street performing

hey any one here do any street performing?
ive done it a few times. i mad about 30 bucks. not bad eh? considering that it was a about a 10 minute show that consisted of juggling balls rings clubs, unicycling and some contacting juggling
~arnar

 

I have a friend who's done it with a git-fiddle, he got some good money with it.

 

I used to busk quite often when I lived in Ohio, haven't yet done it since I've been in Wisconsin.

 

i played a 120 button bass accordion (one of those FUCKING HUGE ones) in the middle of my conservative, backwater town, and i made 2 bucks..

 

once... we were outside a barber's... they told us to come in and they'd cut our hair..they then said we looked like hanson. so we play Mmm Bop and made £1...

 

that's funny blindhobosam

do most places require a busking license to do street performing, or are there some places more open to that?

 

I've never heard of anything like that outside of England.

 

oh well they do it in toronto i know... they actually have competitions at the annual "fair" (they don't call it that though) where ppl compete to get a free busking license, but i wasn't sure if it's like that in the states too. didn't think it was...

 

thats pretty cool, actually..

 

i danced at a tourist location every weekend last summer, made a little over $1500. had a live drummer and accordion player, that was the best summer ever... alas we couldn't do it this year because of the ridiculously high busking liscence fees (they went up from $15 to $475, blarg...)

 

I've played clarinet with 2 others, a sax player, and a trumpet player, on 6th st. in Austin a couple times. I'm not sure how much we made (we weren't doing it for the money anyway).

 

sweet. busking is so much fun. there need to be more pople that do it
arnar

 

Performing on the streets, town squares, tube stations etc is the front line. It takes a reasonably big pair of balls the very first time you do it, and the feeling of being pretty 'exposed' doesn't help either. You feel everyone is watching you merely to see you slip up and denounce you as feeble and unworthy.


BUT......once you have done it, and especially made a bit of money to get some lunch and a few beers, you cannot wait to do it again. The biggest bonus of all, though is that it makes you a much better performer. Playing in bars or clubs is relatively easy in comparison, after you've been ignored by well dressed shoppers as you play a real sharp song, only to have an old lady throw some coin in the case as you tune up! It's highly recommended.

The world would be a very dreary place without street performers. It is a 'torch' that we carry, passed on from street performers throughout the centuries. One of the oldest prefessions, no less.

I like to play the streets and arcades of my native Newcastle, and this summer did some country fairs with a bluegrass banjo dude. Now, the run- up to Xmas!

 

ha ha!! ^^ that guys funny... im busking for a living most of the time..

there are sevral reasons for it...

one is the money....its easy and quick, dont have to wash dishes for seven hours for 40 quid.

two is the 'fuck you' and 'love you' kicks i get from passers by.. its good for mental health when a scowling rich snob gets stupified becuase they cant understand street,talent,moeny. in one context. SMALL MINDS AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
the love vibes of recognising other strange souls doing whatver they do...

other reaosns include... expressing stuff... trying to cheer up the misery on the street!!! get out anger at people pushing you around as you walk to whereever you walk to....im like.... stert corner.. out comes the violin.. fuck you misery ! dance!!! cheer the hell up!!!


okay.. and the other reaosn is it means i dont have t ask anyone out.. i ca just wait for them to come...sneaky....

 

....okaaaaaaaaaaay....so whaddya play with that violin (put another 2 strings on it, and I might try one myself!) and where, Tiger?

 

irish trad. clasical, jazz, swedish, russian!! whichever street im on!

i do dfo it for the money.. but not in an exploiative way like some people who carry around cds and try to flog them...or charge for people taking picures...


i do it becuase i need some money to get somehwere right?! and also for the giving people a space to breathe in...in a bustly city, frinstance.. in amsterdam this man brought his little babe and they sat in the dappling sunlight clapping hands.. i thought was incredible!!!!!!!!! father and daughter sharing a beutiful moment with live music.. that just KILLS ME!!!

 

Ilike to take my djembe to parks to play, I never busk though, I think I should probably start though, then i'll get the enjoyment of playing and the money for a bus fare home

 

heheheh i could play my flutes and you could play your djembe!

i can do a funny .lil dance like an elf aswell!

 

I've never been busking in the street, but one day I was playing penny whistle at college and I put down a hat with a few pennies in it just for a joke; and I made about £6!

Also, I busked at college on guitar for charity not so long ago. Think I made over £10.

 

oh I'm dancing with fire-chains and juggling balls sometimes.