"Bottling" is the term used for collecting money from a crowd. You can collect passively i.e. just have a stationary hat, guitar case etc. and when you're on you own that's usually all you can do. If there are several of you alternating "spots" or a group of morris dancers, it is more usual for an unoccupied person to carry the hat round. It can be done completely passively, but I prefer to do it in a good-natured but more aggressive manner. Many years ago at a Bracknell Folk Festival, I watched a Rapper Sword Team dancing superbly in the town centre. The person bottling was obviously anxious to get back to dancing and I had to chase after him to put my contribution in the hat. When I commented on his lack of zeal he said "Well you do better". Although I wasn't in kit, I took the hat and went round with odd quips like "Didn't they make a good job off sewing his head back after last week's accident" - I ended up with at least 4 times the money the previous bottler had taken (and a couple of pints from the dancers). Bottling can be fun - good bottler can entertain an audience as much as the performers - and is often quite instrumental in retaining the audience. An old friend of mine (who taught me a lot about the art) was once bottling for a morris day of dance in a busy High Street. He walked down the street, boarded an approaching, traffic-locked, double-decker bus and kept the passengers in stitches with his remarks. By the time he got off the bus, past the dancers, he had collected money from all the passengers, the driver, conductor, and even an inspector who happened to be on board at the time. I don't think they made him buy a ticket either !