Active Street Musicians

Subject: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 08:30 PM

Hey, any street musicians want to talk shop? Good spots, permits, bad spots, cops, shop keepers, busker feativals, other buskers, etc...

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 08:35 PM

I travel down to North Carolina fairly regularly to do gigs in Raleigh and around there and would like to know of any good spots for busking along the way. I start in Boston. I've player NYC with mixed results, Washington DC, that was ok, and various little small towns, usually slow for making money but can be fun. Winchester VA was a neat little town I played.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 10:26 PM

I did some part-time busking until San Francisco's current D.A. began cracking down on it. No distinction between street musicians and panhandlers in some areas of the city, though there is still busking in other areas, and by paying up the nose for a permit.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 10:45 PM

Evidently busking is not allowed in Juneau Alaska if police breaking up a 7 year-old-brother/6-year-old sister duo dance on the sidewalk last summer is any indication.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: jets
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 11:53 PM

I have been busking in Portland Maine For the last two years and have enjoyed it very much. Was speaking today to two young ladies,both accordion players from Portland ,who did some busking in Quebec. They were required to be licensed before they could do so but it was a suprise to me that a person from the States could recieve a permit.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: CarolC
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 04:13 AM

If I ever get good enough on my accordion, I think I'd like to try busking. It's a fantasy I have, anyway.

Lonesome Gillette, you were practically in my back yard when you were in Winchester. Shepherdstown is a great place to busk when there is a festival going on, if you're doing it for fun. Not so great if you want to make money.

Carol

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: InOBU
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 07:32 AM

I don't endorce the idea of getting permits to regulate our industry, but have busked in Quebec, Montreal, London, Dublin, throughout the west of Ireland, Bath England, Salsbury, around the US, mostly in NYC. New York's mixed results have a lot to do with understanding the speed NY moves at, busk at places people must stop for a moment, for example, playing the Uilleann pipes on the street, people will smile toss up and thumb, but not pause long enough to get put the bucks, on subway platforms people are forced to stand a while and feel guilty for enjoying without paying, and then they reach in the pocket. You need a licence to busk on the subway, but I don't comply as it gives away control over our tradition of freedom.
all the best
Larry

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 12:01 PM

That's too bad about San Francisco. I've always heard that's one of the most active spots around. The mixed results in NYC had to do with getting kicked out. If i'M ALLOWED TO PLAY i DO FINE, IT'S JUST THAT that each street seems to have it's own set of rules depending on the cop on duty. I play the subways but only when I have to. It's depressing down there.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 12:32 PM

Toronto has gotten a reputation for being very "busker friendly" over the years. I think it's a combination of a very healthy Arts community, a police force that at it's worst seems to be better than most, and a ton of fine musicians. Mudcatter Arnie Naiman's partner (other than wife Kathy) Chris Coole has been taking his old time banjo pickin' to the streets for years. One of my favourite fiddlers Jamie Snider does extremely well money-wise and provides superb music for passersby. 'Course there are quite a few Dylan and Neil clones, but the variety of styles and instruments is mind-boggling. We've got Dulcimerists of the mountain and hammered (and sober) kind, hurdy-gurdiests, Classical players of all stripes, Medievalists, rockers, bluesers, and a world class songwriter named Bob Snyder.

I guess I'm with INOBU when it comes to permits or licences. Not just because it allows the "suits" to mess with music (and of course collect their legal bribery for those permits) but also because the licensed Buskers must do an audition to get their accreditation. The panels who do the auditioning are generally older "straight" musicians or peripherally connected "Arts people" who are mostly unfamiliar with the content of what they are judging. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want a symphony bassist or a corporate planner making a value judgement on a Uillian piper or a drop-thumb banjoist. I know it bothers some of the buskers, but I don't think most have my total bad attitude to "comfortable authority".

Good town to pick in.

Rick

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: mousethief
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 12:44 PM

Seattle is a busker-friendly town, to judge by the number of street musicians down near the Public Market on a dry day (some of them so-so but some absolutely wonderful!), but I'm not at all sure about the permit situation.

