Busking

[Rhythm Thief]

Ross was the first place I ever went busking, back in 1990. I used to make about £20 an hour, so couldn't have been that bad.....

You can make pretty good money, and I keep meaning to take my guitar uptown and do some songs when the tourists are around. I once went busking in Hay on Wye with my then girlfriend on piano accordion and a load of friends from my band. We made about £60 in an hour or so, which paid for our camping and an evening in the pub.

 

[BluesDave]

I disagree with you entirely, and I suspect we view music in a completely different way. Music is subjective, and I would far rather listen to someone who puts their heart and soul into what they are playing than someone who is technically skilled. I am not concerned with being 'the best' musician, merely with developing what talent I do have to my best ability.

Awww what a lovely thing to say. I was touched by that.

 

[srw]

I disagree with you entirely, and I suspect we view music in a completely different way. Music is subjective, and I would far rather listen to someone who puts their heart and soul into what they are playing than someone who is technically skilled. I am not concerned with being 'the best' musician, merely with developing what talent I do have to my best ability.

So would I. That's where the 19th century went wrong.

But there is so much "music" around these days that is utter, utter shite - either because whoever wrote it has no imagination or because whoever's performing it has no talent, or both. Or, worse, whoever wrote it is cynically exploiting the public's lack of musical discrimination.

 

[srw]

Gary Moore v Yngwie J Malmsteen. I know who I'd rather listen to

Am I allowed to admit I've never heard of either of them?

(Goes and googles)
Moore worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on "Variations".
Malmsteen was also inspired by Paganini, and is known for neo-classical metal. I shall dream of Stravinsky on guitar.

 

[MontyVeda]

Am I allowed to admit I've never heard of either of them?

(Goes and googles)
Moore worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on "Variations".
Malmsteen was also inspired by Paganini, and is known for neo-classical metal. I shall dream of Stravinsky on guitar.

Gary Moore was also in Thin Lizzy... he had a solo hit with Parisian Walkways, which is a nice instrumental piece

Malmsteen's neo classical metal is little more than playing arpeggios then some blues riff, followed by more arpeggios on a strat, before smashing it up... he also has this annoying habit of throwing said guitar over his shoulder, only to have it miraculously reappear under his arm pit... and he bores me senseless.

Stravinsky on guitar? ... sounds like Zappa to me

 

[MontyVeda]

So would I. That's where the 19th century went wrong.

...

So do you listen to any music from the last 100 or so years?

 

[srw]

So do you listen to any music from the last 100 or so years?

Plenty. Music started getting interesting again around the 1920s. All at once you've got the English pastoralists, the second Viennese school, jazz and jazz-inspired music. Unfortunately someone went and invented amplification, and eventually the rot set in.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

You've just got to think of amplified music as a completely different thing, that's all. A bit like chalk and cheese: chalk is not "better" or "wose" than cheese, just different. Any field of music which contains John McLaughlin, Stanley Jordan, Joey Santiago, Frank Zappa and Lemmy (to pick five entirely at random) must contain something for nearly everyone, surely? It's not like the advent of amplification prevented, say, Rutter's Requiem Mass from being written and performed, after all.

 

[MontyVeda]

I was at a party a few weeks ago and one of the performers, who only performs his own songs got in a right huff when the following performer was playing old rolling stones songs...

He felt it was pointless performing song which have been around for 4o years, I suggested that everybody likes a good sing-a-long, at which point he looked over his shoulder and said "Christ they are all singing along!" picked up his guitar and left in disgust. Very bizarre.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Personally, I feel there's very little point playing an electric guitar if it's not too loud and if you're not offending someone somewhere. Playing old Rolling Stones songs doesn't really cut it for me, either. But I don't think I'd stomp off in a huff.

 

[srw]

It's not like the advent of amplification prevented, say, Rutter's Requiem Mass from being written and performed, after all.

That's a shame - Rutter is a vacuous composer.

My issue with amplification is two-fold. It allowed singers with shitty technique (and decent technique is a pre-requisite to putting a song across) to have a career. And it let any Tom, Dick and Harry make a loud noise and think they were making music.

Music, to be any good, needs to engage both brain and emotions. Amplification makes it easier to engage emotions (or gut) without engaging the brain.

 

[growingvegetables]

Eeeeh - real hornet's nest.

Nothing wrong with amplification to help a good singer/instrumentalist/ensemble/group be heard, in an appropriate balance; don't have a problem.

But when you get amplification including Pitch Correction ........ words fail me. Pre-packaged "music" sold like Corn Flakes. "Celebrity factor" (looks, bust measurement, whatever) and use software to hide the fact the idiots can't sing.

 

[XmisterIS]

I enjoy playing the pink oboe in public!

(I'll get me coat ...)

 

[Ludwig]

There are some very good buskers around The Hayes in Cardiff. There was an acordian player who used to play next to my stall a few years ago and was superb and did very well. He had a great tunes mainly traditional folk jigs and reels remember one chap put a £20 note in his case. Also Leicester Square is London is very good very good and saw a drummer who was quite brilliant. You often see Bolivian and Peruvian buskers around Europe and they are good.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I do prefer the more original buskers so singer/songwriter types on a guitar arnt normally my cup of tea, but the chap on the bagpipes the other day got some money as did the chap 'drumming' on a selection of bins. Theres a chap who plays violin and jigs a little 'devil puppet' as well, he's quite good.

I do see more and more set up with amps, and even some appearing as a full band (lead/bass and drums), almost not buskers there?