Who inspired you?

[Frisbee]

Who if anyone inspired you to become a street performer/performer?

I think that most of us probably saw one act or more that made something click in your mind saying that this is something that you want to do or more importantly NEED to do.

If it is not a specific person or show on the streets/stage or elsewhere, perhaps it is a different medium altogether.

[Frisbee]

since I started this thread, I will answer first.

My first experiences with performers came when I was growing up, I had the opportunity often to see performers come thru my town as well as at school and summer vacation spots like Disney and so there was always this presence in my life that I did not realize was there until I looked back upon it and could count myself fortunate.

I held an interest in magic since I was about 12 and when I was going to college I saw performers in Harvard Square and thought that it was amazing and it was something I needed to do...it felt right.

The people performing there in the early 90's that really made a difference and made me feel welcome?

The Jim Show, Peter Panic, Mark Farneth and Peter Sosna.

[gav]

I was very lucky to have the world expo in Brisbane(aus) during my last year of high school. If it wasn't for that 1 event I would be an electrician.

I missed a lot of school days that year.
Performers that I remember were
Dick n Dick (canadian comedy juggling duo) what happened to them ?
Derek Scot
Fred Garbo
Lee Ross
David Lichtenstein
Rusty Balls

The following year many street performers came through Brisbane and I saw others elsewhere.
Che Forest
Dirty Fred
Flying Bob
Nick Nicholas
Pepe
Richy Rich
Butterfly man
Tony Campbell

There were others that don't come immediately to mind, all of them had an influence be it negative or positive.

[jester]

I watched a street circus erect a flying trapeze complete with nets in about 45 minutes. The 5 of them performed an amazing show on a patch of grass opposite the Jobcentre where I worked. I was impressed with how organised they all were.

They weren't busking, they were being paid by our festival, but it was on the street and for the benefit of everybody.

I loved it.

[Magrat2005]

nobody inspried me, this whole thing was an accident...seriously, it was...but not now, performers do inspire me to want to do new tricks ect, just got to find time to learn new stuff.

[pablo]

My List

My stage show has been directly inspired by the artists Chuck Close and Jackson Pollock, the performers Eric Bogosian, Richard Pryor and Jerry Seinfeld, and the singer Robert Plant (frontman for the late great band Led Zeppelin).

The movie "Comedian" with Jerry Seinfeld is also a big influence, and is worth watching many times even if you're not a comedian.

[Frisbee]

I thought "comedian" was great and also think it should be a must see for all.

[Ivan Bellari]

who inspired me to perform ....

highschool drama coach ted osbourne....

helped me kill my stutter , and the rush of applause..

then Loki... it wasn't until Rick came along that i even saw a busking act....

since performing... the ones that inspired me in the beginning...

pyromancer, lee zimmerman, the acro's, bill ferguson, nysb (from denver), alkazaam....


then as i sorta got my legs,
USA break Dancers, Jebediah shue, Dantastick, the Dan show, Byron, scott free, gav, silver elvis.....

now i still try to watch them all when chance arises, and i still love to see new stuff....

people who have made an honest go at being a full time street performer ...

i'm lucky enough to have made freinds with some of the people who have inspired me , and i hope in the future to be friends with more... but it's because i saw their show, even the ones that bombed and watched them offstage.. thats why i'm inspired by them

but in the end i love learning by watching.....

and i got a lot to learn.

[le pire]

Ok, all this incestuous love fest is great, but to be honest I'm really not inspired by other street performers. I respect all you ass holes (especially Ivan) but I get my inspiration elsewhere.

I'm inspired by:

children who recount the wars
street porters
wailing sirens
men who raise their fists in fear
abandoned wives
orphans with HIV
les putes de saint denis
and the flattened rats on the subway tracks




etienne

[Peter Voice]

I was inspired by a very faded pavement drawing by some unknown artist of a strange pig sculpture on the street in a little town in Germany, '81. I think both the sculpture and drawing were in Delmenhorst, near Bremen.

But the real inspiration to take up busking was having a business partner steal several hundred thousand dollars which caused me to lose my business, restaurant, house, car and spend a long period in various courts.

[The Amazing Beaumanz]

my inspiration

Robert Nelson (saw him in San Fran in the '80's)
Gazzo
Tom (New Orleans & Boulder)
Dextre Tripp
Wade
Ray Jason
K. Sommers
Flyin' Karm.
Jim Davis
Michael Moeschen
Birdie M.
and most of all my brother Tom

Thanks to all, and there is so many more.......


Dallas

[Evan Young]

I'm dyslexic and college didn't sound like a good plan to me because I HATE reading.

Sean McKinney invited me out to Boulder after I got out of circuis school, and he got me going on Pearl st. I also took some concepts from his show.
I didn't stay long on my first trip to Boulder. I visited NOLA for mardi Gras '02 (I think) and met Scot Nery, who has made a lasting influence in my career.
Then I did my first full summer in Boulder and my main influences from there were Kenneth Lightfoot, and Tom Tumbleweed. I got to see Jonny Fox work a festival there and it made me realize I could relax more.

[scot]

I'm inspired by everything that I see if I remember to be inspired by it.

I'm inspired by challenge. Once I realized that people's ideas were wrong, I decided all of them were wrong. I think the worst day for my creativity was the day my parents accepted my career.

[jester]

The Island of Guernsey inspired me enourmously.

It is busy and vibrant and so friendly in the summer. I went for a week and come back far better and confident.

[Evan Young]

Oh yeah

I also met chris carney at the same time I met Scot, and seeing him work inspired me.