Where would rock 'n' roll be without the beard? Just how do you tell your fans that you've gone all serious without sounding like a pretentious git? A beard tells everyone that you're not buying into the game man... we don't play that shit man... it's all about the music maaan. Yep. The beard is your messenger to those in the know.
When the Beatles' grew their chins out, they were saying "Listen... forget that mop-top crap... we got the blues now!" And think of funny ol' Jimbo Morrison. When he grew his beard, he was desperate for everyone to take his sixth form scribblings seriously... I mean, he even drank whisky neat from the bottle. Sadly for The Lizard Thing, his drinkin' and hirsutery left him looking more like a randy vagrant rather than a sex God. Still... you'd rather that than the doe eyed whistful bozo horseshit he was playing around with circa Waiting For The Sun.
People still use The Beard now. Bands like The Magic Numbers, a beard on every one of 'em, show their fondness for sixties cred with their jaw. Still, everyone has a long way to go before they reach the bearded heights of The Band. Danko et al had separate dressing rooms for their beards. The beards even had their own song with Jawbone. Hippie musical Hair was a tribute to the chins of those carrying The Weight... so basically, you ain't shit with a naked face. Mof Gimmers