i want to know about the busking life the storys and how it helped or hurt you career as a harmonica player and are you still out on the streets evn though you have made a name for you now?
I've seen that naked cowboy guy before from a distance. Didn't know he was such a d-bag. I haven't done any busking. Would love to try it out some time if only to get a smile here and there. I think it could be fun. ---------- Brad
Last Edited by on Jun 23, 2011 11:02 AM
Do I still do any? It depends on how desperate I get to play..I'd rather be out there trying to cop a few bills instead of being at one of those ubiquitous mutual masturbation jam sessions. I am old so the grey hair and the facial scars help generate pity from the younger girls therefore they give up lots of hugs and kissy face along with their contributions of $$$. "kissy face" is much better than being told by some harp pup about he "just came back from Chicago and was the hit of the southside and Junior Wells even said so too". I know, I know, Little Junior has been dead for a while...thats the point.
---------- "The degree of someone's "open mindedness" will be in direct proportion to how much they agree or disagree with the issue being discussed"...William F. Buckley
yes i still busk. not often but i do think there is money to be made if done in the right spot.. and plus you get to practice while you play so eather way it works out
I recently started busking, so I can't talk about a'career' but I love it. Busking has definitely helped my playing. Think of it as practicing in public (as Toxic T says). It helps having a good guitar player to play with, as you can trade off each other, and it sounds pretty good sometimes. The other benefits are: immediate audience feedback which can be gratifying(except for when people totally ignore you, as happens from time to time). The latter can be kind of soul destroying, but I prefer to think of it as 'character building'. You meet new people: I jammed the other day with a guitarist who stopped by when I was busking. It has eased pressure in my marriage as it gives my wife some relief from my constant practicing -- she has revived the word monomania "a single pathological preoccupation in an otherwise sound mind" according to Wikipedia. As a money making proposition it is somewhat dubious (mix of good and bad days with no apparent reason why), but there is no question as to its value as a music making proposition.
Last Edited by on Jun 23, 2011 3:42 PM
I have been doing it on and off all over the USA,Europe,Scandinavia since the early 70's. While living overseas my band was a headliner at fairly big festivals with the likes of the Fab thunderbirds type bands. I would often play the streets before and after festivals where I was a "star". the streets give no credit for that stuff. You sink or swim on your own playing not your reputation. The upside is you have complete freedom to do as you choose and the chances for spontaneous happenings are at an all time high vs. the controlled setting of a club/festival. the downside is you have to deal with the ever unpredictable nature of the city streets, ever increasing laws, but it will teach you more about playing than anyplace else. Walter
here is a great example of your star power and what it means on the streets. Neil young didn't draw much more of a crowd than a good street musician and that was even with the camera there. Back then a professional movie camera would attract that many people by itself. I wonder how many of the people walking by had tickets for his show that night???
Neil Young - Old Laughing Lady (1976)by Julos77 ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
