MC5 contract for the UK show that never was can be yours

Australian collectables store Vicious Sloth is touting a genuine MC5 contract for a cancelled 1972 UK show on eBay, under the letterhead of one of their former booking agencies Gemini. Notable for Australian rock trivia buffs is the naming of Barry Earl as one of the principals of Gemini. Click to enlarge.
Interestingly, he's billed as a "former convict and exponent of the didgeridoo" in what's undoubtedly an attempt at humour by his English colleagues. With friends calling you an ex-con, who needs enemies?
Anyway, back on our shores, the late Barry Earl was the svengali behind the infamous "Lethal Weapons" compilation that attempted to catch a ride on the back of Australian punk rock by including the likes of Teenage Radio Stars, The Boys Next Door (later the Birthday Party), JAB and The Survivors. Aztec Music recently re-issued it and TJ Honeysuckle wrote a background interview piece for the I-94 Bar here.

It was attracting no bids at $49.99 last time I looked tonight so it'll be interesting to see if it goes off or is re-listed. If the link at the top of this post stops working, use the search feature on eBay.

Stone passed (in)

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood isn't the first person to find the Internet isn't a goldmine for everyone. He recently put this print of himself and ex-Faces bandmate Rod Stewart up on eBay for 1300 pounds. It attracted just five bids this week before being passed in at 500 quid.

eBay and the future of music

Online auction site eBay is the epitome of free market economics. A transparent public space where traders buy and sell and the market decides the price. Of course, anyone that “owns” a free market just can’t resist tampering with it and eBay has committed the all-too-obvious sin of imposing Paypal (which it owns) as the preferred payment system for Australian traders. Fuck them for their arrogance.

The market forces that drive eBay have also driven down the price of recorded music. That’s a good thing on the surface for buyers, but not so hot if you think rock and roll shouldn’t just be a commodity. Food for thought about that and a few other issues in the London Review here.