well i think that pretty much all occupayions are begging, as in my experience nmost proffessionals want a lot of money for doing next to nothing.

i did busk the seattle area a few years ago when i lived in vancouver--canada. the market was great for tape sales but i don't think i would have surrivived off tips. in fact i had mu best ever tape sale day there--i sold 17 tapes in two hours on a saturday! i know bands that sell many more tapes but i usually sell two or three a day.

i did fins open stages in the west were also good for tape sales. you play for free then do a little spiel on your recent recording. i often sold five to ten after fifteen minutes on the stage.

in vancouver the sky trains used to be good but the union guys have tried over the years to get rid of buskers and have been successful in so rigidly restricting it it's difficult to make a living. vancouver area liquor stores are still good for the non too proud--and i'll play anywhere i can make a buck.

i did the folklife festival several years as a performer and busker and i never had a bad year, though some were pretty flat. i did have a few years that were great! seems to be supply and demand. after a great year every bobdy and his dog turn out to busk and tyhe money goes down then the amateurs give up for a few years and it gets good again.

i paly celtic harp which has broad appeal. i also paly mandolin, cittern, bouzouki guitar and fiddle on the fiddle, but the harp and singing are my bread and butter.

in the states tape sales are essentila in many areas but there are lots of spots that throw cash. i NEVER prime the hat--i'm superstitious about it and take out big bills quickly--call me a pessimist. i've rarely been robed. usually drunks are the ones who try it but they are too drunk to succeed.

now i'm in toronto where the subway is safe and very lucrutrive but people don't stop much to listen--it's very odd to me but what the hell. the street s good in the summer too. as ii said i'm planning an extended summer tour to who Knows where. in the us there are often anti busking laws but i will often paly anyway right to the edge of arrest as i've usually found cops don't really want to arrest you--especially in big cities where they have other things to do.

in canada cops are more idle and can be a problem even when it's legal to busk--they sort of suspect it might be illegal and sometimes hang around discouraging a crowd or out right ban you with threats of arrest. in tourist towns this is rarely a problem but it can be in small towns.

however some canadian small towns have never seen a decent busker and can be a pot of gold. i've had 200 dollar days in more oddball places than i could remember and you meet every muscian in town in a few hours.

so what about europe--are there no european buskers on this list