"ROMA"THE BEST BUSKING PLACE IN EUROPE

[izimagic]

OK, HERE IS ONE OF MY SECRET PLACES WHERE I USED TO PERFORM FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS. ROMA IN ITALY AS 2 REALLY GOOD SPOTS FOR BIG SHOWS, "PIAZZA NAVONA" AND "PIAZZA SANTA MARIA IN TRASTEVERE", AND LOTS OF OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU CAN DO SMALLER ACTS LIKE MIMES...("FONTANA DE TREVI" FOR EXAMPLE)
YOU CAN WORK THERE ABOUT ALL YEAR ROUND DURING THE WEEKENDS, NOV. AND JAN. ARE MORE QUIET BUT WORKABLE; IN SUMMER, SPRING OR DURING ANY HOLIDAYS IT GET REALLY GOOD ABOUT EVERY DAYS OF THE WEEK.
"YOU CAN PERFORM IN ENGLISH" IT USE TO GET ALWAYS FULL OF TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. NICE IF YOU LEARN A FEW WORLD OF ITALIAN FOR THE LOCAL PEAPLOE.
JUST HAVE TO KNOW THAT IN THE BEGENING YOU WILL FIND IT HARD, BUT IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WORK ROMA YOU CAN DO BIG HATS; I DO ABOUT 200/250€ PER SHOW WHEN I WORK THERE. FOR"SETTIMANA SANTA" OR IN SUMMER IT GETS EVEN BETTER.
NOW YOU WILL THINK WHY DO I GIVE MY SECRET AWAY???
SIMPLE: THERE IS 3 OR 4 LOCAL PERFORMERS THERE, THEY JUST DO SHIT!! AND THEY ARE REALLY UNFRIENDLY, AND EGOIST PERSONS, THEY DON'T DESERVE TO BUSK THIS PLACE AND MAKE MONEY, WITHOUT ANY CONCURENCE, THEY WILL ALWAYS TRY TO TELL YOU A LOTS OF THINGS TO MAKE YOU LEAVE, BUT YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOU CAN WORK ROMA, THAT THE PLACE IS GOOD, NO PROBLEMS WITH POLICE....YOU CAN USE AMPLIFICATION...I THINK THAT IT´S THE BEST BUSKINK PLACE I KNOW IN EUROPE AT THE MOMENT, YOU CAN DO SHOWS AS BIG AND AS LONG AS YOU WHANT, DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT LOCAL PERFORMERS, TRUST ME, THEY ARE REAY SHITY PEAPLOE, BUT I WILL ALWAYS WELCOME YOU.
IF YOU GO IN WINTER PERFORMING IS FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY FROM 4PM TILL 8PM, OR 11PM IF YOUR NOT TOO LOAD. SUMMER, PERFORMING IS GOOD FROM 9PM TILL 12PM EVERY DAYS.
FOR CHRISMAS THEY HAVE A BIG MARKET ON NAVONA, SO THE SPOT GET SMALLER, EVENT SO I DID OVER 2000€ IN 5 SHOWS LAST YEAR.
PS: MY WEBSITE AS CHANGED ADRESS: http://izimagic.societeg.com
SEB.

[divingrichm]

hi izi,

how is roma for balloon twisters, any good spots, what are the laws.

grazie mille!
Rich

[izimagic]

Hi Rich. Hard to say, if it will be good for balloon twisters in Rome, there is no one doing that in Rome.
In Rome you can sell something only if you just made it with your hands en front of the people; so I gess you can do it with no problems. not so many children around....maybe you can make a living from it but not so much money.
Italy use to be good mostly for big circle shows and musicians.
Seb.

[divingrichm]

thank you for the info izi

[Mario Morris]

Great thread thanks for sharing, I am looking for pitches in Europe.
Mario

[izimagic]

an other place

Hi everybody, hi Mario, Ok, since I told you about Roma, I hope this will help somes of you. Now I am performing in the weekends in Torino, north Italy, cold, often raining, but from 3 december christmas market starts, there is a lot of performers down there, can't do so many shows but good audience, and friendly local performers
seb.
ps: new web: www.izimagic.net

[renricker7]

hey,

just for information, i have seen a ballontwister at "via del corso".

i don´t know how it was working for him, but i´ve seen him quite a few times.

rené

[miquee]

hi i'm in turin. i perform every weekend. who are you? where are you working? jesus... we have enough problems with bad weather, fake native indians blasting music, oodles of performers everywhere and now public invitations on pnet... fai cazzi tuoi...

