Busking etiquette

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: GUEST,Gordon
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 05:35 AM

I can't say which town as the idea hasn't been approved. The festival idea is a good one, but it seems quite a one-off event. I was hoping we could draw the best buskers for a period of a month or even two. If we offered free accommodation would that be an incentive to the best? How could we guarantee the quality would be high for those we did look after? Are there any standard systems used in busking festivals that I should be aware of? Best,
Gordon

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: breezy
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 05:57 AM

guest Gordon

Go out and about and listen and find them , dont expect them to come to you, then invite those you want with offers of money as they wont take that much and probably wont like the 'pitches' especially if there are going to be other 'buskers'.

I'm afraid you have some homework to do

Watch out for 'musicians' who claim to say they are 'buskers'

'street entertainers' know how to work crowds and are worth considering, if you can locate them. They will do shows of up to 20-30 minutes in length, I've seen a few good uns both in the UK , Amsterdam and Orlando and I'm sure there are many around, they are a breed apart and often very talented

So off you go into the wind and snow and see what you can find, but dont feel bad if your offers are rejected.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: alanabit
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 09:46 AM

Gordon, you could do worse than to look up the site of the Linz Festival, "Pflasterspektakel", which is held on the third weekend of July in Linz in Upper Austria. It is organised by the cultural department of the city government. When I knew it in its early days, back in the late eighties, it was a friendly, provincial festival, which was trying to attract the best buskers it could get. Now it hardly needs to advertise. Performers flock to it. They get accommodation, a daily allowance, which covers food and the chance to perform a couple of times a day in agreed spots. This has to be regulated, because there are so many performers around. It also helps the public to find the shows, which they most want to see. Linz Pflasterspektakel.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: alanabit
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 10:00 AM

You can get some sense of the atmosphere here: Festival footage. or you could look at the surrounding videos or search YouTube with the search word "Pflasterspektakel".

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: GUEST,HampsteadDirtFarmer
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 12:50 PM

I've lived and busked in two of the main UK busking Meccas, (both councils encouraging buskers) in the UK, namely York and Bath. Neither levied a licence, but I can see how one might be to the benefit of buskers and public alike, arbitrating as it might, against those whose art is, er, less than a learned discipline.

Also the universal etiquette in my experience has been to move on after an hour if another busker asks you when you might finish. Sorry, but those who claim that any pitch they happen get to first is their sovereign right to remain at till cockshut, are not being equitable and are militating against any notional code of busking ethics. Which is bad for everyone.

I recall in one of the aforementioned places, this fellow used to turn up on perhaps the best pitch of an historic street, and literally camp there the livelong day complete with dogs, rugs and what have you. He also put up a stall display with cassettes of his amplified, autoharp instrumentals. Discrete as his music was, his 'early bird' ethos would likely have disadvantaged a public for whom even a late-rising demi-virtuoso of whatever instrument would have been nonetheless a more nutritious listening experience.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: reggie miles
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 01:57 PM

The worst etiquette that I've found, among those who offer their talents in public spaces, is displayed by those who, by virtue of their volume, deem themselves incapable of any consideration toward others sharing the same available listening environment. They seem to always plant themselves far too close to others, playing instruments of lower acoustic volume and in so doing ruin any chance of those who would also enjoy the opportunity to share their skills and talents with their less intrusive instrumentation. This destructive behavior, whether consciously or unconsciously applied by the culprits, leaves a bad impression on the community.

Those, who engage in driving others of lower volume away, defeat any variety that might be represented to the community and leave only limited options for community listeners to enjoy. Couple this limited representation of street performances, with the fact that they're performances are generally too loud to enjoy and you begin to brew contempt toward the whole idea of creating music in public spaces.

