| Dates connected with James: | 2010s-2017 |
| Contribution/Role/Speciality: | Backing Vocals, Percussion |
Backline technician, touring vocalist and musician, and photographer of the band who has become more prominent with the band on tour. Supporting vocals, percussion and guitar on The Girl At The End Of The World tour. Ron left the band in December 2017 as it was announced he and his wife were expecting a child.
| Dates connected with James: | 1980-1984 |
| Contribution/Role/Speciality: | Guitar, Lyrics |
Paul Gilbertson was the inspiration behind the early years of James. Some of the philosophies that the band still encompasses today – taking risks on stage, improvisation and never knowingly sounding like anyone else – come from Paul, who was the band leader in the early years and the man who came up with the band’s name back in 1982.
Paul was in the same class as Jim Glennie at Yew Tree High School close to Man City’s Maine Road ground and were almost inseparable during most of their childhood years. Paul developed an interest in and introduced Jim to the punk scene developing in Manchester in the late 70s which encouraged him to buy a guitar and to convince Jim to buy a bass.
In the early years, Paul wrote the lyrics to most of the band’s music, which was developed from jams. He also took the responsibility for organising live performances, developing close ties with members of both Orange Juice and The Fall, and choosing the band’s personnel.
However, as the band developed, through releasing their debut single on Factory in 1983, Paul had started to overindulge in the drugs scene that was taking a hold on the music and club culture in Manchester at the time. He would turn up for rehearsals catatonic and developed a penchant for trying to play the guitar left-handed or upside-down.
Things came to a head after he went to Cornwall for six weeks in the summer of 1984 and came back a completely changed person. The band tried to cover for him, even to the extent of bringing Larry, who Paul had ironically brought in to give the band guitar lessons, in as a second guitarist, but the situation got worse rather than better. After a shambolic gig at Deville’s in Manchester, he was told to steer clear of drugs for two weeks before the band’s next show or risk being kicked out. He didn’t comply and had to be told when he turned up for the soundcheck for the gig at the Hacienda that he was no longer in the band.
Paul now works as a taxi driver in South Manchester and has had virtually no contact with the band for almost fifteen years.
| Dates connected with James: | 1980-1988 |
| Contribution/Role/Speciality: | Drums, Percussion |
Gavan Whelan was the original drummer in James from their inception through to his departure in late 1988. Older James fans still remember him fondly for his great energy and enthusiasm and his peerless mastery of the drums and sonic contributions to the early James sound. After his departure, Gavan retreated from the industry after a brief spell working with Green On Red and as a drum tech with the Happy Mondays.
Gavan is back in the music industry, working as a producer for an upcoming band called Alive, producing their forthcoming single and playing drums on one of the tracks. He’s also been known to join the band on stage for their storming rendition of Sit Down. He has also recently signed a publishing deal.
His own story about his time with James and his departure and activities since remain surrounded in mystery and mystique. But noone can doubt the lasting contribution that Gavan made to James both in terms of recorded output and band philosophy.
| Dates connected with James: | 1997-2001 |
| Contribution/Role/Speciality: | Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals |
Birthday : 27th January 27th 1969
Band nickname : “Pablo, clean your Kulas”
Previously in a band called The Sea, Canadian Michael Kulas met Saul through a mutual friend who worked in a Toronto music shop in 1994. At the time he was playing in various bands in the area. Saul offered to produce Michael’s debut album which he was about to record. “Mosquito” was a success on the Canadian independent radio circuit.
Michael then provided backing vocals and some guitar work on some Booth and the Bad Angel tracks in 1996 which never eventually saw the light of day. When Brian Eno suggested that James enlist a backing vocalist to support Tim live on the Whiplash tour, Michael, who had been asked by Saul if he was interested in doing some guitar-tech work on the band’s US tour, was contacted and made his debut “on trial” on the Letterman show and on some small US club dates in February 1997.
Michael made significant contributions to the band’s sound during his time with them, both in adding backing vocals and additional guitar and production and songwriting ideas – the opening section of Runaground is an example of Michael’s work. He has also demonstrated his versatility in supporting Tim on piano, keyboards and guitar at acoustic stripped-down performances.
On the solo front, Michael has continued to write and demo material of his own and has just released an independent album in Canada in March 2001 entitled Another Small Machine. There are no plans at present for a UK release or any major promotional work for the album.
Find out about Michael on Wikipedia.
| Dates connected with James: | 1984-1996, 2007-2016 |
| Contribution/Role/Speciality: | Guitar |
Birthday: 24th July 1957
James Lawrence Gott was a member of James between 1984 and 1996, and again from 2007 to 2016. He joined James to replace Paul Gilbertson and had previously been a guitar teacher for Paul and Jim Glennie after a number of years on the road with touring cabaret bands of varying quality.
He left the band on the infamous Black Thursday, having had enough of the grind of touring as it meant spending more and more time away from his family. He offered to stay if he could be a non-touring member as he wanted to pursue other interests including a University degree in Manchester. But this was turned down.
He had been spotted at James gigs in Manchester in the intervening years and also at the first post-Larry show at Sheffield Leadmill in January 1997. A scheduled guest appearance at December 1998’s Nynex gig had to be cancelled due to a hand injury.
He was present at Real World Studios in April 1998 when the Best of went to Number One and participated in the first jam of I Know What I’m Here For. Larry is still writing his own material and recently appeared at a Manchester cellar bar with a group of friends.
He rejoined James in 2007 before leaving again in 2015 during the recording of Girl At The End Of The World.
Larry Gott, a great guitarist, a Red in an oasis of blue and a true gentleman.
Find out about Larry on Wikipedia.