[Chance]

That's funny Mike, you certainly knew how to come here and beg for info about the places YOU were interested in, like Brussels, etc. Didn't put THOSE locals first when it was something YOU wanted. What goes around comes around....

[miquee]

chance...
1. i never begged for info. (please choose your words well!) i asked. if it is offered cool if not oh well... i go i try....
2. i have offered plenty of info on pitches when asked... like you for example when you contacted me privately. (and i was happy to help)
i've worked pitches all over europe. certain pitches with lots of full time pros on them. i think judgement calls are important. i gave info on basel but i have never seen a performer there. other pitches have line ups with performers getting one show each in. i'm fairly sure if i write a long message offering the pnet world the ins and outs of that particular pitch inviting whoever to come, the other performers would not be happy. maybe i'm wrong but i don't think so.
i've worked pitches where that might get you beat up.
i have never offered up info on other performers regular pitches randomly and freely for all the world to see. so its not what comes around goes around. its a totally different circumstance as far as i can tell. i've asked about pitches without much hope of getting answers and usually i have not. no problem i understand perfectly. but i'll still try and be cheeky and see if i can get the info without the effort of trial and error or a little research... like finding out who works the pitch or knows and contacting them directly. i think the reasons are obvious enough that i don't have to spell it out for you.
if you would like me to, write me a personal message and i may or may not respond.

[Chance]

You just said a whole lot of nothing and sound very defensive in the process.

You "helped" me off forums once with Italian info in exchange for some answers about places you were curious about in northern Europe. It was an even EXCHANGE.

And yes, you came in here REPEATEDLY asking for help & info on places you wanted to migrate to. But so what? It's what we're here for! The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

What you are complaining about here and now, is the fact that Turin is your home pitch, a place you have returned to after time away in Belgium, and here's a traveler named Sebastian (who I've known since 1999) inviting acts to 'YOUR' pitch.

I repeat, you didn't give the locals in Belgium much thought when you wanted to move north, right?

I anchored Vienna for almost 8 years. In that time I saw dozens of acts pass through, and I always hoped for more.

So freaking what if a few extra acts pass through Turin this winter? Do you really think it such a world class pitch that they won't want to leave?

[gav]

Turin huh, I 'll be there in a couple of days seeing that it's worth arguing about.

[izimagic]

uhm! Well, I am So sorry Miquee, I thought that performers.net was an exchange web site for performers, where you can find some info from other performers about pitches around the world, and where you can post your impressions from the places you go, so it could help others traveling performers. When I receive, I give. I call it exchange. And trust me; I have received a lot from performers.net. So I try to give a lot too. I am so sorry for my mistake!! I didn't know that the site was only a book where to get some infos. I realy thought I could write something on it!

Gav, If you need more info about turin here is my mail: izimagic@hotmail.com
I am in France now, but if I can do something let me know. I will send you a "private message" with every thing you need to know so nobody will get "peaced off" (how do yo spell that??).
Thanks Chance, you'r right on that one.
Seb.

[miquee]

Gav, if you come let me know I'll be happy to fill you in on the pitches. it's gotten cold enough that no ones comin out.

Chance,
your right. i'm a bit defensive/territorial about turin cuz it's my home pitch. i think thats pretty normal. i'm also happy to see shows pass through and helpful to those that come. except for the really loud fake native indian bands that camp on pitch.
there were no locals in brussels by the way. no one worked it. EVER. and i gave the locals in other parts of belgium thought when i went and checked out the scene, respected their ways of runnin things did my show then left... and i didn't INVITE lots of performers to the pitch.
i repeat, i see a big difference between askin for info about a pitch and freely offering all the details to everyone. maybe i'm just mentally wanking about little nuances. but... the pitches i've been to where there were a good number of regular performers, i don't ever remember reading one of them just openly inviting everyone to them... its common sense.

[gav]

Thanks for the offers guys but i was just kidding.
I don't work when it's below 20 degrees celcius.
How was your Croatia experience Miquee ?