Beth Fridinger
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5/11/2008 3:11:15 AM
Any experienced buskers out there?
Have any of you guys done extensive busking/street performing? How did you do it, where, how was the money, and how do you do this? I'm thinking of trying this. Would love to hear of your experiences.
Also did you use an amp...how did you cart stuff around.
I am trying to figure out how does one actually go out there and do this.
Thanks!
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My-T-Hi
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5/11/2008 4:27:02 AM
Hi Beth
I did a little bit, but not much. I never used an amp but tried to find a place where the natural acoustics project the sound. Covered shopping streets, train stations, often have pretty god acoustics, and lots of people passing through.
Good luck.
Moray
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Andy Broad
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5/11/2008 8:58:41 AM
I've done a lot of busking in my time. Locally I have quite a reputation for it.
It can be a rewarding way of performing, you can meet many interesting people, I personally sell more CD's this way that at any other type of 'gig'. But it also can have it's down times. You are at the mercy of the weather, and worse some of the less 'educated' memebers of the public can be quite objectionable.
Money is a very varaiable thing, it's going to vary hugely depending on where you busk, what you play, if you have a gimic. I've always made moderate money, say 10 / 20 an hour, but with occasional 'dud' days where I might only make a fiver. The hourly rate might not be to bad, but I find that I run out of energy after an hour and a half of solid playing. A freind of mine with mo musical principles what soever found that he could make lot's of monet playing things like 'adelvice' to the little old ladies who had just cashed in their pension.
I do use an amp, I have a Torque 20W batery amp I bought quite a few years ago, it plenty loud enough for most circumstances. Some people use backing tapes, I never have. I just play the blues....
I recomemend that if you want try it, just to get out there and do it. Find a spot not too close to any other busksers, not too close to a shop entrance (assuming your pitch is in a shopping center, most are :-0), it's also worth keeping away from any homeless people who are begging or selling 'the big issue' or the equivalent, most are totally cool and respect you if you respect them, but a few aren't. Having said that I've olby had one persistant issue of that type, when someone tried to take other my (licensed) pitch of 10 years, otherwise all other street people have been cool and often apprecitative. I knew another busker (who I personally dispise, he's about the only person I could say that about) who always had 'problems' with the homless etc, basically the problem was his, he had no sensitivity to their plight, a busker may be hard up, but most at least have a home.
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Beth Fridinger
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5/11/2008 12:54:19 PM
well, I know some covers...the stuff I write might not be upbeat enough so I have to think about what I will play and where to go...amp or not...outside in the park I think an amp would be good for reverb on the voice esp. but I will have to use a reverb pedal because the Taxi does not have reverb....I wish it did. I wonder what kind of gimmic might work? I started playing a mandolin....for simple songs...I play one upbeat song I wrote on the mandolin. What kinds of songs do well when busking? What kinds of gimmicks have you used?
Are your CDs professionally produced? My CDs skipped in my car and I am very upset and I don't know what to do because I will be selling home made CDs. My stuff is home recorded, I took the waves, put them in ITunes and burned my CDs there. In my 2001 Toyota Camry on MAMA silver CDs they skip. I will try burning a CD on different brand made esp. for music and go drive and see if that skips. I want to sell CDS and don't want the skipping issue. Maybe it is the brand of CD able to compensate in a car for bumps?
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Beth Fridinger
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5/12/2008 1:53:22 PM
What are some ideas for gimmics? I have read upbeat songs are best....so I have to look at my songs...I usually have sad bluesy ones...I have an upbeat one I wrote, and I have a good rock song....and will have to think about more upbeat stuff, covers rather than what I've written, or try writing some upbeat stuff....I do want to try selling my CDs...but my CD will not have the same songs on it...maybe one...I can do the "Honey" song...folks seem to like that one....
Now, that Naked Cowboy guy in NY is amazing....he makes tons of money, and frankly his music isn't that great....but he's a bit of a hunk with a good body....I sure could not walk around Boston in my underwear!!! YYKES!
Any ideas for funny gimmics or song topics that would work here? And maybe I could do one upbeat funny song, then do my anti-war song....
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