Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids?: An Indie Odyssey

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Following on from acclaimed histories of the British punk upheaval of the late 1970s (Jon Savage’s England’s Dreaming) and the post-punk ferment of the early 80s (Simon Reynolds’s Rip It Up and Start Again); Neil Taylor’s new book takes the story forward to cover the next wave of groundbreaking musicians, dubbed the “C86 bands” after a now-legendary cassette compilation released by music weekly NME, whose work paved the way for the commercial breakthrough of indie later in the decade. But by uniting the muddled sounds of “indie” under a single albeit contested banner NME stamped a unique moment in British music. Journalist Nige Tassell, author of 2022 book Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids?: An Indie Odyssey, would write in The Guardian: “These groups laid the foundations for later outfits such as the Stone Roses, Oasis and Arctic Monkeys who took indie ‘overground’, swapping upstairs rooms in pubs for headline slots at the biggest festivals.” This is a very sympathetic account and is both a snapshot in time and an account of what happens after giving up on music. It's a wonderful, life reaffirming exploration of C86's surprisingly wide-reaching legacy. But, this book is fascinating. Featuring new interviews with one or more members of all 22 bands on the original tape, focusing on that time and their lives since. As such It works as a sort of companion piece to Exit Stage Left from last year – interviews with musicians post-fame – but in the case of C86ers most of them didn’t even get famous in the first place. For many, C86 was the pinnacle. 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.

Finally it looks like the definitive C86 will be released with nearly all the bands that made up the underground scene in the mid eighties in the UK included on a key release. The legendary C86 is to be expanded into a double CD and released on Cherry Red in spring 2014 with extensive notes and a book from NME writer at the time and key player and compiler with the original C86 release, Neil Taylor, who is interviewed here for LTW. By 1986, however, the politics of the magazine had changed dramatically. C86 was used as a weapon not only in the civil war within the paper, in but in the war between it and other music magazines. There was heavy competition around this time between music publications, with four weekly music mags competing for sales, each trying to pique reader interest by writing about new bands and trends. C86 aimed to create a new genre for NME to profit off, hoping to generate attention by ‘discovering’ and promoting a new genre. In achieving this purpose, the tape was a success. To this day, C86 is recognised as its own legitimate subgenre on RateYourMusic.com. But C86 was also used as a pawn in the so-called ‘Hip-Hop Wars’ going on in NME in the 1980s, a schism between fans of hip hop and guitar music enthusiasts. C86 was a tactic devised to reinvigorate interest in the indie scene, taking attention away from the burgeoning rap game. It was designed to be, as Ex-NME staffer Andrew Collins put it, “the most indie thing ever to have existed”. “The most indie thing that ever existed” I absolutely loved reading about what happened to these artists after C86. Some still tour with their C86 bands, and some have started new music ventures. And for those who left the music game altogether (albeit sometimes briefly), some of them opened up bike shops, became driving instructors or exchanged rainy England for sunny Los Angeles.Some ended up in the arts and academia others found themselves in retail or the corporate world, and a few are still playing to this day. Some are embarrassed by their connection and others incredibly proud. Some didn’t even want to speak of their experience, whilst others were only too happy to reflect and then there were those who are no longer here.

The book casts an eye over a period when indie was a passion not a brand, and places its rise firmly in the context of the turbulent political times. Based on primary source material – including scores of forgotten fanzines -it also draws in the views of many of the key players, opening a window on a period that, with its parallels, resonates strongly today.

THAT PETROL EMOTION - Mine 22.THE TURNCOATS - One Breath * 23.A RIOT OF COLOUR - Skink (Flexi Version) *

One common complaint which seems to afflict most of these acts, was how unhappy they were with the choice of song they put on the compilation. Most insist that they thought it would be more along the lines of C81, which was released to celebrate five years of the Rough Trade label and the wider Independent music scene in the UK in general. So most of the bands approached it with low-expectations, believing that this set-up would be along the same lines in terms of audience and impact. But of course hindsight is always 20/20 and no one was to know just how significant and popular the tape would become. It’s really interesting to see the challenges and problems that each band had before, during and after C86, some complain of too much freedom, others of too much control, some sought mainstream, pop success, others were happy to remain obscure. We really get a broad range of personalities too, those who remain proud of their contribution and others who wish to distance themselves from it and are determined not to be defined by it. For some bands, the tape was the springboard for an illustrious music career. However, for others, it became the bane of their existence, leading them to lose their passion for their respective bands and acted a sign that they should change careers. With the book’s band-by-band structure, you get to read about a wide array of viewpoints on C86 – but most of those who have contributed to the book look upon it fondly. Alternatively, through their silence, those who refused to talk about C86 most likely view the whole thing differently. Where are they now? 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. For example, Sushil Dade, the bass player of The Soup Dragons, was a driving instructor for seven years. Among his customers were indie Glasgow musicians from bands such as Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits and The Pastels. In fact, it is thanks to Duglas T. Stewart from Teenage Fanclub for Sushil’s current career as a radio producer for the BBC. However, he hasn’t left music completely, as for years he had a side project named Future Pilot AKA. And he wasn’t the only member of The Soup Dragons to find a fulfilling career out of band life. Ross Sinclair became a professor of art and a multi-award-winning artist.

You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. A unique journey into the legacy and afterlives of the artists who featured on the legendary NME C86 tape. Hitting play on a piece of music is an act of magic. The noise may be entering your own space and filling up your ears, but in fact it’s the other way around; it drags you, willing or otherwise, to a world usually much more interesting than your own. Over a quarter-of-a-century on, pressing play on the C86 mixtape still has that transporting impact – it opens up a portal to a different world. In 1986 I was the tender age of 15 & had zero knowledge of the C86 cassette, but by ‘87 I started really getting into the independent music scene & became aware of the term C86. As detailed in the book it referred to a certain type of music; jangly guitars, played almost exclusively by young white males with bad haircuts. I think it was meant to be an insult, but I absolutely loved these bands & as a result was aware of the musical artefact they had appeared on. I think I still own records (up in the loft) of at least half the bands mentioned.