A new book is taking readers back to the chaotic, creative, and unrepeatable UK indie scene of the 2000s. Janine Warren, a former publicist for acts like Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and The Libertines, has published The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect: The Last Indie Music Scene 2000-2010, an oral history of the era that includes interviews with artists, friends, and industry figures such as former NME editor Conor McNicholas and producer Paul Epworth.
The book features a foreword by Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos and previously unseen photography by Andy Willsher, described as the most celebrated gig photographer of the period. It aims to capture a British indie movement born at the dawn of social media, thriving on hyper-local scenes, legendary club nights, cheap decadence, and the sheer force of youth culture.
Warren told NME that the book is for both those who were there and those who were not. «If you were there, then it will bring back some memories,» she said. «If you weren't, I hope it gives you an insight into what it was like in this pre-digital space and how it felt before you could record everything on your phone.»
Warren first moved to London at the turn of the century to work at the iconic Beggars Banquet label. She recalled arriving with high hopes but finding a quiet industry. «I arrived thinking 'I've made it, I've got my dream job, I'm working at this really cool indie label with 4AD and XL',» she said. «But then it was quiet and no one was signing anything.»
Everything changed when she interviewed for a press officer role at Coalition. The interview was seeing The Strokes at their first UK gig at The Barfly in February 2001. «It was like, 'Yes, this is exactly what I've been looking for: noisy, sexy, rock'n'roll',» Warren said. «That's what I signed up for.» She noted that anyone who was anyone in the music industry was at that gig, and everyone knew where the scene was heading.
At the time, the UK charts were dominated by acoustic-lite acts like Turin Brakes and Travis. Warren said the industry wanted something different. The Strokes' influence quickly sparked a new wave of UK indie that swept away the late '90s and post-Britpop sound.
Warren explained that the UK's love of rock'n'roll goes back before The Beatles, and there was an empty space that needed filling. She also credited NME with having a huge impact on the industry as a signpost for labels, radio, and A&R.
Initially, the scene was dominated by American and Australian bands like The White Stripes, The Von Bondies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Hives, and The Vines. UK labels were unsure where to invest. The first truly British band to break through were The Libertines. Warren remembered seeing them in a rehearsal space with James Endeacott of Rough Trade. «I loved the relationship between Pete [Doherty] and Carl [Barât],» she said. «They were a double act: very funny, answering each other's sentences, just excitement about them.»
The Libertines' first NME cover came before they had released any music, which caused a stir in London but did not immediately connect in the regions. It was not until they released a single and played with The Vines and The Strokes that they began to make a wider impact. Then Franz Ferdinand arrived, and the scene exploded.
The book also touches on the term «indie sleaze» and whether such a movement could ever happen again. Warren's account captures a pre-digital moment when hyper-local scenes and word-of-mouth created a sense of urgency. «If you weren't out, you felt like you were missing out,» she said, summing up the era's hedonism and high ideals.
With its mix of nostalgia and cultural analysis, The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect offers a definitive look at a decade that shaped modern British music and style. It is a testament to a time when youth culture, cheap decadence, and the sheer force of creativity collided to create something utterly unrepeatable.