Busking in Europe?
gmc
Hi Folks,
We are a UK-based trad irish fiddle/guitar duo planning a month-long
trip around Europe this July - Interrailling/backpacking/youth
hostelling etc.
We've thought about busking as a means of having a bit of fun & maybe
making a bit of money to help out with the cost of the trip.
At the moment the itinery looks a bit like:
Amsterdam
Belgium... ?
Germany...?
Prague
Paris
Nantes
Milan
Barcelona
Any tips about busking in Europe? - any pitfalls for the unwary?
Best,
Gervais Currie
Hugh Jass
"gmc" <g...@intlog.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3cf6acfa...@news.demon.co.uk...
Can't help, I've only ever done it in England BUT....
I hope you're going to post the results when you get back.
I'm keen, as I'm sure are others, to know how you go on.
It's something I'd love to do if I had the b*lls
Hugh
[no granny not the bills]
bogus address
> We are a UK-based trad irish fiddle/guitar duo planning a month-long
> trip around Europe this July - Interrailling/backpacking/youth
> hostelling etc.
> We've thought about busking as a means of having a bit of fun & maybe
> making a bit of money to help out with the cost of the trip. At the
> Amsterdam, Belgium... ?, Germany...?, Prague, Paris, Nantes, Milan,
> Barcelona
> Any tips about busking in Europe? - any pitfalls for the unwary?
Some of those places you will have stiff competition. Prague has far
more buskers than there's a market for; there's also a good chance of
getting your pockets picked or your instrument stolen (tip: Rohan
trousers have lots of very secure zips, albeit not big enough to put
a guitar in). Paris has fewer buskers but, at least on and around
the Metro, they are highly professional and I suspect they have ways
of seeing off newbies.
I'd guess that Germany offers the highest earnings-to-hassle ratio of
the places you list, but bear in mind that the best spots will have
been taken by over-amplified Peruvian Pillocks in every major European
city, and German-Irish bands are just as good as British-Irish ones,
so you won't have an exotic-interest factor going for you unless you
dress up or can do something distinctive like stepdance.
========> Email to "jc" at this site; email to "bogus" will bounce. <========
Jack Campin: 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU; 0131 6604760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes,
freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh, and Scots traditional music resources
Rob Bitter
Try The Dubliner, Antwerp, Belgium
00-32-474960758
They need live music every Thursday night
About 60 euro a person
Also try O'Carolan's Pub, Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands
You might want to call Will Gorissen for info on performing
on a Saturday night - about 250 euro per gig
Will's number: 00-31-167-540730
or 00-31-6 288 39109 (mobile)
take care!
Rob Bitter
rbi...@zeelandnet.nl
www.finglas.org
www.paddysreturn.cc
www.bodhran.cc
"gmc" <g...@intlog.demon.co.uk> schreef in bericht
news:3cf6acfa...@news.demon.co.uk...
stramel
admit it's not the most interesting place in the world), there is maybe a
chance to play in the Irish Pub there. I can ask the owner and email you
further information.
Good luck
Anette
gmc <g...@intlog.demon.co.uk> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag:
3cf6acfa...@news.demon.co.uk...
Anahata
>
> We've thought about busking as a means of having a bit of fun & maybe
> making a bit of money to help out with the cost of the trip.
>
> At the moment the itinery looks a bit like:
>
> Amsterdam
Can't speak for the other places but I've done it with a band that
played vaguely Irish-style music in Amsterdam and it went down a
storm. I seem to remember the street in front on the main railway
station was a good place.
This was about 15 years ago - things may have changed.
When you come back *you* can write up the European busking FAQ/guide
for the benefit of the newsgroup readers :-)
Anahata
Dominic Cronin
>g...@intlog.demon.co.uk (gmc) wrote in message news:<3cf6acfa...@news.demon.co.uk>...
>>
>> We've thought about busking as a means of having a bit of fun & maybe
>> making a bit of money to help out with the cost of the trip.
>>
>> At the moment the itinery looks a bit like:
>>
>> Amsterdam
>[snip]
>
>Can't speak for the other places but I've done it with a band that
>played vaguely Irish-style music in Amsterdam and it went down a
>storm. I seem to remember the street in front on the main railway
>station was a good place.
