Never trust a stranger, stranger. Not at first, anyhow. And definitely not at first if their face is obscured by hair. So it's been a tough old time making friends over the past month because London has been swamped (in more ways than one) by hairy beary bunches from America: Kings Of Leon, Detroit Cobras, The Sights and The Warlocks have all made their presence felt behind varying thicknesses of fringe, although the chief of random follicle chaos has to be Jim James, frontman in Neil Young-esque troupe My Morning Jacket, who is so hairy that after half an hour in his live company it is entirely possible to believe that he has no face whatsoever.
Of course, what comes with the biggest of hairstyles is the fuggiest of rock noises. And so it is that the global invasion of London continues unabated as every two bit bar band from the Midwest and the Outback sees gold in them thar cockney toilet venues and jumps on the next flight to Heathrow. The good news to report on this front then is that the British locals are starting to revolt: already in 2003 the likes of The Darkness, The Clams and Winnebago Deal are shaking their locks and staking their claim for a slice of this rock pie.
Regular PlayLouder surfers will already be aware of The Darkness's penchant for upsetting the A&R apple cart - their recent 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' single hit the UK top 50 and they are prone to say things of immense wisdom such as "Are we 'the gay AC/DC'? I prefer 'the straight Queen'." The Clams, meanwhile, are a teenage trio from Bournemouth who excel at gnarly, grungey, headbangey rock and reside on Bossmusic Records. And last but not least, Winnebago Deal are two blokes from Oxford who make massive, malignant stoner rock noises with massive, malignant stoner rock hair.
And so another underworked barber weeps his weepy tears...
Simon Williams
