The Long Play Sessions - The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect

Janine Warren joins The Long Play Sessions for a talk and signing celebrating the UK's last indie music scene, 2000–2010.
About this Event

The World Was A Mess, But His Hair Was Perfect - The Last Indie Music Scene 2000-2010.

The first, cohesive account of a seminal period in UK Music history affectionately referred to as 'Indie Sleaze'.

At the turn of the millennium, Britain was suffering from a post-Britpop hangover. The whirlwind successes of Oasis and Blur had faded (for now), leaving a music industry that felt stagnant and directionless, churning out formulaic singer-songwriters and identikit pop acts. It was a cultural vacuum, waiting to be filled.

Across the Atlantic, however, a spark had been lit. In New York City, The Strokes ignited a raw, urgent revival of rock’n’roll that would ripple across the globe, catalysing a new wave of indie rock.

Suddenly, young people on both sides of the ocean were inspired to pick up instruments, start bands, and create something of their own. Emerging from grassroots DIY scenes, independent labels, and small venues, this was the moment that would become known mythically as the UK’s ‘last indie scene.’

Drawing on revealing and often hilarious interviews, The World Was A Mess, But His Hair Was Perfect captures the chaotic energy of the British aughties: the legendary gigs, records, parties and excess that defined a generation.

It also interrogates the myth of ‘the scene’ itself, exploring the gap between media narrative and lived experience, while tracing the technological and industry shifts that would soon transform music forever.

From the rise of direct fan engagement online via MySpace to the increasing commercial pressures shaping sound and success, this is a story of both creative freedom and its limits.

Author Janine Warren, a former publicist who worked closely with many of the era’s most influential artists, brings a unique insider perspective to the story, with a foreword by Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos and cover design by Matthew Cooper, whose work helped define the visual identity of the time.

Published at a moment when the so-called ‘indie sleaze’ aesthetic continues to enjoy a major revival and as bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and Maxïmo Park mark landmark anniversaries in their return to the stage, this book offers the definitive, previously untold account of the period.