Episode 1 Do or Dye - Hair Academy

Hairdressing is a glamorous industry.

Unless you're bleeding from every orifice,

you can't be off sick.

But it's also a competitive one,

with more than 10,000 hairdressers in Scotland,

where the top stylists can earn over £70,000 a year.

Award-winning hairdressers Rainbow Room International

run Scotland's biggest training academy.

I've sent them home for having bad fake tan

or when their make-up's not done properly.

I went for more of a natural kinda look.

Where they play just as hard as they work.

It's like a big dysfunctional family.

That's exactly what it's like!

For one year, we follow students through their basic

hairdressing qualification Level 2...

I can do that, you know what I mean, and I just get nervous on the day.

..and others in their second year Level 3 advanced qualification.

My ambition is to... to be is to be one of the best.

You've got to be on it. If you're not on it, one day...

-Honestly, you're screwed. Literally screwed.

-Yeah.

But do they have what it takes to make it through the Hair Academy?

-You're probably a better hairdresser than...

-Everybody?

-Aye.

HE LAUGHS

Leading hairdressing chain Rainbow Room International

have salons across Glasgow, Stirling and Ayr.

In 2003, they set up a hair academy in Glasgow City Centre,

training over 80 students each year

and owners Alan and Linda are always on the lookout for new talent.

Some people are gifted with just that wonderful personality

that they love people.

Well, that's brilliant.

That's a gift in our industry.

Each student works in one of the 12 salons

and attends the academy one day a week for formal training.

It's a revolving door of students and every three months,

a new group of 16-year-olds start at the academy,

run by training director Leigh.

Today is the start of their journey into their hairdressing career.

You don't get to just start cutting hair straightaway.

There's a lot of other things that you have to learn.

Leigh, who started 18 years ago as Alan's assistant,

and helped set up the Academy,

welcomes the new students on their first day.

This is Alan's wall of fame.

He put this together

so that everybody, every single morning and every single night,

could see these inspirational hairdressers.

When I was looking at the wall full of hands,

it just kinda made me think "I could do that."

Like, just kinda gives you so much inspiration.

Grab a seat somewhere near the front.

Hairdressing isn't a job,

hairdressing's a career.

And you're at the bottom of this ladder,

but that ladder is like Jack And The Beanstalk -

there is no end to the amount of education you can get,

the amount of money that you can make.

It is the best career that you could possibly have.

Some of the things that we're getting to do this year...

the MOBOs and the BAFTAs,

and we're the official hairdressers for T in the Park.

T in the Park is the highlight in the academy's calendar,

and for the young students, being part of the cutting crew

is something that they can aspire to in the future.

With T in the Park, it's all rock stars that you're doing,

and amazing artists...

And it's in a field,

so you know that makes it very different from a salon.

With over 25 years of hairdressing experience,

and 15 years as a Rainbow Room salon director,

John is in charge of preparing the experienced team for the festival.

So you get your production pass

and I've managed to get yous all dinner vouchers this year, as well.

-ALL:

-Yay!

I know. It's good. Let's go and do a model.

Very hard, very hard work, you know.

You're in there up to your knees in mud sometimes.

You know how T in the Park is.

But all you're there is to offer a wee service to bands

who, over the years we've found out, are on the run.

Are just moving from place to place.

I've met Brandon Flowers,

I've met Katy Perry.

She's amazing.

The whole weekend goes by so quick, in a blur, but it's amazing.

It's not only the professional team who get to experience T in the Park.

John has got two golden tickets for his star students,

and he's called Craig and Emma to tell them the good news.

-Do you know why you're here?

-No.

-Any idea? You must have some idea?

-No.

Leigh and myself were looking at all your work,

particularly your dressing and your styling,

so we want to know if you'd like to work at T in the Park this year?

Really?

Basically, what it means is for the whole of Saturday,

you'll be working backstage in the green room.

You'll be working alongside all the stylists from the salons

and you'll be helping doing the artists' hair. All right?

-Thank you very much.

-Nae bother.

I was thinking that if I was actually going, I'd be so scared,

and now we are, I feel, like...

We're still excited, though.

I think it's fantastic, obviously.

Emma, I think, particularly, has been desperate to go to T in the Park.

So, yes - it's always nice to tell them.

You're going to be working in the salon for four days

and coming here one day.

So all your formal training will take place within the academy.

Leigh would explain how hard the job is

and she paints a pretty bleak picture,

cos it's tough.