When I've tried to speak to those who engage in such one-sided behavior, they seem completely uninterested in any form of cooperative response and act as though it's their right to be rude and bully-like via their actions. In fact they seem to revel in their ability to be antisocial. It's very frustrating.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: alanabit
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 02:53 PM

It is indeed Reggie, but you and I are playing the long game. I recall when the "Aztec Patrols" shut down more buskers than the police ever did. Eventually, the authorities got around to shutting them down - and they had no friends when they needed them. It is humiliating to be driven off a pitch by a piper, a brass band, an electrified act playing far too loud, or a barrel organ player, whose only skill is to turn a handle. They all eventually put themselves out of business and when the scenes gradually start up again, they are not the ones whom the authorities turn a blind eye to.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 03:33 PM

There's a dear chap called the Puppet Man in Norwich UK who sings along to ancient Elvis tapes waving a bedraggled stuffed animal which may once have been a Teddy bear. He's been there at least thirty years, as I remember him back in 1980. I spoke to him the other day, and he was upset because some youngsters had shouted 'paedophile' at him, and someone from Primark had told him to f*** off. He's not mentally well, and wasn't sure what he should do. My heart ached for him. He's quite famous, and his photo is in a few jokey books about 'Normal for Norfolk' and ' Exciting Things to See in Norwich' etc. I gave him a few bob and a hug (not enjoyable as he's very smelly!) and told him he had every right to be there, as he predated Primark. These funny characters (there are a few here in Norwich) add flavour to the street scene for me. Why do some lowlife feel the need to torment them and shout abuse etc.? They're harmless and quite vulnerable. I shall be sad when he's no longer singing his Elvis numbers and waving his Teddy.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: Ian Fyvie
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 09:04 PM

If an 'off duty' busker puts money into the hat of someone actually busking, it's an insult I was once told. The same busker who told me this many years ago now denies he ever said it, ie. it's not the case.

What's right?

Ian Fyvie

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: alanabit
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 02:48 AM

I have never regarded it as so - and neither have most of the buskers I know. In fact usually when one person steps forward to give money, others often follow. So it usually goes down well with the busker who is pitching.
By the way, thumbs up to Eliza for both what she did and wrote. Yes, a lot of people see buskers as people on whom they can offload their aggression. This mentality has a lot in common with a lot of "---isms". The aggressor needs someone to feel superior to, so they are wantonly cruel or rude to someone else - preferably someone who either can not, or will not retaliate. Cruel and upsetting as this behaviour can be, it usually tells us more about the aggressor than the intended victim. Acts of simple, intuitive kindness can do a lot more good than many people realise at the time.

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: InOBU
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 04:44 AM

Ah so much grist for the mill here... I hate to think how long I have been busking, starting in the late sixties, as a ween... So, I have heard a lot if not everything.

I think both Ian and Alanabit are correct. I have heard that a huge busker's insult is to toss a small coin into a bloke's case. On the other hand, especially if there is a crowd not giving... and you don't have your case with you, priming the pump, so to speak ... is a great help, and I do pitch in in places I go...
I did toss a penny into a licenced busker's (scab) case who ran me off a spot in the subway by waving a licence at me and threatening to call the cops, fifteen minutes into my setting up...
As to holding spots... each town and city has a different tradition. In New York, for example, there are a large number of prime spots, but, a professional busker has to know where they are and when they are.

Once upon a time, the saygin didn't run you off from the front of the Broadway theaters. "Da" had just opened, so for an uilleann piper, it was heaven, espcially when Brian Keith took over from Bernie Hughes. Hughes was a lovely generous fellow, but every time Brian Keith would come to the theater, he drop a twenty in my case. At the time, seventies or early eighties, that was the equivilent of over a hundred today. Well, one day, after months of planing my daily circuit to be at the theatre about an hour and a half before the crowds started, a loud, and bad clarenet player set up at prime time, half hour, then the crowds started coming, right accross the street drowning out the pipes (uilleann pipes aren't too loud...)
So, I asked him if he could move to the middle of the block, the whole block was theaters... he began yelling at me from accross the street and a cop came and moved us both off.
It took me over a month to get back onto the block. I remembered the cops name, waited for him after his shift was off, and appologized. Turned out he was a police band piper... we remained friends for years... he died a few years back, great fellow.
Point is one has to work hard, and be diplomatic... in my book, be friendly to the state but maintain the soverignity of the tradition. Never give up the freedom that we gently keep in the light of the emergence of nation states. They are soveriegn because they are war like, violent and aggressive, we are soveriegn because we are gently persistant.

