Formerly of mid 90s electro-indie bands The Auteurs and Black Box Recorder , this legendary front man has gone solo with a hip-hop/pop pastiche sound to play to a well establised following of fans.
Relentlessly highbrow, Haines's dark-but-mischievous lyrics typically fall into three groups: musings on obscure Anglicana (The Mitford Sisters, Freddie Mills is Dead), bitter attacks on modern society, particularly the arts (The Death of Sarah Lucas, Christ) and twisted 1970s anti-nostalgia (Leeds United, Here's to Old England) - with the odd dash of self-aggrandisement thrown in for good measure.
Despite cultivating an image as a sinister misanthrope over the past fifteen years, Haines's live sets are notable for his self-deprecating humour and between-songs banter - and for their surprising brevity. But considering that most of his songs are well under three minutes, this doesn't necessarily mean a short set list.