You definitely won't be off sick,

I can pretty much guarantee that -

unless you have got broken legs,

you're bleeding from every orifice

or you're highly contagious,

you can't be off sick, so don't bother phoning.

One of the key skills of a successful hairdresser is handling

the clients, so teacher Tara

takes the new students through a role play.

It feels unnatural, it feels more unnatural

because it's someone you know, but if you can build up your

people skills doing it with someone you know, it will come really

naturally to you when it comes to doing it on a client.

OK?

Firm handshake.

Hi, I'm Roisin. I'm going to be doing your hair for you today.

-Have you ever been to the salon before?

-No, not yet.

Erm, what I'm going to do first is I'm going to do

a hair strand test... Don't make me laugh!

My dream is to qualify

and go away somewhere like, abroad

and get my own business and have people working for me,

and like, do really good for myself.

See if you go back up?

'My goals are to work my way up'

and try and actually open my own shop.

I've noticed, like, like some of the hair is actually

straight on girls and then some bits are actual curled.

-Aye.

-I think that's like, quite a big thing right now.

Aye, probably.

My ambition is to be one of the best and to get people to want to

pay a lot of money for me to do their hair.

Are you happy with it? No?!

I think they done really well for their first day,

it's quite intimidating for them,

but as long as they've got

someone at the same level as them, I think they feel OK.

On day one, I try not to terrify them too much.

Erm, I do, you know,

try and make them understand that this is the rules

and the rules AREN'T made to be broken,

but I give them a little bit of leeway.

It's not until they have to be pulled in again and

spoken to that they understand the full wrath of my bad mood!

Students Angel and Alijah have already been in the academy

for six months.

I first started as a Saturday assistant and I'm from Stirling

and that's where I work, as well, you know what I mean? Stirling.

I grew up in LA, but I moved here when I was 14 and now I'm 16.

One of the rules of salon life is some of the students will have to

choose a new name.

If there's somebody with the same name as you, you have to

change it and erm, I choose Binky because I watch Made In Chelsea

all the time and I really love the name Binky and she's in it.

If you have two people called Jack, it would be confusing for clients.

Hi, Katherine, I'm Jack... I mean, Syd.

Syd's the name he came up with, apparently in tribute to

Syd Barrett and apparently in tribute to Sid the sloth in Ice Age.

My name's Tara - with a T, cos everyone calls me Lara, Cara,

do you know what I mean?

But anyway, my salon name is Angel.

I won't know her as Tara - I'll know her as her salon name,

so I know her completely as Angel.

Tara's my name.

Shut the front door, that's MY name. Aw, it's weird.

And your mum's called that, as well.

I was surprised no-one's dog was called that, cos

everyone's dog is called Tara.

My real name is Jack

and then I changed it to Austin

cos it's my grandpa's maiden name.

Students are continually assessed

and Level-2 assistant Angel is hoping to get passed off on her

one-length cut and full-head permanent colour

by teacher Sarah Jane.

Best of luck!

I've seen you do one-lengths before.

Make sure your sections are nice and clean, and neat and even.

You need quite a lot of interaction through the assessment or

we cannae pass you off on it, alrighty?

Should be great, OK.

You can do it.

Hi, nice to meet you.

-Hi.

-So it's Lizzy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

My name's Angel, I'll be doing your hair for you today, OK.

When I first met Angel, you gotta know how to take her.

Her personality's quite strong.

That weekend, I was just at a party and stuff,

know what I'm saying, living the good life.

As long as she doesn't say anything too offensive

and she's professional, then that's fine.

But halfway through the cut, Angel has to ask Sarah Jane for guidance.

Can you straighten it up for me?

It's not a straight line and I can tell.

See, as long as you just stick to your guideline, honey, you're fine.

Was I doing wrong pulling it down too much, here?

Pulling it down too much, too much tension

and you were cutting bang on the line.

-Perfect.

-OK.

We get these wee people at points in their life where

they go through all their firsts, you know - first love,

first break-up, sometimes horrible things like first illnesses

or losses of family and things like that and you're there to just

shepherd this person through a really important part of your life.

I hope to achieve the two years of training and then get

took on as a stylist and then maybe be one of the top stylists.

Student Sophie is one of nine assistants

at the Great Western Road salon, run by John.

Sophie has the potential, her practical work is good,

she follows instruction well, she's getting better every week.