Thine, a freeborn man,
Lorcan
PS Bless you Eliza

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 05:33 AM

I think you're right alanabit, the taunters have 'issues' themselves, which they vent on the vulnerable. But what puzzles me is why passers-by don't say or do anything. This dear old boy has been there for decades, and deserves our support as citizens (in my view). I do like inOBU's phrase 'gently persistent', and his view that buskers etc. should uphold staunchly the long and ancient traditions of street performance in the face of philistine aggressive opposition from the Authorities. Life in the city would be so bland and bleak without street singing, dancing, acting etc. Here in the UK, street 'mummers' and musicians have a very long history, possibly a thousand years. There is room for all of them in a city the size of eg Norwich. Along Gentlemen's Walk (a pedestrian street in front of the market) you can see a Scottish piper, a man dressed as Charlie Chaplin miming, South American panpipe players, my dear old Puppet Man, a young lad playing Baroque music exquisitely on his violin, a poor lady derelict trying to play her tin whistle, it's all there. I just lap it up, I just wish I could give all of them a quid each time!

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 07:56 AM

I've no busked in England,apart from one short stint, too many young teens shouting oscenities or looking for trouble. I busk in Ireland a lot. Do you really get other buskers coming up asking for your spot!? how rude is that! Never happened to me and would never do such a thing. I'l often stop and say hello to another busker, ask him how he's doing, if doing well. I'll go away for a couple of hours then come back to see if the spot is free. Rules? Well, can't say I like the idea, it's such an informal activity bulsking and I find Buskers usually respect each other enough to follow an unwriten code of good manners.
I always have about 7 songs ready, couple of reserves just in case,you'll rarely get folk stopping to listen for more than a few songs. Pics with passers by, happens a lot in Ireland and I've usually found a request comes with a donation, if not I don't mind, ut I do more for fun than as an income. It'd be good to have some good location tips exchanged on here. I'll kick of by suggesting, top of Butterslip Lane in Kilkenny city, Main entrance of the Busares Bus station in central Dublin, and the walk oppisite The Rover Court hotel, in the shade of Kilkenny castle in Kilkenny city, all good earners and lots of tourist, Irish songs go especially well

Subject: RE: Busking etiquette
From: reggie miles
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 09:44 AM

I have never heard of the custom of an off duty busker offering a donation to another performer as being an insult but I'm a youngster in all of this sort of stuff. I've only been at it since the late 70s. I would think of it as just the opposite. If one artist supports another, it is a show of respect for their skills and talents, just as when anyone else supports this form of entertainment. Of course, there are certainly as many reasons to support those who choose to entertain in this fashion as there are those who enjoy it.

I find that the opportunity to perform in this manner has helped me to develop my abilities as a songwriter, a guitarist, a singer, a sawplayer, an entertainer, a comic, a storyteller... The experience has allowed me to grow in every aspect of what I enjoy doing in my varied pursuits along this musical path. While not without it's difficulties, I've found street performing to be an extremely positive and supportive exploration.

I could not possibly list all of compliments that I've received from those who have enjoyed listening to me play. I'm not saying that I don't receive the occasional taunt from someone who either doesn't take the time to truly lend an ear to what I'm offering. I do. Occasionally, I even get mean spirited remarks offered, right to my face, from those who would just like to see me move along. I received one of the worst of these just last Thursday.

Every first Thursday evening, the Seattle area has an art gallery walk. Galleries, throughout most of the area, actively invite the public to come out to enjoy the new shows that they feature. The weather was tolerable last Thursday, for January in Seattle, so I went to one area of the city where I knew that there might be folks around to entertain during the event. Before I could even set up to play I was confronted by a woman who had some connection with one of the galleries, near where I was considering the idea of offering my music. I hadn't even opened my guitar case at that point, as she began to direct me away from where I had thought about playing. I could tell by her insistent tone that she was fearful of me and what she imagined that I might offer. It was clear that she felt that I might be a bad reflection on her scene and didn't want me near her space.

