Belle & Sebastian, Methodist Central Hall

Formed in the late 90s, Belle and Sebastian were everyone's favourite Glaswegian art school kids, sweethearts and champions of underdogs everywhere.They wore cardigans and knitted cutesy melodies, winning hearts with the storytelling: "Hilary went to the Catholic Church because she wanted information/ The vicar, or whatever, took her to one side and gave her confirmation" and "Everyone suffers in silence a burden/The man who drives minicabs down in Old Compton/ The Asian man/ With his love hate affair/ With his racist clientele."
And steadily turned out eight critically acclaimed albums, roughly one every two years.
Until this this year, though, it felt like a while since we'd heard anything substantial from the endearing (and enduring) mainstays of Scottish indie. Apart from a second compilation album –The Third Eye Centre: old singles and EPs hitherto uncollected-there'd not been a lot of news since 2010's album Belle and Sebastian Write About Love.
2014 seems like it might be the start of a renaissance for the famously quiet and limelight-shunning six-piece, however, as bandleader Stuart Murdoch's well-received and charming film God Help the Girl preceded an announcement that the band would be recording in Atlanta for their ninth studio album. And it's by way of a rare UK tour in support of that new album that Belle & Sebastian will be stopping by London in May.
While their last release never quite hit the soaring heights of theThe Boy With the Arab Strap or 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, it's clear there's still plenty of life left yet in Murdoch's troupe and their unmistakable blend of indie-pop twee and soulful sincerity, but you can be sure that opportunities to see them in the UK, let alone London, will remain as fleeting as ever. Don't miss out!