new character

[Aaron Martini]

I currently go with the name aaron martini for corporate gigs but I don’t want use this name or my act for the street

My new street name, ryan, will have a new and different show that is designed for the street

I don’t want my corporate clients to recognize me during the street show so I am going to use a character that involves a costume.

Looking for suggestions for the costume - I am going to wear leather motocross boots, a trench coat and top hat

Thanks,

Aaron

[young raoul]

I'd say based on the costume...."Sadistico!" or "Wanko" - I would have suggested "Pee Wee" but that's taken....

good luck with your disguise

young fetisho

[martin ewen]

I had a corporate client see me on the street once, it was embarrassing, I was so ashamed. I had to follow him home and kill him just to be on the safe side and when I got back to the pitch I'd lost my edge and had to start over again...and then I saw another corporate client.
That gig lasted 17 days and by the time I finished I'd made $62 and had killed all my corporate clients.
A rule of thumb is a mediocre street show will make as much as a mediocre corporate entertainer but work twice as often and in more challanging conditions. (unless you feel a room full of bored dentists is more challanging than say the sudden appearence of knives, guns or soiled knickers)
A successful street show will always make less than its corporate counterpart but work with a freedom that a corporate performer would envy.
Corporate stuff is sauce and street is meat and veg.
Sauces often have fancy names disguising cunning combinations of quite ordinary content.
Meat and veg has no option but to be cooked really well.
I feel your asking us what kind of plate you should use to serve your meal.
The only guarenteed anonymity that would secure your confidence and preserve your higher status as a performer whom businessmen pay painfully high fees to whilst (whom! whilst! -fuck off) experimenting with the added revenue stream of street theatre would be to christen yourself
'Ryan--The mysterious magical giant human sized brown paper bag type object.'
Keep the boots though, they're a nice touch.
Hope this helps.

[Aaron Martini]

Thanks Martin,

I have a successful street show and a successful corporate show but I love performing the streets - not only is it a lot fun but it also makes my corporate character better - yeah, there is no guaranteed anonymity, especially in this business, but a little leakage is alright, there’s a lot of work out there; I love marketing and I also have my own agency. So maybe the risk is worth it.

Thanks,

Martin (aka aaron martini)

PS If you were suggesting, and I don’t think you were, that I care about what people think of me - I don’t, I just like securing the income.

[Aaron Martini]

A friend of mine, Atreides, does the street and he is still able to make big bucks in the corporate world; sure, a few agents don’t like to use street guys for certain gigs but some don’t care about it.

Aaron

[martin ewen]

So you don't want to be recognised because...?

[Aaron Martini]

I don’t want recognition to affect my business negatively - I figure I can do some street shows in my area and get away with it - if I do too many, some of my clients may not to go with me as a performer because they are concerned about what their clients think; some clients and agents have already done this with other performers.


Martin

PS In addition to doing some street shows my area I plan to go to other towns such as Edmonton, Victoria, Portland, etc. so that I can enjoy performing on the street - I enjoy it more than doing corporate gigs

[ 12-27-2002: Message edited by: Aaron Martini ]

[ 12-27-2002: Message edited by: Aaron Martini ]</p>

[Doctor Eric]

Recognition is ALWAYS good unless what you are selling your clients is a lie. Besides, if you have a succcessful street show, you won't care if you lose a 'client' or two. The people who would no longer hire you don't exactly sound like the greatest bunch to perform for, do they? I personally would rather have ragged piano wire doused in rock salt and dog feces rammed into my mouth, fed into my inestinal tract and slowly TUGGED through my innards over a period of 21 days than play monkey on a (shoe)string for a goup of priveledged white wage-slaves who are too pretentious to hire such an obviously low-class, low-bred, lazy and under-talented performer such as an individual who would even consider working the street. But that's just my humble opinion.
Wow, I just got back from a harrowing day in court, drank 4 cups of strong black, and managed to squeeze almost all of it into one run on sentence.
Anyway, your question seems to stem from some sort of deep-seated neurosis, don't worry about it, you'll be continually challenged, you can work as much as you want, and you get a free test audience (almost) every time.

[Chance]

Aaron, I had a great corporate gig this year BECAUSE of my street show. An employee of a large Austrian restaurant chain had seen my show, passed it on to at least two other people along the chain of command, until finally the guy organizing their Christmas party hired me sight-unseen. My fee was about triple what I would have made for a single day of summer work. Exposure works both ways.

[Aaron Martini]

Thanks,

great points! In fact another friend of mine got hooked up with an agent through the street - this agent has a healthy view towards street performing and gets him high paying gigs.

Thanks,

Aaron

[scot]

Aaron,
I understand.
I'd say trenchcoat and boots might not be the best recieved costume on US streets but, maybe it's better in Canada. You should probably wear a wighat.
scot

[Aaron Martini]

Thanks Scot,

the wighat sounds like a great idea. With respect to the trench coat and boots maybe I could soften them up and give them a hollywood look (eg blue or red performer trenchcoat)

Aaron