Beardy Weirdy

I've noticed (and mentioned to friends) the preponderance of beards on indie musicians recently. Beards are definitely signifiers of seriousness at the moment (even to Wayne Rooney and David Beckham) but also of authenticity - a riposte to the waxed, primped, heavily-prepared confection of people like, well, David Beckham in an earlier phase.

Thankfully, a better writer than I has mused on the subject of beards in music, taking a Barthian approach (Barthes analysed Roman hairstyles in films). Enjoy it here.

Celeb alert

David Beckham and Tom Cruise have taken up my beloved sport of fencing, according to the Torygraph. In a sport well-provided for in egos and moneybags, I'm not sure we need more, but it might be a good thing - Beckham alone will near-on double the percentage of working-class fencers (OK, slight exaggeration, but we're battling a certain reputation for snobbery still).