ormer Dr. Follicles coiffeur Summer Bousaab’s Electric Brain Barbershop is the ultimate place for a swift and casual barber-style cut that mirrors the Follicles ideology.

“I wanted to create a nice and cosy, old-school, single-chair barbershop where people can come and listen to old music, check out some art, read and hang out alone for some downtime while getting away from the hectic daily grind,” says Bousaab of the thinking behind her new venture, which opened a few months ago.

At Electric Brain, you simply roll on in or book ahead and take a contented seat in the electric chair, then shoot the breeze with Summer. During the cut, you can gaze at the collectibles, which include Rat Fink figurines, religious statuettes, framed Garbage Pail Kids cards and 50s B-grade movie posters, while one of the miscellaneous music mixes provides the obscure, yet engaging soundtrack.

Anything from Americana Diner, Jukebox Rock ‘n’ Roll and Extreme Survivalist Radio might be streaming (perhaps from insane US conspiracy websites) as well as Prison Planet and infowars.com, which all make the experience here even more animated.

“I think the place is also good for people who want to just come and hang out with friends – to do something a bit different than going to a cafe or pub,” explains Bousaab of the open-door policy, which allows all to come in and appreciate the eclectic space.

Open late-ish on weeknights and catering to either gender, Electric Brain is a place where the inanity of the generic hairdresser ‘conversation’ is thrown out the window in favour of something a little more real.

Whether it’s men looking for classic crew cuts, side trims and neck shaves, or ladies chasing a little short hair maintenance, lose yourself in the nimble, Scissorhands-esque techniques of Bousaab at Electric Brain – a place where Brylcreem is not a dirty word.

Electric Brain Barbershop
473 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
0424 741 384

Hours
Tues to Fri 11am–7pm
Sat 11am–4pm

facebook.com/ElectricBrainBarbershop