A friend of mine busked for a summer in the streets and subway tunnels of Chicago. He said he got the most money when he played and sang old hymns. Figured people felt guilty or something.

Alex
O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 01:56 PM

Rick, doy know if you need a permit in Toronto? The permits you can get here in boston are: 1)ths subway system permit, it's free and lasts 3 months (I'm not sure why you need to get it, but they do check from time to time, not often) 2) City of Boston- $10 per year, get it at the police headquarters, lasts a year but has millions of rules. better to just play and not worry about it. In boston they either let you play or not, having a permit dosen't seem to matter one way or the other 3)City of Cambridge- $40 per year, you do need this one, they will check, especially during the busy times. Harvard Square is known for it's street music. It's frustrating sometimes because bands set up and CRANK with drums, PA's etc... they are not supposed to but enforcement is lax. It keeps out the less loud.

None of these permits require an audition

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: GUEST,Larry Boy Pratt
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 02:27 PM

Interesting thread. I'm assuming most, if not all, are guitarists. Are any of you harmonica players? If so, in a rack with guitar or solo harp playing. This is peaking my interest. I'm sneaking up on enough nerve to do it. I guess the only difference between doing it and not doing it...............is doing it.

Regards,

Larry Boy Pratt

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: StandingBear (inactive)
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 05:30 PM

I am a harp player (both w/guitar and solo) and I have found that college towns when college is in full swing have been VERY good to me... especially semi-urban places like Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

I have but one piece of advice for my fellow or would-be-fellow buskers: Be prepared to play something the fuzz wants you to play (on a good day they'll leave ya alone if ya play a favorite of theirs) and be prepared to be happy about playing their song even if it's a song you hate.

Peace on you,

'Bear

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 06:27 PM

Larry, Yup, I play harmonica, not very well. adds a nice sustained thing over picked string instruments. Just give it a try , if you're in the right key it's hard to go wrong (if you know what you're doing it sounds way better but what better way to learn than to just do it?)

Standing Bear, what have you found to be "Fuzz friendly" tunes? Do they like the same songs as civilians?

I haven't had much trouble with the police except a few particular cops who have it out for street musicians for some reason.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Willie-O
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 08:55 PM

Ottawa is pretty good as well. They had a permit system for awhile but gave up on it a couple of years ago. The Byward Market is the place to be, although my neighbour sometimes does it in the Glebe (trendy Bank Street neighbourhood just south of downtown) with good results.

Me, I've been out of that scene for years now. Just can't summon up the energy. I was a hammered dulcimer player mostly, now I'm a sober non-dulcimer player.

Wilie-O

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Troll
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 12:31 AM

I agree with larry on the permits issue. Here in Gainesville, Fl. the city is requiring ALL working artists to have an ocupational permit if you live in the city. If you make money at it-even for one day a year- it's a business. Also, if you book gigs from your home phone, you are required to have a home business permit. AND if you are a band you have to register DBA and put it in the paper. Total cost; a little over $200.
Don't get the idea that one of you can get the permit and the rest of the band can be "employees" 'cause then you get into tax withholding social security withholding insurance and God knows what else.
We are fighting it and will probably win but it's a real hassle right now.
Lets hear it for government! That which is not compulsory is forbidden!

troll

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 01:07 AM

I've played on the street a few times, with a friend of mine playing fiddle and me accompanying on percussion. We did alright at a number of spots. The absolute best was outside a movie theatre. If you go to one where several moveis start around the same time, and you get there about 20 minutes before the first, you can play to a lot of people at once, get a nice chunk of money, and take a break for an hour or play elsewhere, then repeat at the next cycle.

