<p><b>'You will love this book.' - RICHARD OSMAN </b><br><b><br>Shortlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize<br>A Rough Trade Book of the Year<br>A Resident Book of the Year<br>A Monorail Book of the Year<br>A Virgin Radio Book of the Year<br></b><br>In 1986, the <i>NME </i>released a cassette that would shape music for years to come. A collection of twenty-two independently signed guitar-based bands, <i>C86 </i>was the sound and ethos that defined a generation. It was also arguably the point at which 'indie' was born.<br><br>But what happened next to all those musical dreamers?<br><br>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 today. Then there were the rest - the ones who endured general indifference from the record-buying public and ultimately returned to civvy street.<br><br>Now, thirty-five years on, journalist Nige Tassell tracks down the class of <i>C86</i>, unearthing members of all twenty-two bands and sharing the stories, both tragic and uplifting, of these long-lost musicians.<br><br>Told with warmth, compassion and humour, this is a very human account of ambition, hope, varying degrees of talent and what happens after you give up on music - or, more accurately, after music gives up on you. It's a world populated by bike-shop owners, dance-music producers, record-store proprietors, ornithologists, driving instructors, solicitors, caricaturists and possibly even an Olympic sailor. And let's not forget the musician-turned-actor gainfully employed as Jeremy Irons' body double...<br><br>More than simply the tale of the tape, <i>Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? </i>is an exploration of <i>C86</i>'s wide-reaching and often surprising legacy.</p>