Mum tried to get into it when she was younger,

cos she was a hairdresser and she just never got in

so then Mum said, like, "Why don't you try to get in?"

So I gave it a try.

Sophie was only maybe about 11 and she'd be able to blow dry

somebody's hair using the brush and the dryer moving at the same time

which is a knack, not a lot of people can do that,

that's how a lot of trainees burn people's heads and things like that.

I used to always watch my mum, picking up wee things

and then trying it on her hair and my sister's hair

and it's just something I just brought up and wanted to do.

In 2012, Sophie's mum Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I'll never ever forget the look on her face when I told her,

the look in her eyes.

Well, I took the decision to shave my head - I thought

that losing my hair coming out in clumps would be far too upsetting.

And I heard the clippers going and then I heard somebody, like, crying

a wee bit and I walked out of the room and it was my mum, doing it herself.

She stopped and then we looked at each other

and we both burst out laughing and then she handed me them

and was like, "Do you want to do it?" and I was like, "Erm, OK."

So then I look the clippers and done the rest of her hair.

The day I found out I got the all-clear,

I was like, dancing about my kitchen.

And since then, Amanda has set up a wig bank to help other women

dealing with hair loss.

When she got the all-clear, that's when I started at the Rainbow Room.

She was clever enough to deal with that and come

and get a new job and a brand-new trade so she was...ballsy,

kind of brave to do that, I think, to come into hairdressing

at that time when she was going through so much at home.

Back at the academy, having needed assistance with her one-length cut,

Angel moves on to be assessed on her full-head permanent colour.

So you quite like doing colour, then?

Yeah, deffos - it's my favourite thing.

It's this Scottish weather - I swear to God, I hate it.

I know, every time we're in America, I'm like, I want to move here.

Can you not see me in America? Oh, my God, I should be American.

You should be.

Let's have a wee nosy. Does it look quite even?

Yeah, cos I went like that - whoop!

That's perfection, beautiful.

I'll give you my decision at the end

when I see your colour applied and dried and all that kinda good stuff.

OK - so you follow me.

..The right temperature.

You were really good - you just lost your confidence,

so from your cut point of view, unfortunately

I need to fail the assessment,

-so do you have any issues with that, are you...?

-No,

I know it's a learning curve, you know what I mean?

So I'll learn from it, so it's not a total fail - it's a learn.

-But your colour was perfect.

-OK.

Aye, it was dead even through to the end.

Well done - so I'm going to pass you off on your colour, right?

That's it. Perfect.

For those who don't get to go to T in the Park,

there's still a chance to feel like a rock star.

Each year, the staff and students record a novelty single

which they sell in the salons to raise money for charity.

Leader of the band is Royal Exchange Square salon director

and guitar enthusiast David, who has come to the academy to hold

auditions for places in the salon band.

A lucky few will get to spend a day with him in the recording studio.

So are you three auditioning tonight?

-Guitar - no singing.

-No singing.

Singing is not my strong point.

Same with me, I probably sound like a dying mouse or something.

A dying mouse?

What about you? What's your favourite karaoke song?

Erm, it would have to be...Amy Winehouse.

Students and stylists arrive for the charity single auditions.

To help choose the winners, David has enlisted

the help of some of his colleagues.

I'd like you to give a warm welcome to our panel of judges this evening.

Oh, I'm ruthless, you know - I take no prisoners.

If they're crap, they're crap.

I'll let Alan be the bad guy, like Simon,

so I'm either Sharon or Kylie.

I'll go Kylie.

Music is probably my first love, so it will be very interesting

to hear it getting murdered this evening.

It's about pushing young people and if you can push them

with their hairdressing it's great, if you can push them in other

ways of creativity it all makes them more rounded, more confident people.

Oh, what - man, nah, shut the front door, look at all them,

I can't handle that.

Yeah, actually - everyone turn their back and it will be a lot better.

I got actually nervous about it, I was freaking out.

A part of me was like, naw, I'm not gonna do it,

but then some of the guys know that I do rapping

and stuff and they were like, "Aw, come on, Angel - you got

"to do it, you got to do it" and I was like, "Argh!"

SHE RAPS SONG

So my name is Tara always seem to be in the drama

I have no luck that's why I always seem to get stuck

It's a life skill knowing what I wanted to do

Do it here, just like you Here's my heart on the line

Everyone knows I was born to shine - boo!

Wow - you are a star, a star.

Well done.

I enjoyed it, I'm glad I did it now, you know what I mean,

once you've done it, you're glad you've done it.

