I busk on a 5fott unicycle but I dont interact with the crowd or have an act, help!

[Unisykolist]

Hi,
I'm new to the forums I need some help. First I'll tell you some stuff.

I'm 13 and busking in Adelaide (Capital City), Rundle Mall in South Australia. Adelaide isnt as big as sydney or melbourne but theres still a popular spots in Rundle Mall and can gain crowds, but my problem is I can't. I ride on my 5foot giraffe (or chain driven) unicycle and I juggle 3 balls on it and just ride around. I make $80 avg per day for about 3 hours work or sometimes 4 hours.

So what i want to do is get an act together and interact with the crowd. I need lots of tips on this because I've never done it before. Am i too young?

Soon I'm getting a 3 wheeled uniccyle (3 wheels stacked on top of one another) so I can incorporate that to the act and may be able to juggle clubs on it with a bit of practice.

I can do lots of tricks on my standard unicycle and do lots of juggling tricks with 3 balls.

Hope you can help.

[Evan Young]

try talking to people more. do some yelling, get a couple people to stop before doing anything, and then do some tricks for them. See about doing a couple of jokes. Eventually you will start to find little bits that work and it will develop into an act.
The age thing isn't a problem, it can only help. You have TONS of time on your side, so don't worry about getting big crowds right away.
It does help to learn basic street show structure, so read the library. Show must have a crowd gather, beginning, middle, and end. The most important is the crowd gather and the end.
Stop a few people and do a big trick. Then eventually try doing more tricks before that. It can take years to get good at street performing, but most give up before getting good ever happens.

[Chris Griffith]

giant uni

One of the best shows I've seen was all about trying to get on the tall uni. (Everyone asks & wonders - why not make a whole show around it?)

[jeep caillouet]

up to the rope

I stole this line from Dale the sword swallower . He tells people "up to the rope" for 30 minutes or better and when he has a big crowd he swallows 1 sword! I tell people"toes to the rope" Then let my crowd build a bigger crowd as I do my show. A crowd always builds a bigger crowd. Good luck

[Unisykolist]

Ok thanks people. Ill get better with my tricks and put together an act and try it out and see how it goes. I can see what I have to improve on. But would I need a PA system?

[Evan Young]

you'll be more versatile if you learn to be loud without one. weather or not you need one depends on where you are performing.

[martin ewen]

you young scallywag!

Do what evan suggests, go to the library section here and have a poke around and then start experimenting with stuff. let us know how you get on.

[Unisykolist]

To be honest, I don't think i can do it ... ... just yet. I don't have the confidence and I might look stupid, I'm not funny and Ill make myself look even stupid+800.

[martin ewen]

hah! Of Course you'll look stupid, you'll feel scareder than you ever have before, it will be terrifying.
and each day less so.

But that's why it's worth it.

We've all been there. We were each just like you once.

You are already out there on your unicycle, you think structure is going to make you look worse?

You have no idea how silly you look already, people want to give you the responsibility of entertaining them and you for your own reasons are already up on your bike with the juggling and you just need structure and you are all set.


You have no idea the effort it takes me to be this kind to you.

Don't waste it, I may turn cynical.

[Evan Young]

martin is right. no matter how long you wait you will fail frequently for the first couple hundred shows. I'm over 1,000 shows in and I still bomb once in a while. Remember how I said most people quit before they get good? That's apparently going to be you. And you don't have to be funny to pull off a good show.
Who are you worried about looking stupid in front of? you wont gain the confidence until you do a lot of shows.
you can start doing basic stuff now. Announce "show time", and hold the unicycle. set up your props, keep moving them around like it matters where they go and yelling "show time" until you stop two or three people. Look those people in the eye and tell them you are going to ride the 5ft unicycle of mass destruction, but first, some three ball tricks. Then ride the unicycle.

there, a 5 to 10 min show for three people. you will start to learn show structure and confidence that way. or just quit now, the world will never miss not having another street juggler on a unicycle.

[Unisykolist]

Right... I'll guess I'll try. Luckily at my circus school we learnt some performing techniques that I can consider when busking. But I find it weird how someone quit there fulltime job to busk, he said he learnt to perform in just 3 months and you guys are saying it could take years?

[Unisykolist]

Originally posted by Evan Young
martin is right. no matter how long you wait you will fail frequently for the first couple hundred shows. I'm over 1,000 shows in and I still bomb once in a while. Remember how I said most people quit before they get good? That's apparently going to be you. And you don't have to be funny to pull off a good show.
Who are you worried about looking stupid in front of? you wont gain the confidence until you do a lot of shows.
you can start doing basic stuff now. Announce "show time", and hold the unicycle. set up your props, keep moving them around like it matters where they go and yelling "show time" until you stop two or three people. Look those people in the eye and tell them you are going to ride the 5ft unicycle of mass destruction, but first, some three ball tricks. Then ride the unicycle.

there, a 5 to 10 min show for three people. you will start to learn show structure and confidence that way. or just quit now, the world will never miss not having another street juggler on a unicycle.

Why would I quit before I get good?

[martin ewen]

Why would I quit before I get good?

To be honest, I don't think i can do it ... ... just yet. I don't have the confidence and I might look stupid, I'm not funny and Ill make myself look even stupid+800.

why indeed.

if you are at circus school, stay there, it's not an either or situation and as to years verses months, it's a matter of degree. You cannot fake polish is I think the point.

there will come a point where discussing this becomes a defense against doing it.

[Evan Young]

I could hold a crowd after three months, but I still kind of sucked and it was stressful. Martin is right, it's a polish thing.
most people quit because it's a lot harder than they thought it would be.

go get em, when your 16 you'll be awesome at it and every girl you know will want to sleep with you. Street performer sex appeal works way better for the young ones than it does for the old ones, so get crackin' now!

[Isabella]

Originally posted by Unisykolist
Right... I'll guess I'll try. Luckily at my circus school we learnt some performing techniques that I can consider when busking. But I find it weird how someone quit there fulltime job to busk, he said he learnt to perform in just 3 months and you guys are saying it could take years?

Everyone's different.

Just because you can perform in 3 months doesn't mean you're *good* in that time.

I got a show together in a few weeks - maybe months if you count the previous show where I learned the skills. BUt I didn't get good until I did enough shows to figure out my good material and cut the other stuff. And then write a bunch more material, only some of which was good.

It's like riding a bike - anyone can get out of the driveway, but if you want to mountain bike or do a bunch of tricks, that's another story.

But, just like riding a bike, doing it will teach you much more than thinking about it or discussing it.