SHAIR! UNDRGRND: The Night We Went Live! 9.11.25
Debut Drop: The First Live Hair Gig at The Water Rat
On Sunday 9 November 2025, The Water Rats — the intimate Kings Cross haunt that once hosted Bob Dylan, Katy Perry, Oasis and more — SHAIR! UNDRGRND, from How To Cut It, staged a first live hair gig there. The event featured 22 performers (“SHAIRers”) and eight speakers under the stage lights.
Opening Salvos: Sponsors, Poetry, Hosts
Backed by Cloud Nine, Denman Professional, Keratin Complex, Spot’d and Pivot Point, the room crackled. Think indie-gig energy: live, unscripted, grid-worthy. Hairdresser turned Poet Mustafa Hassan set the tone, before founder-host Dom Lehane — voice of the How To Cut It podcast — hit the mic with co-hosts Georgia Bell and Claire Martin.
Countdown Carnage: 10‑Minute Sets + Voice of the UNDRGRND
Two hundred packed in as the first 10-minute countdown dropped. Emma Holt, Lisa Langford and Tina Michèl tore through sets that slammed to zero with total-look model reveals — choruses you could see. A rapid-fire Voice of the UNDRGRND poet’s-corner debate — eight speakers, helmed by Ruth Lundstrum — cranked the night’s energy.
Next‑Gen x Icons: Spotlight Sets and Sponsor Showcases
Next-gen firepower — Concept Magazine Hair Learner of the Year winners Molly Rayner, Mia Guynan and Jessica Maundrell collided with educator icons Anne Veck, Alex Walker and Keith Owen alongside many of British Hairdressing emerging stars. Sponsor spotlights brought Cloud Nine’s Marie Nieuwoudt and George Newton Beck plus Keratin Complex’s Sam Pitham.
Raw, Loud, Unapologetic: DJ Beats, Crowd Heat
It was DJ beats pumping from Loveshack, crowd hype: raw, loud, unapologetic. Hair culture, live and at its best!
On Tour 2026: Get Involved
With the dust settling, SHAIR! UNDRGRND is gearing up for a UK tour in 2026. Perform, sponsor, or turn up — contact How To Cut It here.
Stage SHAIRers Roll Call — Find Them on Instagram
Emma Holt @bcreativehair, Lisa Langford @ladybhairandmakeup, Tina Michèl @tina_hairitage86 , Marie Nieuwoudt @marielnieuwoudt, George Newton Beck @george.newton.beck, James Forte @jamesfortehair, Zoey Olechnowicz @zoey_olechnowicz, Kevin Kusmierek @k.kusmierek_cuts, Charlotte Illi @charlottelaurenilli, Mark Sherwood @sherwoodhair, Simon Butcher @simonshairground ,Sam Pitham @samueloliverhayes, James Busby @james.busby_, Mustaf Hassan @mustafa2184, Ross Miller @rossmillerhair, Vivienne Blake @vivienneblakehair, Jez Barnett @jez_barnett, Ruth Lundstrum @ruth__lund, Samantha Toogood @toogood_hair_well_being_, Georgia Bell @georgiabellhair, Anne Veck @anneveckeducation, Keith Owen @keithoweneducation, Alex Walker @alexwalkereducation, Molly Rayner @hair.by.mollyr, Mia Guynan @miaguynanhair, Jessica Maundrel @jessmaundrellhair, Jacqueline Hirst @jaxrhair, Lucy Melvin @lucy_melvin_hair, Karis Woodward @karisamyhair, Claire Martin @claire_the_curl_therapist, Dom Lehane @domlehane.
Big Thanks to Our Headline Sponsors
Cloud Nine: cloudninehair.com, Spot’d: getspotdapp.com, Keratin Complex: keratincomplex.com, Denman Professional: denmanbrush.com, Pivot Point: pivotpoint.co.uk
And none of this would have been possible without the dream team
Samantha Blues @samanthabluescolourcoach, Gary Blues @haircarecartel, Samantha Toogood @toogood_hair_well_being_ and our runners
See the Gallery
View the gallery below photographed by award-winning street/documentary shooter Darren Lehane. Download and share with credits to @thatdarrenlehane and @howtocuti
