Busking

Bobby G · Apr 30, 2006

Are you now, or have you ever been, a busker? No, not a non-music-reading play-by-ear type, but a genuine, outdoors or down the Tube player for public financial contributions? I did a fair bit in my youth as a guitarist, but not as yet as a sax player, although I've seen a few. They seem to have playalong CD's, would these be the Aebersolds? I met one such in Aylesbury, playing some lovely tenor. He told me he had left work, and was travelling on a boat around the canals of Britain playing as he went. My reaction? You lucky bugger!!!

rs2sensen · May 1, 2006

Funny, I've been investigating busking a lot lately. No, I've never done it though.

We're coming up on festival season here, and I want to get a group of people together to do some busking in the local tourist towns. I'm currently working on getting what permits need to be gotten and such.

The group will be comprised of all high school students (anyone who wants to come), and we'll just play light show tunes, jazz, etc. (Merci Merci Merci, On Broadway, New York New Your, St. Thomas, etc.) I think because there is a good chance we'll have a fair amount of people, I intend to just donate any income to our school band program. Because we'll have numerous ages, I also need towns that allow people younger than 18 to play...

Pete Thomas · May 1, 2006

I busked on guitar in my teens, on Hungerford bridge and various tube stations. Made very little money, but I nearly always give money to buskers now, even very bad ones.

Bobby G · May 1, 2006

Yes indeed Pete, very important to keep this ancient trade alive by making the odd donation.

lee_ · May 1, 2006

Great topic. This is at the heart of my retirement plan. Should you be traveling the U.S. in 10 yrs or so and walk up on somebody who looks like Santa Claus blasting away on a beatup tenor or alto, toss me some coinage, eh?

I know in the U.S. it has gotten harder over the years, with various permits required in many cities. In New York City, they even have auditions for street/subway players and issue permits only to the ones they like (wonder what kind of payoff is involved in that?).

Bobby G · May 1, 2006

Life's just too short for all this darn regulation/permit stuff, innit!? I say we organise a mass busk-in as a protest! Militantly yours, Bob

bernie_br · May 6, 2006

I used to busk in the lovely city of Bath in the late 70s and 80s, playing Scottish/Irish/Northumbrian music on accordion and fiddle, sometimes with my friend Bogdan on mandola.

We used to make a useful amount of beer money.

I think my finest hour was when a little old lady passed by, then came back and looked very hard at me, putting her face much closer to mine than seemed normal. Then she snapped triumphantly "you're not blind at all!!"

Of course I had never claimed to be blind!

Bernie

Bobby G · May 6, 2006

I lived and did a bit of busking in Bath in the mid-70's when I were an hippy. Nice it was too. I seem to remember jazz jams at the Hat & Feather (?) on Tuesday evenings.

Two pints of rough and falling down please!

visionari1 · May 8, 2006

Gidday Bob from rural New Zealand,

Just joined the forum, this is my first foray!

Yup Saxophone busking is fantastic!
I've busked in UK, America, Japan and Europe. You need to have a thick skin with regard to money coming into your hat, but the situations that happen to one & the experiences that follow are well, one day I'll write a book about them.
Must get out of my Pygamas and do some work!
Ps how do I add a photo to the my forum, anybody out their know how?
Cheers
Visionari1

At 00:31:34 AM 01/05/06, Bob Green wrote:
Are you now, or have you ever been, a busker? No, not a non-music-reading play-by-ear type, but a genuine, outdoors or down the Tube player for public financial contributions? I did a fair bit in my youth as a guitarist, but not as yet as a sax player, although I've seen a few.

😉

Pete Thomas · May 8, 2006

Hi Visionari1 and welcome

To add a photo (aka Avatar), you need to upload it to some webspace somewhere and then put the URL in you settings (click on the "Personal" button in the links).

brucemacdonald · May 9, 2006

Bob, I think I know the bloke you're talking about. He lives on his houseboat in Devizes during the winter. I met him busking in the Brittox (main shopping street) a few months back and I met him again at an Alan Barnes gig.

He was playing a Conn Naked Lady tenor at the time.

Bruce

visionari1 · May 9, 2006

Hello Bruce,
Not sure if below is talking about me & how these forums work, as I do busking and have a naked lady Conn (alto),although haven't been lately in UK Where is Devizes or Brittox?
I am working on traveling in a year or two cycling around UK & Europe busking where I go I would love to meet other Sax buskers on the way for Duo Jams, (wouldn't that one be a buzz!) Mean time it's practise, practise, practise. Came across this interesting web site with buskers photos & sound files! http://www.pbase.com/mardoli/buskers.
Works ok on Dial up. while I'm at it have you heard of the Saxtips podcast? worth a looksee.http://saxtipspodcast.blogspot.com/
Cheers Visionari1
At 12:32:45 PM 09/05/06, brucemacdonald wrote:
Bob, I think I know the bloke you're talking about. He lives on his houseboat in Devizes during the winter. I met him busking in the Brittox (main shopping street) a few months back and I met him again at an Alan Barnes gig.

He was playing a Conn Naked Lady tenor at the time.

Bruce
[/quote]

😉

Bobby G · May 12, 2006

Hi Bruce - it may well be the same person, he was definitely playing a tenor, although I couldn't ID it. Seems a coincidence though - houseboat, busking, tenor etc. He was good, too...