Amy Winehouse: should I stay or should I go? Place your bets
Few people admire Amy Winehouse's moxie as much as I, and her recent gig skipping antics have had them rolling in the aisles once again. But enjoyable as Winehouse's appetite for destruction is, what caught my eye was William Hill running a book on the likelihood of Amy attending her next gig.
Having made a half-decent second income through betting for the past few years, music-related bets always get my gambling snout twitching. Because a dedicated music fan will often know more about the field than the professional odds compiler who's pricing up the book. You might be betting on Eurovision, the Mercury Music Prize, the Christmas number one, or X Factor. The fact is that bookmakers aren't quite as clued-up on musical markets as they are on horse racing and football. The market for this year's Mercury Music Prize shortlist doesn't throw up too many surprises, but it's safe to say that Basquiat Strings should be nearer 1000-1 than 20-1.
You've probably heard it said that gambling's for fools, and it's nearly always true. It's a refuge for the feckless and deluded, and it's been the ruin of many a poor boy. But if as a music fan you happen to know that The Darkness being odds-on for the Mercury Music Prize is a joke, then you're in an excellent position to make a few quid.
Still, there are a few more musical markets I'd like to see bookmakers offer. Johnny Borrell to declare himself the second coming of Christ, Blue's Lee Ryan to make contact with of the "four types of alien" - and I'd love to see the odds on Prince making a decent album again.
So, are there any music related betting markets you'd like to see happen? Don't be surprised if your wishes become reality. The likes of Paddy Power love putting up novelty markets - it's great publicity and gives everyone a laugh. And with the wind in the right direction, you may actually make the bookies pay. So have at it. It's not like you've got anything else to live for.
