fans asked for it. They wanted something they could hold onto, so we did it. I’m glad we did.” Nowadays many music fans only buy and listen to their music digitally. “I listen mostly on my computer or on my iPod,” explains James. “I have a record player in the garage. I want to get it out and start playing more vinyl. “But there is an iPad app that Neil Young showed me where you can make digital tracks sound like vinyl.”
He mentions the Canadian Godfather of grunge like anyone else might talk about any other family friend. “Yeah, I’ve been very lucky,” James says. “That night was great. There was Neil Young, Elvis Costello, my dad and me all sitting around. I think it was the night before the Grammys.” James grew up surrounded by the world’s most famous musicians. He spent the first two and a half years of his life on the road while his parents toured with Wings, was playing the guitar by the time he was nine, and on first name terms with most of the most influential music and art figures in the world.
“I like sculpting, etching, I’d like to do more stonecarving, but I just need the tools. “I’d like to give acting a go sometime, but that’s really hard to get into.” With so many strings to his bow, it must be hard to decide how to use his creativity. In a way, music must be the hardest, if only because it must be daunting to live up to the family name. “When I was a kid I used to run away from it,” he admits. “Now I embrace it a lot more.” He’s stepped out from the shadows, and his pseudonym Light, to release his new music in his own name. He’s also working with his dad on some of his new tracks, as well as contributing to some of Sir Paul’s Flaming Pie and Driving Rain albums. There was a guitar solo on Flaming Pie’s Heaven on a Sunday, while on Driving Rain, he co-wrote the songs Spinning On An Axis and Back In The Sunshine Again, also playing percussion on the former track and guitar on the latter. He also played lead guitar on mum Linda’s posthumously released solo album, Wide Prairie, which included tracks recorded privately over the previous 20 years. “My mum was a wonderful lady, my dad is a genius. They taught me so much. “They gave all of us (James has an older half-sister Heather, as well as older sisters Stella and Mary and younger sister Beatrice) creative freedom to be whoever we wanted to be. “One day I would love to have a family of my own. If I have a little boy I’ll call him James. I’d love to teach him how to play the guitar. “But most importantly I’d like to give my children the support and the freedom that my mum and dad gave to me. “I couldn’t have asked for a better family.” James McCartney plays the Cavern tonight. See www.spclive.co.uk/tickets
Paul McCartney's son James on playing the Cavern Club
Sir Paul McCartney's son James is launching his own music career and is following in his father's footsteps with a gig at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where The Beatles made their name, on Tuesday.
James has played on two of his father's albums and Sir Paul has co-produced his son's two EPs, including during sessions at Abbey Road studios. The 34-year-old's singer-songwriter's Liverpool show will be followed by a gig in Dublin on Wednesday before a US tour.
Q. Did you want to go to the Cavern to play in the venue where it all began for your dad? Yeah I think so - just to embrace the Beatles legacy rather than running away from it. Q. When you started performing, you used the name Light - was that an attempt to hide your identity? Not really - I was just more inclined to have a band name that was a rock 'n' roll name that was spiritual. "And here is Light!" If I ever get to Wembley Stadium, that was what I had in mind. I guess light is a common theme throughout religion and spirituality. Hindus worship light and it's something which is seen as being spiritual and divine.
Q. Have you always wanted to be a musician? Yes - when I got to a certain age, I realised that I was somewhat better than other kids at school at guitar and took pride and enjoyment in that. I then dreamt of being better than The Beatles. I'm not sure if I can do that. If anything, I would love to be equal to The Beatles - but even that's quite tough. Q. How do you feel about people making the connection and comparison between you and your father? I think it's great, I think it's an honour. I don't really think I am quite as good as The Beatles or my father but there are definitely influences. Q. Is it a help or a hindrance having the name McCartney? It's a help. It can be difficult standing on your own two feet but more than anything it's a help. Q. What's it like working with your dad as well as having the family relationship? It's amazing. Sometimes in the past, a few years ago, it can be difficult, it can be tense, like families can get. But beyond that it's beautiful. He's a genius, he's beyond genius, and he's a big inspiration. Very intellectual and obviously amazing at what he does, so it's great fun. He helps me get in tune with myself and be the best person that I can be.
Q. What has his role been as co-producer?
Just directing me and having some ideas of what instruments we should put on, or encouraging me to sing a bit better or do another take. Also the arrangement or structure of the track and mixes - the whole process. Q. Your dad hasn't tried to warn you off the music business? No, not at all. He's very encouraging. Q. When you were growing up, at what point did you realise your dad was famous? I always realised that, when there were fans around who would ask for autographs and would always ask for mine sometimes. I would decline because my parents encouraged us to live a somewhat private life. Q. What would you say to forming The Beatles - The Next Generation, with Sean Lennon, Dhani Harrison and Zak Starkey [Ringo Starr's son]? I don't think it's something that Zak wants to do. Maybe Jason [another of Starr's sons and also drummer] would want to do it. I'd be up for it. Sean seemed to be into it, Dhani seemed to be into it. I'd be happy to do it. Q. Has it been mooted? Yeah, a little bit. Q. Do you think it could happen? Yeah, hopefully, naturally. I don't know, you'd have to wait and see. The will of God, nature's support, I guess. So yeah, maybe. James McCartney was speaking to BBC News entertainment reporter Ian Youngs.
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