Tubes + Russian mob = "catastrophe for the music industry?"

[johnS]

Wow.

SARATOV, Russia — Mike Matthews, a sound-effects designer and one-time promoter of Jimi Hendrix, bought an unusual Russian factory making vacuum tubes for guitar amplifiers. Now he has encountered a problem increasingly common here: someone is trying to steal his company.

Sharp-elbowed personalities in Russia's business world are threatening this factory in a case that features accusations of bribery and dark hints of involvement by the agency that used to be the K.G.B.

Hopefully this gets sorted out. Sheryl Crow's guitarist is very worried.

From today's NTY: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/bu...s/16cheat.html

[dolivas]

let's not all rush to solve Sheryl Crow's guitarist's problem.

[Whoopysnorp]

Let's hope he doesn't get shut down--if that factory goes, that's like three different brands of Russian tubes out the window. I'm not really partial to those tubes myself, but competition is always good.

[schoolbat]

Looks like this story is something of a non-story. I love alarmist BS from major news outlets like the New York Times!

http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2006/...after-all.html

[dagosto]

Perhaps after a few minor scares, which should be expected in Russia anyway, Mike Matthews could be using this for free publicity. I'm glad the whole issue of corruption in Russia is being brought up though. Maybe somebody will do a benefit concert and all these problems will be solved.

[johnS]

Ah, celebrities. Is there problem they can't solve with a benefit concert?