# Baby, can't you see I'm calling... #

Alan and Linda are my bosses, so I'm a little bit afraid of them,

like, what if they fired me or something - I never know.

# Then my head's spinning round and round

# Can you feel me now... #

Not 100% on the words, actually!

LAUGHTER

Eh, like I was quite scared at doing it at first.

HE SINGS: Tears Dry On Their Own

But then I just kinda got in the hang of it

and just kinda blanked everyone out.

# And in your way in this blue shade

# My tears dry on their own... #

Really original, liked it a lot.

APPLAUSE

# Popular, you're gonna be popular

# I'll teach you that proper ploys when you talk to boys

# Little ways to flirt and flounce Ooh!

# There's nothing that can stop you from becoming popular...lar! #

Now, THAT'S what I'm talking about!

As David considers who'll join him in the recording studio,

the auditions become slightly chaotic.

I've been practising my Rod Stewart gravelly voice by drinking

incessantly for, you know, maybe 40 years.

# I feel like making love... #

I think I've nailed it.

# I feel like making love... #

You can't sing, you can't play,

you look terrible,

you'll go a long way!

Over the weekend, 85,000 people a day descend on a disused

airfield in Balado to see more than 150 bands play their hearts out.

This year is the 20th anniversary of T in the Park

and the drinks are flowing, the temperatures are soaring

and everyone is in the mood to party.

But backstage, there is one tent that is hard at work.

We got up at 5am this morning

-and drove from Spain, which took about 13 hours.

-Did you?

I've never been to Scotland before, this is my first time.

-Does this feel cold to you?

-You're my third Scottish person I've ever met.

It's not T for us until we've done The View.

How long do you think we've had the salon here now?

-Eight years.

-Eight years, aye.

It started off with James Brown's hood dryer,

they phoned to get the hood dryer,

a granny dryer for his rollers and then

eventually John went,

"Will we not just set up a salon?" and that was it.

That's perfect.

I was here when James Brown was playing, that was brilliant.

Lucky students Craig and Emma have been busy all morning

preparing the hair extensions for the stylists.

Slightly nervous about it now, I'm sure it'll be a good day.

Obviously it's a lot of pressure, so it's exciting,

but scary as well!

This year is proving to be one of the busiest ever

at the hairdressing tent with lots of image-conscience

celebs wanting to look their best before going on stage.

How do you feel? Is it all right?

Yeah...

-Is the pressure all right?

-Yeah, it's really good.

A lot of the artists have said they've seen people coming

back with great haircuts so that's brought them in,

so we haven't stopped all day.

I try and make T in the Park a bit more special

and the guys have done a fantastic job over the years in here

and the bands all go out looking fantastic when they go on stage.

MUSIC PLAYS

As well as doing the hair, the team try and get some of the artists

to sign one of their guitars, which will be auctioned off for charity.

-Ah!

-I don't want to take that, that's a bit... That's a bit of a...

-I'll do it up here.

-You deserve to take that.

-I don't think I do.

-You do, Calvin.

Oh, my God, I'm having a moment!

After working hard in the tent all day,

Craig and Emma take a well-earned break.

What are stovies?

It's kinda like thick soup.

It's where it joins in - look.

Stop it... Craig, we could easily kill ourselves on this.

It's been a great day coming here.

We would be in the salon doing hair,

so it's just a lovely environment to come and work in and it's great fun.

It went quite well, there was quite a lot of people in,

the salon was busy, saw some familiar faces.

I was desperate to see The Script, but then I missed them

cos I was obviously floating around trying to see someone else.

At the Academy, it's business as usual for the new students.

So we've got a really, really busy day, it's maybe not going to

be that much fun, because a lot of it is paperwork.

We've got reviews to get done,

so what I want yous to do first of all is I need yous to write

up a list of what yous have still got to do practical-wise.

The students are only assessed when working on live models,

but mostly practise their cuts and hair styles on the Sally head dolls.

On average, the dolls only last for about six weeks

and each student has to shell out £32 for a replacement.

-Right, who doesn't have Sally heads?

-I need to buy a new one next week.

You'll need to go sort it, you'll need to go and figure it out

cos I've got nothing for yous to do if you've not got a Sally head.

Go figure it out.

Do you have a name for your Sally?

Have you?

Aye, mines is called Sally Cinnamon.

What?

Please tell me you've heard that song before?

