In the All-Night Café A Memoir of Belle and Sebastian's Formative Year

"One afternoon in 1994, I had an idea." So begins Stuart David's magical, evocative memoir about the indie pop band Belle and Sebastian.             Determined to make his living writing stories and songs, Stuart had spent several years scraping by on the dole in his small, industrial home town. Then he had the fateful idea to learn bass guitar, and to head for Glasgow in search of like-minded artists. Within one extraordinary year he had helped create one of the most influential, beloved bands of all time.             Set against the vivid background of early nineties Glasgow, In the All-Night Café describes Stuart's fortuitous meeting with the group's cofounder Stuart Murdoch in a course for unemployed musicians. It tells of their adventures in two early incarnations of Belle and Sebastian and culminates in the recording of their celebrated debut album, Tigermilk.             This portrait of the group and its origins will resonate with anyone who has put together–or thought of putting together–a band. It is a story of a group of friends who wanted to create a different kind of music, and how–against all expectations–they succeeded.             Written with wit, affection and a novelist's observant eye, In the All-Night Café brings to life the early days of this most enigmatic and intriguing of bands.   Stuart David is a Scottish musician, songwriter and novelist. After cofounding Belle and Sebastian, he went on to front Looper. He is the author of the novels Nalda Said, The Peacock Manifesto, and A Peacock's Tale.