Haircut!
First full day out of the house with radical new haircut. I have allowed it to grow without interference for some months now, as ever enjoying the early thrill of seeing it appear behind my ears, then indulging in being able to run my hands through it at moments of concentration, and - finally - watching it "settle" at that precise moment when it moves from neglect to intent, and no longer just looks as if I need a haircut. First, it starts to curl at the sides and "flicks" follow me around for a few weeks so that I look like Madonna, then the flicks get too heavy and fall down of their own accord, only to - eek! - curl up again as they reach the second bend, as it were. It is at this point, when two palmfuls of shampoo is no longer enough to achieve full coverage and my The Word photo looks like it's of someone else, I start to luxuriate in what actually passes as long hair.

I've gone through this cycle approximately five times in my post-Goth adult life. In 1993, I grew it past bob length (sorry about the beard) . . .


. . . and it went past my shoulders in '94 . . .


. . . only to be shorn when I became the editor of Empire and felt the need to gain the respect and trust of my new colleagues. (I know.) My most recent adventure was in 2003, as seen in this 6 Music snap with Siouxsie and Budgie, who are literally giants of Goth rock.


The latest attempt was curtailed yesterday at Toni & Guy in Reigate.

It was Mel who had the honour of lopping it off. I asked for short at the back and sides, spiky on top and a fuller fringe. She said, without meaning to be judgemental, "Yeah, a lot of the indie bands have it like that." I didn't know what to say. She's right. They do. But I didn't want her to think that I was trying to look like an indie band, did I?

Actually, catching my new, 1940s House self in train window and lift mirror during the day, I thought I could probably pass myself off as one of The Rakes.


Whose new single, All Too Human, is, by the way, spectacularly good, as is the accompanying video, currently never off MTV2, which is based on Dogville and must be viewed to the very end, when the camera pans up. Their official site is here but don't expect a useful biog or lyrics.