Two strands of Kurt Cobain’s hair are up for auction next month – the same two of six that were sold for over $14,000 back in 2021.
The hairs are part of an auction entitled Punks, Monsters, Smut and Madmen: A Countercultural Cross Section and they’re not the most bizarre item on offer.
That dubious accolade might belong to the blood-stained Y fronts that once belonged to the ultimate shock-rocker GG Allin. Their description reads ‘Signed in blood over the fly and INSCRIBED “Suck my ass it smells” to the reverse side. Stable; one hole near rear inscription; seemingly used; staining.’
Hmm-mm, lovely.
As for the Kurt Cobain’s hairs, well, yes they were previously sold by Iconic Auction four years ago. The description on both list Tessa Osbourne as the person who originally wielded the scissors.
Osbourne reputedly cut Kurt’s hair in Birmingham when Nirvana were over here on tour in 1989. Back then they were an obscure band on Sub Pop records, still very much in the shadows of their more famous labelmates Mudhoney. Which raises the question: did Osbourne have a premonition that Kurt and Nirvana would go on to become one of the most significant bands of their (or any) era? Or did she/does she routinely keep hairs from every client? Which is a bit creepy and strange...isn’t it?
There are other items in the Punks, Monsters, Smut and Madmen list which don’t raise such disturbing questions. There are lyric sheets, posters and vinyl signed by the likes of the Ramones and the Dead Kennedys. You could also – should you have sufficient funds – bid for the shopfront awning from the CBGB gift shop which was situated next to the iconic New York venue.
Better still, you could own an original piece of the venue’s dressing room wall which, as those who visited CGBGs will remember, was covered in hundreds of graffiti-ed names and tags of the many many acts who played there.
If you’re interested in any of this head over to Potter & Potter Auctions here. Live bidding starts on March 6, but absentee bids are now being accepted.
