If you ever had a phase where you listened to sad indie music in your bedroom, overthought every text message, and considered a rainy afternoon a personality trait, Belle and Sebastian probably have a song for you.
The Glasgow indie legends are coming to Shanghai to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first two albums, Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister. The band will perform If You're Feeling Sinister in full with a nine-piece lineup, along with selected tracks from across their career.
Back in the 90s, when everyone else was trying to make louder, messier guitar music, Belle and Sebastian went the other way. They built a world around soft vocals, acoustic guitars, strings, and beautifully detailed stories about loneliness, youth, awkwardness, and the tiny emotional disasters of everyday life.
Released in 1996, If You're Feeling Sinister became one of the defining albums of indie pop and turned the band into cult heroes. For many Millennials, it was the soundtrack to a very specific era of indie angst, alongside late-night playlists, university dorm rooms, and feeling like nobody quite understood you. Younger indie fans have since rediscovered the band through streaming, vinyl culture, and the return of twee aesthetics.
Fans of The Smiths, The Magnetic Fields, Camera Obscura, and anyone who likes beautiful melodies with a little emotional damage should already know this is one to watch.
Tickets go on sale July 24 at 12pm and, given the size of their cult following after three decades, this is not one to sleep on.
Tickets on SmartTicket.