Rich

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: GUEST,alanabit
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 02:32 AM

A subject close to my heart! I've ben busking and gigging using Cologne as my base for over twenty years. On the whole, it's the local business community who give the police their instructions - and the police just have to do as they are told. Over the years the police have been less of a problem than drunks, bossy shopkeepers and oafs who drown you out after you have started, by playing loud, (often amplified) music too close to you.If we are going into this lifestyle, we should have some respect for each other. Toronto sounds wonderful. I have mixed feelings about Rick's and the other comments on licences.The principle that we are not bossed around by the suits is always going to be to my liking. On the other hand, there is a system operated in some Swiss towns which I have some regard for. You buy a licence from the local police station on a first come first served basis.This tends to keep the place free of the "beggars with instruments" syndrome.That always screws up busking scenes. If we ask for money, we should offer good entertainment.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 10:30 AM

Around here (Ft. Worth, TX.), the law is kinda odd...buskers need permits, but I've never been asked for mine...Best place, though (for me, anyway) is to rent a space at an out-door "flea market" (usually less than $15)...I'll usually clear around $150 for about 4 45 minute sets...I have a mini-PA that I set on the tail-gate of my truck, and as long as I don't get excessively loud, the management at the one I appear at are very cool about it (one owner-lady brings me cookies and soda!), aqs it adds "color" at no expense to them!

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Troll
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 09:42 PM

The flea-market idea is a good one.
I've done most of my busking at faires and SCA wars and have always done well; if not in cash, in goods. My son (fiddle) and I (guitar) made our expenses one Pennsic by busking We got lunck by playing sets at one of the taverns. The patrons gave tips and the owners gave food.
We paid for our gas up and back (Fl.to Pa. and back) bought lots of goodies like boots and garb and some amber jewelry for my Wife, two new tires for the trailer and came home with over $100 in bills and $35 in coin.
The only problem with faires is you have to get permission. It's best to check BEFORE the faire opens.

troll

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 08:33 AM

I'm off today to play the streets of boston. But it just got real cold. It's in the 40's today. That's my cutoff, around 45 degrees. I've got the gloves with the fingers cutoff but it's still hard to play. I manage to make it thru the winter without getting a "real" job, sometimes people yell at me "Get a Real job!", hehe. I don't mind Heckelers (spelling?) for the most part, they liven up the audience, and street audiences need livening up sometimes, Especially in the subways. I don't know what it is but people in the subways seem almost afraid to pay attention to the musicians.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 08:36 AM

Adding to my last message, Heckelers are way more common on the street than in Bars, coffee houses, etc... I guess they don't feel like they are trapped in the same room as their target.

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: z!
Date: 29 Oct 00 - 02:30 PM

FWIW, Santa Cruz CA seems to be very popular, but the usual quality isn't, well, top notch. It has the highest count of guitars per block that I've ever seen (over 2.0 sometimes, averaged over 5+ blocks of Pacific Ave), and many of those posessing said guitars are only familiar with Greatful Dead covers.

On the plus side, however, there -are- some very good performers, in a nice range of styles (including Piedmont blues, bluegrass, and the soap bubble man). Never seen any hassles from the police, including when the Morris dance tour does a 30 minute stand.

I understand that in Santa Monica CA, you need a permit to just stand on the sidewalk, much less perform.

z!

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 05:43 PM

Chicago is doing everything it can to "discourage" all kinds of street vendors. All you need is a permit to play music; it's the cart vendors that are really getting nailed. I swear they're trying to take all the character and charm out of the city.

The most profitable places are in Lincoln Park and on the subway platforms, but they can be dangerous, also.

It seems like there's a conspiracy against live music. A lot of coffeehouses have stopped running music because the towns demand that they pay for licenses and then the performance rights groups (ASCAP, BMI) come after them for rights fees. And these are little joints where you're lucky to make $25 in tips in a night.

Hard, ain't it hard. . .

Subject: RE: Active Street Musicians
From: Lonesome Gillette
Date: 30 Oct 00 - 05:51 PM

I saw a B&W film about the Maxwell Street market in Chicago in I think the 60's or 70's. It was excellent. Loads of vendors and musicians. Is this all gone?