Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids?: An Indie Odyssey

Description

In 1986, the NME released a cassette that would shape music for years to come. A collection of twenty-two independently signed guitar-based bands, C86 was the sound and ethos that defined a generation. It was also arguably the point at which 'indie' was born. But what happened next to all those musical dreamers? Some of the bands, like Primal Scream, went on to achieve global stardom; others, such as Half Man Half Biscuit and the Wedding Present, cultivated lifelong fanbases that still sustain their careers thirty-five years later. Then there were the rest, who ultimately imploded in a riot of paisley shirts, bad drugs and general indifference from the record-buying public. Now, for the first time, music journalist Nige Tassell tracks down the class of C86 and recounts their stories, both tragic and uplifting. Yet, while the pursuit of long-lost musicians can often manifest as earnest hagiography, Tassell's unique, light-hearted approach makes this a very human story of ambition, hope, varying degrees of talent and what happens after you give up on pop - or, more precisely, after pop gives up on you. It's a world populated by bike-shop owners, architecture professors, dance-music producers, record-store proprietors, birdwatchers, solicitors, caricaturists and even a possible Olympic sailor - and let's not forget the musician-turned-actor gainfully employed as Jeremy Irons' body double... More than simply the tale of the tape, Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? is an exploration of C86's wide-reaching and often surprising legacy.

For the past twenty-five years, Nige Tassell has written about music, popularculture and sport for a range of titles, including The Word, The Guardian, the SundayTimes, The Independent, Q, Esquire, GQ, Rouleur, the New Statesman and TheBlizzard. A highly experienced interviewer and author, Tassell has receivedadmiration for his writing from the likes of Ian Rankin, Adam Buxton, Danny Baker,Steve Lamacq, Janice Long and Lucy Porter. Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? willbe his eighth book.

''Twenty-two tales of youthful anger, innocence and indolence, filtered through almost forty years of regret, melancholy and, occasionally, dogged resistance. Nige Tassell succinctly and sweetly conjures up an era when groups could form in Glossop, Hebden Bridge or Whitstable and - for a few months, at least - become national heroes via the patronage of John Peel and the weekly music press. He spins gold from their grab-bag of agendas, musical politics and effects pedals and creates something that is frequently more impressive, entertaining and enjoyable than the music itself.'' - Bob Stanley ''This is a funny, sad, gorgeous and beautifully researched book about the most influential loser tribe in the history of British music.'' - David Quantick ''Who, of a certain vintage and a certain propensity for hoarding things in lofts, including cassette-tape compilations sold via a weekly music publication, wouldn't want THIS BOOK?'' - Andrew Collins