>
>This was about 15 years ago - things may have changed.
>
The plaza in front of Amsterdam centraal station is big, busy and
noisy, so don't try it with a penny whistle!! If you have big loud
instruments, you might do well, as Anahata says.
Generally, Amsterdam is a honeypot for all kinds of people who wish to
busk. The main tourist strip that you come to out of centraal is the
Damrak, which is usually populated by very unfortunate-looking
buskers. Further into town, the busking business is a lot more
professional; there's a thriving trade to be had playing to people
sitting on the outside terraces of cafes all over the city, but for
this trade you'll have to compete with fairly organised gypsies,
peruvians etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
If you want to be sure of funding your trip, then perhaps you should
consider trying to organise some proper gigs in paying venues before
setting off. Most of the major European cities have pubs that pay, and
I'm sure there are agents who can organise a tour.
--
Dominic Cronin
Amsterdam
stramel
Various
artists from all over the world do several exhibitions and performances. So
the chances for busking in
the streets and having a wide audience is good! I didn't have the chance to
speak
to the owner of the pub last night but, tonight I hope to meet him and send
you an email as soon as posible.
anette
stramel <str...@gmx.de> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag:
adaer5$vpgqa$1...@ID-138301.news.dfncis.de...
gmc
>(posted to rec.music.celtic and uk.music.folk)
>
>Hi Folks,
>
>We are a UK-based trad irish fiddle/guitar duo planning a month-long
>trip around Europe this July - Interrailling/backpacking/youth
>hostelling etc.
>
Thanks very much for the info!
I like the idea of doing gigs in pubs etc - yeah! that's the way to do
it! -
Anyone got any more pointers to pub/club gigs?
I can supply demo CD etc.
Best,
Gervais Currie
ban...@cix.compulink.co.uk
ana...@treewind.co.uk (Anahata) wrote:
I guess anywhere you see the dreaded Peruvian Pan Pipers getting away
with it will also be a good for other music styles as well.
Ian Lawther
I last did it I didn't have time to get a permit and got away with it, but I
think if you are challenged you will have to call it quits for that town.
Arnhem, Utrecht and Appeldorn were also reasonable in Holland.
I busk with highland pipes, and tend to stay in one place getting money from
passers by (what Ronnie Ross, a veteran street performer in Leic Sq called
"griddling", as opposed to "working a pitch" where you hold the audience for
a show, and then collect). But in Europe I have seen a lot of people go to
pavement cafes play to the people sitting there and then collect and move
on.
Whilst I've not done this I met a young Canadian piper who had dome a lot of
it and he said what he found worked was to go into the cafe/bar with your
instrument on show, and by a drink. Sooner or later a customer will ask if
you can play, and then (with his clientel on your side) you check it out
with the owner. Unless he wants to piss of his customers you get the OK and
off you go. The Canadian said he found that the odds of being turned down
were greater if you only bought a soft drink. Perhaps if you by alcohol the
owner assumes you are in for the night and he has free entertainment.
Hope this helps,
Ian Lawther
MacDoff
You could try the irish pub "Fiddlers Green" in Schildwolde (in the provence
Groningen). It's a nice, small pub with a good atmosphere and very kind
owners.
They have a website:
www.fiddlersgreen.nl. You also could try to get in contact via their
e-mailadress:
dam-gr...@planet.nl
"Buskers" who were also there:
Tony McManus
John Wright Band
Maurice Dickson
Last nights fun (Sherbart)
Brian McNeill
So, you are in good company.
Give it a shot and good luck
MacDoff
"gmc" <g...@intlog.demon.co.uk> schreef in bericht
news:3cf962b7...@news.demon.co.uk...
gmc
<ianla...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Some european cities require that you get a permit - Amsterdam is one. When
>I last did it I didn't have time to get a permit and got away with it, but I
>think if you are challenged you will have to call it quits for that town.
>Arnhem, Utrecht and Appeldorn were also reasonable in Holland.
