Any buskers out there?

[Damon Rondeau]

Although I've been playing for a long, long time, I have never busked. Until today. Me and a few buddies made $200 (mostly Canadian dollars) for about 60 minutes of work.

I can see how we DBers need to work with a partner for busking, though. Where do you leave the bass if you have to go take a leak somewhere?

Any others out there taking their DB to the streets, markets and subway stops? How's the action?

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by DALMATION MILDEW
Although I've been playing for a long, long time, I have never busked.

I've been speaking English (well, redneck American anyway) for a long time, and I've never heard of the word "Busk". Is this a Canuck word, or is it a common word that simply describes something so highfalootin' that we wouldn't know about it in Kentucky?

[Mike Goodbar]

One entry found for busker.


Main Entry: busk·er
Pronunciation: 'b&s-k&r
Function: noun
Etymology: busk, probably from Italian buscare to procure, gain, from Spanish buscar to look for
Date: 1857
chiefly British : a person who entertains especially by playing music on the street
- busk /'b&sk/ intransitive verb


Pretty common parlance up here in Cheeseheadland.

Of course, we call duct tape "Wisconsin Chrome."

[Damon Rondeau]

Well, sh***-it, man, I'm sorry about that. I thought y'all used that word down south.

"Busking" -- playing out on the street. Smile and a shoeshine. Accepting donations.

[davegr8house]

Any buskers out there?
Although I've been playing for a long, long time, I have never busked. Until today. Me and a few buddies made $200 (mostly Canadian dollars) for about 60 minutes of work

For a minute there I thought he was talking about.....uhh..nevermind

Dave

[Damon Rondeau]

GRAVE DATE HOUSE, it is indeed hanging out on the street and peddling your ass. The similarities to other professions are obvious except, in the case of busking, no pimp is required. I haven't run into any intimidation or protection rackets yet...

And, VUNCE TWICE, I think there's something to your point, it's kinda one of the reasons I asked the board about their experiences. We (guitar, mandolin, accordion, bass) went out there and played a bunch of tangos, waltzes, polkas, etc and the crowd ate it up. Very popular with the older folks, and they were very generous with the pocket change. Many of them asked about the bass, the other musicians noted too that the bass seemed to "up the take". There's definitely a visual thing going on.

Good clean fun for all and a nice pocketful of dough to boot.

[davegr8house]

OHHhhhhhh....my bad

[toman]

I've thought about it before... what are the laws like regarding this kind of thing? I know several people ho have gotten unwanted police attention for drumming in public, and I'd rather not deal with that. What kind of music do people like to hear in that kind of situation? Just whatever you happen to know? Also, how do carved basses do outdoors...

[Damon Rondeau]

Places do have laws and rules and such. Check your local street musicians or authorities to be on the safe side.

For example, my city has a beautiful redeveloped core area where our two rivers meet -- called The Forks. It's accessible by water taxi, there's a great Northern League ballpark nearby, it's a great attraction that draws a lot of people. They are set up for buskers, with designated performing areas. You need a license and there are some rules to follow.

I took a new hybrid bass, but we were playing inside in an atrium area. Good thing, too, 'cause we caught a little rain later in the afternoon. Just one of the reasons why you need a survival plan if you're taking an URB out there, more so than the guitar players.

[farmerdude]

I had a layover on a gig in Canada once so we "played the street". We made a few loonies here and there but as soon as we did, a loony would come and ask for a toony so we about broke even.

[T-Bal]

It's interesting, I've never heard of the term used for that meaning. I'd never heard it at all until a couple of years ago, when I worked with Stacey Kent and her British husband, Jim Tomlinson. Apparently in England, to "busk" means to fake. So one may busk a tune if there is no chart. Or on some of their charts, there was a direction to "Busk Out" or fake the ending. Of course the Brits have their own way of saying many things, which may be as interesting to us as our colloquialisms are to them, but I suspect not.

Do they call it "busking" in New York, or do they simply go play in the subway? I understand this was outlawed several years ago, but do any NYers still do it? Just curious.

[jaggedsphere]

here in toronto I belive the subway comission hires all their musicians....there are some pretty interesting acts. One guy plays steel drums!! I think (from what I heard) he does his own renditions of classical tunes.

[Petebass]

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald

I've been speaking English (well, redneck American anyway) for a long time, and I've never heard of the word "Busk". Is this a Canuck word, or is it a common word that simply describes something so highfalootin' that we wouldn't know about it in Kentucky?

OK now that surprised me..... I thought it would be one of those words used everywhere. But hey, at least it's not just another Australianism

[Rimas]

Ive heard the term before.. cant remember where though...

When I was riding paris subways.. they had all kinds of stuff goin on.. I think i saw some guys with a DB and an accordian hopping cars and playing, and then I saw a full band set up in one of the terminals... I was pretty impressed..

As far as doing it myself, never have, ive tried though.. went to see if i needed a permit in my small town that im originally from, and they basically told me that they didnt know.. and so i never really pulled it together.. me and my buds were gonna go play the blues.. guitar, bass, harmonica.. but they are all lazy too..