# Sally Cinnamon You're my world... #

-Binky, are you ready for your review?

-All right.

And then I'll grab you, Austin, as well.

So G17 you've completed,

GH10 you've completed,

GH11 you've completed,

G7 you've completed...

-That's brilliant.

-Thank you.

Back at awesome.

Right, OK - the problem is now you need to keep that pace up, that's the problem.

I said my Sally is called Sally Cinnamon and they were clueless.

As to what?

Like, what Sally Cinnamon is.

What is it?

It's a Stone Roses song! Why does nobody know this?

Cos I'm not cool, I'm a mum! I watch The Voice at the weekend.

# I tell Sally I was never happy... #

But unfortunately for one of the new students, their time

at the Academy has already come to an end.

If we do have leavers,

it does tend to be at the beginning of the course.

I think for Roisin, I think the course was just a bit harder than

she expected it to be.

Unfortunately, some people just don't make it.

There was too many people in the Rainbow Room and I found it

hard to get my training done right,

but I'm still doing hairdressing and

where I work the now, there's only two of us, so I find it much easier.

# Sally Cinnamon, you're her world. #

How's things been?

Been all right.

Yeah? All right?

HG11, so if we go to that unit

and see what you've still got left to complete...

It's just kinda everything.

Yeah, but you've been doing all the practical work, practising it

on your Sally head and practising it on your block head so we just

need to find the models for that, so when are we going to get models in?

Eh, I'm going to try and look for them.

The main thing we need from our assistants is that they

realise they have to have a set amount of models, they have to cut

hair, the practical aspect of their job is the most important thing.

If they can't get someone to get their hair cut for free, then

they're not going to get someone to charge £30 for a haircut.

OK, so be more organised and organise your models

a week in advance.

All right?

If you just carry on with your project, please.

Thank you.

Eh, I'm feeling better than what I was when I first came - like,

I always end up getting my hair done different colours and stuff

like that and that always seems to bring my confidence up a wee bit.

For the salon band, the big day has come as they head to the

studio to record the single that will be sold in the salons

to raise money for charity.

From all the rehearsals, we've picked three really good singers,

it's going to be great fun.

We're all looking forward to it and they're quite happy

because they're away from the salon for a bit of a skive of a day.

Oh, my God, stretch.

The song is their own take on Bad Company's Feel Like Makin' Love.

Try that, if that's easier?

-# Feel like doing hair... #

-But that's flat.

Oh, touche!

-Are you really going there?

-All right, girlfriend!

ALL: # Feel like doing hair! #

That's it, excellent.

-Break a leg.

-I shall.

Scared.

# Baby, when I think about you

# I think about hair

# Darlin', when I see you coming... #

Her voice is off.

# Hair

# Feel like doing hair... #

# Feel like doing hair... #

We'll just do one more take.

-Was that OK?

-Nah, that's you.

-That was great.

-Thanks!

OK, that's you.

While David lays down the final guitar track,

Angel gives the girls the lowdown on her new rap.

Part of it is about how everyone is trying to make it and stuff

like that, so a smidge cheeseball!

And I actually wrote it on Monday night when I was eating my savoury roll supper - you've had one of them?

-No.

-Oh, my God, it was so good.

-Angel, that's you, when you're ready.

-OK.

SHE HUMS NERVOUSLY

How come I can hear me, like, speaking through this?

-Through this.

-Is it that what it...? Shut up! SHE LAUGHS

Oh, my God. I'm so laughing. That's quite funny. ANGEL LAUGHS

Do I go now?

Do I just...? I don't know when to go.

SHE RAPS: Well, I'll be down here Please sit down

I'll make you aware

I'll play the game and I'll put you to shame

This has been my dream ever since I was 14

Let the haters hate because they just can't relate

Don't bring me down

I'll be the first to leave this town

Bright lights call my name

I pray to God my life will never be the same

Well, it all comes back to what we know

Can't hold on Must let go

Friends, family keep me strong

Always there when things go wrong

So don't be afraid of who you are

Look up to the sky and aim for the star

This is our time

Everyone knows that we were born to shine.

-Fantastic!

-It's all right, bro.

Eventually got it. Eventually got it.

I actually got a full thing out there, do you know what I'm saying?

Next time, one student gets on the wrong side of Leigh.

You don't always like what a client brings in, but you have to do it.

And Binky enjoys the more glamorous side of hairdressing.

Noel Gallagher was right behind me. Oh, my God.