• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: Busking : scary or joy, afraid or courage?

Before I write something I think we had already a thread about busking, but long ago.
Since we have so many active or registered members, I wanted to talk again about busking.
I went to PRAGUE in August, unfortunately the weather wasn't good, but I met a Canadian guy who had done a lot of jobs to survive, and he was a damned good player, with a fix job as guitar player in a big and popular restaurant there. He played 5-6 hours a day, at noon, and in the evening, not IN the restaurant but outside the restaurant.
He was a gifted and skilled player, but because of that very rainy day, they phoned him that he didn't had to play as said because of the rain.
Why scary and courage? Because 2 yeras ago, I was walking on the famous "ramblas" in Barcelona
There was a group of people from England, age 45-50 years old behaving themselves worse than naughty kids. They asked him to play, he was a "rookie", but he really tried to do the best he could, he played 4 songs, the group was really laughing, they gave him nothing. Yes, my friend and me 2 tables from the UK group, we gave him 10€.
IS THIS PART OF THE BUSKING WORLD?
I think you need an "elephant skin" to play on the street, and listen to the "dirty and the blasphemous" comments.
In DUBLIN, january 2009, I saw a guy, playing really good, but on 10 people, 3 listened and 7 passed by, but he received quit a lot from 80% of the people passing by.
SO, CAN YOU MAKE A LIVING BY BUSKING (he told me he could live fair enough, and with the accent on his passion, that he was really happy.)
Three different stories, so my question is how many of you have played guitar on the street, so
- the problems, like the law, the place you play?
- can a good guitar player live with the money he gets?
- can you handle the critics and comments given by stupid people?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

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  • From: Sydney West
  • Registered: 2007-08-28
  • Posts: 78

Re: Busking : scary or joy, afraid or courage?

I think with busking you have to be lucky as well - I mean if your a cute little kid or something its easy right - you get a coin for your cuteness - if your a good guitar player male - middle aged, then I think the chances of making serious money is harder - I think there needs to be a hook - like that dude who paints himself all blu - and busks, with a guitar. In Sydney there is the cross ( table dancing - pros etc ) - on a friday and Saturday night - where groups of guys go out and get smashed, know theres a dude who busks there - old man, a real character - he now plays with a stuffed parrot on his shoulder - know that would be tough busking there, all them drunk want to be guitar players. Now if I was to busk - and I am going to do it - it will be the type of experience thats going to decide wether I do it again. I hope it goes well - I will probably only busk for an hour - just for the experience - not the money - I just want to play out there - share the music - make people happy - but then again don't most people walk around with MP3's etc - Anyway I like this post.

"It's all about the Calluses, once you got them, you can't get rid of em!"
  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2008-06-24
  • Posts: 1,819

Re: Busking : scary or joy, afraid or courage?

In Ireland 1986, I drove up a hill from the sea and found a parking area where one could observe the waves breaking on rocky cliffs.
I saw this fellow unload a full - size orchrstral harp from the back of a Chevy station wagon. I got out to hear as he set it up and opened a suitcase on a piano stand with a few pound coins for seed money.
He played traditional Irish music with a lot of driving rock band - type rhythm that I really liked.
I walked up to drop a tip in his case and found some audio cassettes in there for 6 pounds each. I had the right change to buy one with a nice tip.
I walked back to my rental car to get out my old Yamaha dreadnought because I wanted to pick with this guy. He was no ordinary street musician. He could shred.
As I opened my trunk, heavy rain started and my guitar never came out. He shoved that harp into his car and headed down to the sea. I shoved his wonderful tape into the player and we drove inland to conclude our Irish trip with just the right music .

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

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