MUSICIAN turned furniture designer Larry Gott has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the cut-throat world of the music industry.

Larry was in Indie band James from 1984 to 1995, before they reunited in 2007.

The group play at the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, on April 12.

Gott says: “There will be a selection of old and new hits and the show will be very ‘uppy’.

“It is a celebration of all of our experiences over the years, so it’s sure to have lots of energy.”

The band experienced initial success in the Eighties, as well as some periods of uncertainty, and their heyday in the Nineties when they became synonymous with the hit Sit Down.

When Gott joined it was a turbulent time for James. He was the band’s guitar tutor and had witnessed founding member Paul Gilbertson’s struggle with a drug addiction.

“We played just one gig as a five-piece and Paul left,” says Gott. “It was a wake-up call for everyone because drugs were around and he was a casualty of them.”

By this point James – including Paul, Jim Glennie, Tim Booth and Gavan Whelan – had come a long way since their inception in Manchester and had released their debut EP, Jimone, in 1983.

After Gott became a permanent member they went on to release the EPs, James II, Sit Down – no relation to the song of that name – and two albums Stutter and Strip-mine, to varying success.

Things improved with a self-funded album One Man Clapping in 1988, which went to No 1 in the indie charts.

The line-up changed in 1988 when Whelan was replaced by David Baynton-Power and the following year they hired three new members and started recording their third studio album and new singles Sit Down and Come Home as a seven-piece.

“During the Eighties we had our apprenticeship and we grew up in that time, but we were still unformed. They were wilderness years, but then we just got better and better and better,” says Gott, 52.

The album Gold Mother in 1990 won James mainstream recognition.

Success continued in 1991. Sit Down was re-recorded and previous single Lose Control became one of the biggest-selling singles of the year. The album Seven followed in 1992 reaching number 2 in the UK charts, earning the band recognition in the US as they embarked on their first Stateside tour.

“By the Nineties we were a great live band. At that time there were a lot of bands coming out of Manchester and people ask if we were part of the scene. I think yes and no because we were in the charts at the same time, but we always did our own thing,” says Gott.

After extensive touring, Wah Wah was released in September 1994 to a lukewarm reception.

The downturn came towards the end of 1995 when on the same day Booth announced he wanted to work on a solo project, Gott expressed a desire to leave after the completion of the Whiplash album and they discovered a £250,000 unpaid tax bill. The day is now remembered to James as Black Thursday.

After his departure, Gott decided it was time to go back to education. He graduated in 3 Dimensional Design from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2000 and carved out a career as a furniture designer.

His reaction recliner won the Allemuir Award for Industry and the prestigious Blueprint Award for Creativity, and an outdoor chair and table set, made from wire mesh, caught the eye of Sir Terence Conran and subsequently sold in the Conran shops worldwide under MeshMan.

In 1998, a greatest hits album, the Best Of, was released, reaching No 1 in the UK album charts. Things wound down after the release of the album, Pleased To Meet You. Booth announced he was leaving and Gott made two guest appearances on the band’s farewell tour of the UK.

It wasn’t until 2007 James reformed. Gott was at the centre of the reformation and a new album Hey Ma was released on April 7, 2008.

Since then the band have been touring and the complete line-up are back for the Mirrorball Tour and a new mini album, the Night Before.

James play the Cliffs, in Station Road, Westcliff, on April 12. Tickets are £29.50.

Call 01702 351135 or visit www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk