On the old wearejames.com website, the band would periodically answer questions submitted by fans.
The following were answered by Tim in December 2001.
From: Ian Price
Can you give any indications of the songs in the setlist for the December tour? Will it be an extended set, as it’s your last tour?
We are at present rejuvenating some old favourites but i don’t want to spoil the surprise or indeed surprises we have in store. We are aiming to make this a generous completion but most people are going to be pissed off that we didn’t play a particular song or other. I just ask you to enjoy the moment and not drown the gigs in expectations. As to the length of set that’s dictated by the limitations of throat. A lot of our songs require vocal gymnastics and my voice ( or body for that matter ) can’t take much more than 2 hrs without impacting negatively on the proceeding gig. Damn those pesky human limitations!
From: Jimmy
As a lyricist, there must be pages of lyrics and prose that you have yet to use in a song. Will they ever be published in some sort of form?
No. if they’ve been good lyrics i’ve used them and my prose has mainly been private diaries.
From: Katie Start
Which part of being with ‘James’ will be the most difficult to leave behind?
The satisfaction of a great gig. That feeling of becoming one with a large body of strangers. Creating great songs is, i believe, continuing, though it may take people a while getting used to a different style.
From: Dean Love (Deano)
Tim, can you tell us anything about the screenplay you’re writing? A summary of the plot or the genre you’re working in? (assuming, of course, it’s not a genre-defying as the music of James!)
You see i’m an Aquarian and i like surprises . I’m also superstitious and don’t want to talk about it until it’s finished. It might just be for me. A private piece of creativity that i am irrationally proud of. If there is a genre i would hope it has the feel and depth of American Beauty. But that really is no genre at all.
From: Ed Jordan
Tim, looking back over the 20 years, can you choose a James song that captures what the band is to you?
If i could it would be a poor reflection of just one segment of the creature named James. Hopefully our musical journey has been too diverse for such a polaroid to make any sense. But if you insist, “Sometimes.”
From: Michael O’Brian
Dear Tim, Do you already have musicians lined up to work with, if so, who are they; and can you ever see yourself performing james songs in the future as part of a gig?
I just started writing with a young engineer called K.K who had a large input on the songs “Fine” and “Falling Down “. We will be looking for unknown collaborators at a later date.
From: Kim Leeson
If you could choose one treasured moment in your James career, when and where was it?
Ahhhh (that’s a scream not a sigh ) . It must be a gig high. Athens last month was up there. Most Manchester or Glasgow gigs of the last 15 years. A particular Chicago TORONTO and liverpool gig spring to mind (followed by the acoustic Neil Young tour). I honestly tend not to look back.
From: Mary
Tim – I always wonder what on earth it must feel like when you’re standing up there on stage, having just played your encore and the fans are going wild. Do you think you’ll get the same adrenaline rush from your new projects?
If the gig has been great then that is a very satisfying part of the evening. Up until then I am usually filled with a sense of responsibility to guide the gig in the right direction. It’s fun, but scary fun. Will it be the same? I hope not. I hope it will be different. That the sense of satisfaction and achievement will be even higher.
From: Alex
If you could have an input towards the choice of a new vocalist for James, would you like to suggest someone and is there anyone you would have in mind?
Mary Margaret O’Hara, Iggy Pop. They could both do with a great band.
From: Paul Fennesy
Do you think you have taken ‘James’ as far as you can?
I think this is probably true for me. I’m sure we could continue to make great music but I think it would be hard to reach as high as Pleased to Meet You.
From: Jonathan Matthews
What are your feelings when you consider that James probably be remembered as a band that was misunderstood by the music press and the masses alike and didn’t achieve huge success’s in the U2 sense of the word?
It wasn’t our path. I believe we will be more appreciated when we have gone.
From: Kevin O’Shea
Why not do a final tour of the world, in particular North America, before leaving the band?
Thats a hard one. We loved touring America and would have preferred a completion there. But the last C.D wasn’t even released there and therefore it would be hard to organize and promote. We basically got sunk in America when Danny Goldburg replaced Ed Eckstein as Mercury’s boss. Ed had totally supported us. Goldburg never even bothered to turn up to a gig. His number two in the states took me in a private room and apologised to me for how Goldburg had “promoted” Whiplash. This is the kind of weather change that happens all the time in musical politics. A similar thing has happened with the change in boss at Radio 1 in this country ….So all I can say to our American and Canadian cousins is Sorry, Farewell and I hope our music touched you.
From: Paul Douglas
Is your decision to leave the band a direct result of the lack of recognition shown by the music public to the quality of the bands music, in terms of album and singles positions?
I don’t know. We haven’t done too badly and these present cycles always change. The other thing you should notice is that bands who have massive hits ( barring a few worthy exceptions ) seem to find it hard to maintain motivation or their motivation becomes that of attaining a similar “Success”. So maybe if we had had that recognition we would never have made so many great albums.
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