First she tried to tell how much the galleries enjoyed the entertainers that played outdoors during the art walk. Then, she tried to feed me erroneous information regarding where the public space of the city park that I was in began and ended. I courteously corrected her misinformation and explained where the private property line ended and public space actually began. She disappeared back into her gallery. I decided to not antagonize her and set up in the pace that she explained was where she wanted me to sit. However, this move to placate her fears didn't keep her from behaving poorly toward me.

There weren't many folks out in the park area. It was a little cool to just be out strolling and the galleries in the area offered warmth bright lights and probably even something to snack on while checking out the show. So, most folks were inside. I'm used to the emptiness of the streets and went ahead with my plan to offer some music. I decided to warm up with some melodies with my musical saw. As I only play slower paced melodies, I thought that this style of music might be in keeping with what is usually supported by gallery folk during show openings.

I should explain, that not every temperature range is ideally suited to musical saw playing. Being a large flat piece of steel, a saw will easily be affected by whatever temperature in which it finds itself. So, some environs make playing tougher than others. That evening, the temperature wasn't ideal but having played in enough varying temperature ranges, I was doing my best to compensate.

The woman from the gallery, while out of sight, had apparently not given up in her effort to move me along. After a few musical saw melodies and while no one else was in earshot, she came over to where I was playing to deliver a string of belittling and criticizing remarks, the likes of which I have never received from anyone ever before. I knew why she was doing it. I merely looked up at her as I played, offering no response. It's upsetting to have someone treat you that way. If I had not received so many other positive and supportive comments regarding my musical sawplaying, over the many years that I've dedicated to the pursuit of this folk art, I would have been crushed by her abusive remarks.

I know from these many years at offering this particular folk art, that some folks, though very small in number, simply cannot respond well to the sound that a saw can produce. I have no actual scientific data or research to prove this, just my observations after years of exposing many hundreds of thousands to the sound that a saw can create when bowed. I can't be certain whether this woman, who confronted me, was one of those folks or not but she was upset with my decision to play.

Thankfully, here in Seattle and throughout the region, we have the right to offer our talents in public spaces. It's called freedom of expression and is a guaranteed protected right under the First Amendment of our Constitution. She certainly was within her right to not support my efforts but she took that right one step further than she really needed to do, by offering her negative comments so rudely to my face. I didn't let her poor behavior dissuade me from continuing to play and I didn't return her negativity toward her. Then she, once again, returned to her gallery.

Almost immediately after the incident, two other women stopped to listen as I played one of my favorites, "Over The Rainbow". They each complimented me as they offered a donation, saying how wonderful they thought I sounded. I thanked them and told them how much I appreciated their reaction to my musical folk art and how I had just received some very negative remarks from the woman in the gallery. I explained, that I thought it odd that folks involved in the appreciation of art could not find the value in supporting musical folk art.

I was still a little shaken by the woman's harsh behavior and decided to offer some blues with my homemade resophonic guitar. My guitar is a real piece of folk art, a found object, functional art piece, that I crafted from recycled garage sale junk. The volume that it can offer is substantial within a quiet environment and many of my blues songs have an in your face kind of edginess that I felt might be a more suitable response to being bullied.

I started off with a slow blues, one of my original songs, "I'm Stuck In Gridlock Again". There were so few folks in the park, that I thought I was completely alone. I was surprised to notice that folks began to gather near to listen. I received some additional compliments, a few more donations and some applause for my efforts. I offered a few more and then the rain, that had been predicted, began to slowly fall. So, I started packing up my things.

Then, I braced myself. The woman from the gallery approached me once more. I expected another tongue lashing but no, she complimented me on my voice and my guitar playing. I briefly explained my guitar's self constructed nature and offered that I had been nominated as one of the best solo blues artists in the region. Afterward, I quickly put away my things to avoid the rainfall.

I guess the lesson here is, that you can please some of the people part of the time and part of the people some of the time but you can't play your saw in the rain, cuz it rusts.