Article Ottawa Citizen - "Buskers Ungrateful"

[gav]

do yall play death metal?

You musos' are an angry bunch aren't you.
I suggest you both go toke on a reefer and subdue your madness.
Most guitar buskers I've seen don't ask for money, at most they have a little sign in their guitar case that says 'thanks for the tip' or something like that.
Most statue shows I've seen don't ask for money either, but they can make 50 euro an hour, sometimes more.
I've never seen a circle show not ask for money, but that does not make us a bunch of junky beggars !!!

[Dr. Harmonica]

Our members are rotting away

My Dear Mr. Ewin. I couldn't help but notice that you member has turned gangrenous after only some 1030 post. You have my unending sympathy. What will happen next???

[Dr. Harmonica]

I don't ask for money. I have a big sign on my guitar case with the poem that I posted earlier that does that. I sell CD's with a large sign that explains the pricing schedule. The more you buy the less per unit they cost. I have five different ones. Since I've been selling CD's the case change has gone down but who cares, The paper cash has really gone up. I used to carry kilo's of coins home. Now it's wads of paper. Life is tough out here in Buskerland.
Say y'all, this has been fun but I have things to do,
places to go and people to see

Just remember.....

I'm old enough to know better

But young enough to do the wrong thing

[martin ewen]

Cliff Richards "we're all going to a ..concentration camp"

Mr mouth organ. I've been secretly keeping tabs on you for years, since way back when you had a head full of tresses. Every time a clump fell out I'd match it with a pnet post.
Back to topic; Playing your heart out is the point, music has the luxury of you being able to immerse yourself in it and it projecting by itself.
Have a sign with your own stuff your happy with explaining yourself.
Seed your hat or case with the denominations you prefer.
Make eye contact.
There's differences between musicians and song and dance men and their both interesting in different ways.
You can put yourself anywhere between those definitions you wish.
This has turned into a bit of a self justification blather. Theres a lot of variety out there. I've seen silent magicians make good money.
Now must go and apply my ointment

Oh and the Dr's right CD's are a superior revenue stream for a muso.

[Dr. Harmonica]

My Dear Mr... Gangrenous.. Quite right, quite right. Seeding the hat or case is very important and I would never dream of starting the day with an empty case. From little seed grow big bills. In my younger days I used to empty the case from time to time but not any more. I like to watch the change grow. Of course the big bills get buried because sometimes a hopeless crack smoking hippy busker amateur guitarists might get jealous and try to steal. It's happened before. A quick hand in the case and out comes a bill. . Sometimes I catch them and sometimes they're bigger then I am It's a part of operating expenses

[harmonicakev]

Whatever you're comfortable with...

Personally, I avoid any mention of money in my act. People tend to give more and more often when they don't feel like they're being hustled. We've had some busker's come through here begging like junkies...

Glenn [/B][/QUOTE]

This is a somewhat common attitude among street musicians I've met in Boston and Cambridge, but lets face it folks, if your case is open, that's asking for money, and where is the problem with asking for money anyway? Everybody has to end up finding their own way of working a crowd, unless they have relatives who will support them. Personally I would never actually ask for money. e.g. my old hat line back when I had hair...." all donations go so that I, Kevin M., can get a haircut and look for a real job." Happy Spring! - Kevin M.

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

I'll second that. The "well, I'm too good to actually speak of money" attitude, from someone who relies on tips for a living, is just a little too much like a prostitute claiming that while yes, she will certainly allow a certain amount of her client's bodily fluid into her various orifices, she would never stoop to holding hands with someone in the park, much less a carriage ride, because that would be behaving like a whore.

Dignified though your perception of your position may be, you're right down here with the rest of us.
When a garbageman brags that he would never pick up a discarded chair and throw it in the truck, he's still a garbageman, though he may prattle on about being a refuse engineer.

So blow me.

[Peter Voice]

The best paying solo music act I ever saw was a guitarist in Sydney who played Chicago bluesy stuff with just a little amp, harmonica and voice.
He played and sang like an angel but what made the difference was two-fold.

First was he had the moves, this guy could dance.

Second was that he did a little show with crowd-build, lead-up and climax with hat-pitch.

And he did pack-up at the end but only to move a little and begin again.

Only 2-3 pieces after a short, loud crowd-build then a hat pitch. It was similar to some of the musos I saw working the underground trains in Paris in the late 70's. He had about a 10-15 min. turn-over and would do different pieces in each set.
I saw him one day do 8 little shows in Martin Place during a 2 and half hour lunch-time stint, then several sets in 2 hours at Circular Quay that afternoon. That evening I saw him doing it again Manly.

He was making about 80 a show and this was about 20 years ago.

[Dr. Harmonica]

My member is growing

Money, money, money money, money.....I'm only writing in here because I'm jealous of you guys. We got Gangrenous members, Amputated members, Senior members and Member members but do we have any members who are using their member for it's intended purpose??? If I keep writing enough bullshit maybe my member will grow big and strong like some of you guys....I hope....
My last wish is for somebody to suck my member!!!!!

[martin ewen]

Personally, I'd find that a bit distracting.
If I were dying, I'd be concentrating on profoundly funny things to say. (and I doubt my relatives would volunteer)

[Peter Voice]

Personally, I'd find that a bit distracting.
If I were dying, I'd be concentrating on profoundly funny things to say. (and I doubt my relatives would volunteer)

Punctuation can be almost as funny as dental surgery.