tengu01
Senior Member
- Messages
- 79
- Location
- London, UK
Today's Busking involved a change of location. I decided to head to the Central Business District and set up shop in Martin Place. Big, open and full of lunchtime traffic in teh middle. People are already there setting up, or tather there is some odd chinese dude playing at a ridiculously low level. A passing comment from someone behind me indicated that he'd been there every day all the time.
I was nervous as hell. Sweaty palms and need to go to the toilet. Procrastinating furiously.
12.20pm, I get up and walk to my designated spot in Martin place, set my sax up slowly, look around at the universe and the people innured to invasions of their lunch breaks.
Sax in the mouth, a few runs and scales to warm up the fingers and we're off. I ran through my exceedingly limited repertoire in what felt like record time. I made 'Round Midnight' funky, I got lost in the middle of "3 'o Clock" over and over again, I had to stop playing 'Yardbird Suite' because I couldn't remember how it went. I had to field a request for Dire Straits, I realised that the "Poirot" theme is just not party music however you play it. I really got a response when I went all out on a blues number and thought I'd just blow my lips to buggery.
Unlike yesterday, I had to play against competition for the cash of passers by. A flamenco guitar duo spurred me on to play harder and with more feeling. I could hear them behind me at the intersection of Martin Place and Pitt Street. They were good. I grudginly donated a dollar to their worthy cause when I had finished and they were still raking in the cash and the applause.
At the intersection of Martin Place and the MPC shopping mall, directly opposite the lunchers and workers at rest sat an old oriental gentleman who had a serious fun-manch moustache, beard and eyebrow thing going on. Thick glasses taped up in the middle and chinese style bow. He was hardly playing at an audible level but he was sat in PRIME location/
On the way out of Martin Place, lips mangled and pride a little dented by the fact that the flamenco dudes had taken a break and already had what looked like a 5 or a 20 dollar note dropped into their case. While photographing Mr Fu Manchu, I was passed by a Spanish-looking pair in full mariachi outfits, looking a little dejected by the remaining choices of location on martin place. I guess it really is 'Location, location, location"
In Hyde Park, I sat down to check my earnings. $44.45. I checked to see how long I'd been playing - 1 hour and 25 mins from initial picture to the photo of my earnings. I must admit, it felt like I'd been playing forever. I'm happy for the money I made which neatly offset the extravagance of buying the overpriced Guardian Weekly I fear I am going to have to retry in another location. I am tired but willing. Tomorrow.
Observations from busking - Day 2
1. It's a performance. You must be prepared to be on stage for the duration of your set. No getting out of character until you are well clear of the stage.
2. Play with feeling. That is what grabs the attention of the audience. Unfortunately people seem to be very caught up with their own thoughts, conversations and earphones. So you need to capture thier attention with something ear catching. Need more funky tunes. time to study a little more James Brown, Maceo and some of those blues transcriptions from Tim Price
I was nervous as hell. Sweaty palms and need to go to the toilet. Procrastinating furiously.
12.20pm, I get up and walk to my designated spot in Martin place, set my sax up slowly, look around at the universe and the people innured to invasions of their lunch breaks.
Sax in the mouth, a few runs and scales to warm up the fingers and we're off. I ran through my exceedingly limited repertoire in what felt like record time. I made 'Round Midnight' funky, I got lost in the middle of "3 'o Clock" over and over again, I had to stop playing 'Yardbird Suite' because I couldn't remember how it went. I had to field a request for Dire Straits, I realised that the "Poirot" theme is just not party music however you play it. I really got a response when I went all out on a blues number and thought I'd just blow my lips to buggery.
Unlike yesterday, I had to play against competition for the cash of passers by. A flamenco guitar duo spurred me on to play harder and with more feeling. I could hear them behind me at the intersection of Martin Place and Pitt Street. They were good. I grudginly donated a dollar to their worthy cause when I had finished and they were still raking in the cash and the applause.
At the intersection of Martin Place and the MPC shopping mall, directly opposite the lunchers and workers at rest sat an old oriental gentleman who had a serious fun-manch moustache, beard and eyebrow thing going on. Thick glasses taped up in the middle and chinese style bow. He was hardly playing at an audible level but he was sat in PRIME location/
On the way out of Martin Place, lips mangled and pride a little dented by the fact that the flamenco dudes had taken a break and already had what looked like a 5 or a 20 dollar note dropped into their case. While photographing Mr Fu Manchu, I was passed by a Spanish-looking pair in full mariachi outfits, looking a little dejected by the remaining choices of location on martin place. I guess it really is 'Location, location, location"
In Hyde Park, I sat down to check my earnings. $44.45. I checked to see how long I'd been playing - 1 hour and 25 mins from initial picture to the photo of my earnings. I must admit, it felt like I'd been playing forever. I'm happy for the money I made which neatly offset the extravagance of buying the overpriced Guardian Weekly I fear I am going to have to retry in another location. I am tired but willing. Tomorrow.
Observations from busking - Day 2
1. It's a performance. You must be prepared to be on stage for the duration of your set. No getting out of character until you are well clear of the stage.
2. Play with feeling. That is what grabs the attention of the audience. Unfortunately people seem to be very caught up with their own thoughts, conversations and earphones. So you need to capture thier attention with something ear catching. Need more funky tunes. time to study a little more James Brown, Maceo and some of those blues transcriptions from Tim Price