>
>I busk with highland pipes, and tend to stay in one place getting money from
>passers by (what Ronnie Ross, a veteran street performer in Leic Sq called
>"griddling", as opposed to "working a pitch" where you hold the audience for
"Griddling" - nice word - like it!
>a show, and then collect). But in Europe I have seen a lot of people go to
>pavement cafes play to the people sitting there and then collect and move
>on.
>
>Whilst I've not done this I met a young Canadian piper who had dome a lot of
>it and he said what he found worked was to go into the cafe/bar with your
>instrument on show, and by a drink. Sooner or later a customer will ask if
>you can play, and then (with his clientel on your side) you check it out
>with the owner. Unless he wants to piss of his customers you get the OK and
>off you go. The Canadian said he found that the odds of being turned down
>were greater if you only bought a soft drink. Perhaps if you by alcohol the
>owner assumes you are in for the night and he has free entertainment.
>
>Hope this helps,
>
>Ian Lawther
>
>
Hey Ian!
Thanks the canny advice!
All the best,
Gervais Currie
Ian Lawther
> On Tue, 04 Jun 2002 22:53:28 GMT, "Ian Lawther"
> <ianla...@comcast.net> wrote:
> >I busk with highland pipes, and tend to stay in one place getting money
from
> >passers by (what Ronnie Ross, a veteran street performer in Leic Sq
called
> >"griddling", as opposed to "working a pitch" where you hold the audience
for
>
> "Griddling" - nice word - like it!
As an aside to thsi discussion I thought I would see if I could find out
online if Ronnie Ross was still alive - he was well into his 60s when I met
him in the late 1970s. Couldn't find anything but came up with the odd
coinsidence that the busker in Dennis Potter's Pennies From Heaven was
played by an actor called Ronnie Ross!
But back to the real busker. Ronnie Ross had been part of a family trio who
had done dance routines in Leicester Square after the second world war.
These included the sand dance, and tap routines. When I saw him he did these
alone and would start his set with tap, in a tail coat, then progress to a
striptease in which he disposed of the tail coat, hitched up his tropuser
legs and started to untuck his shirt. The shirt kept coming out and
eventually was let hang at full length showing it to be a kaftan, and off he
went into the sand dance.
I haven't seen him about for years, but did see another busker of the same
generation, The Earl of Mustard, a few times in the late 1980s and early
1990s. To many of the audience he must have just been a shuffling old man,
but if you watched you could see this was someone who used to be a
reasonable tape dancer, and he was still keeping a good beat, though high
stepping was long out of the question.
Ian
Mike Roebuck
wrote:
>Hi guys,
>
>You could try the irish pub "Fiddlers Green" in Schildwolde (in the provence
>Groningen). It's a nice, small pub with a good atmosphere and very kind
>owners.
>They have a website:
>www.fiddlersgreen.nl. You also could try to get in contact via their
>e-mailadress:
>dam-gr...@planet.nl
>
>"Buskers" who were also there:
snip
>Brian McNeill
Whoa! I'm sure that Brian would just *love* to be known as a
"busker"...........
Regards
--
Mike Roebuck; mike.r...@gmx.net ICQ#7018252
"Where did the beautiful people put all their beautiful things
The love that we carried on banners of smiles and the songs that we all used to sing?"
gmc
Ha!
Like the image...
Hey, "Sand Dance" for me equals Wilson, Kepple & Betty - did they
originate it, or wa
Dick Gaughan
2002 23:30:16 +0100, Mike Roebuck <mike.r...@gmx.net> wrote:
>Whoa! I'm sure that Brian would just *love* to be known as a
>"busker"...........
I very much doubt that Brian would take it ill in any way. As part
of our set on duo gigs he does a couple of pieces about his
busking days.
It's a perfectly respectable thing for any musician to do, with a
long and honourable history. When old Davy Stewart was being feted
at Festivals and clubs all over the place, he was as likely to be
found busking as standing on a stage - in fact, there's a great
story about him busking the queue for one of his own concerts.
Greatest hustler I ever knew.
Busking paid my rent for a few years when I first turned pro and I
don't know many pros who haven't done a bit of busking at one time
or other.
Including Brian, which is probably why his name's on that list :)
--
DG
gmc
agh!!!!
Blasted00 keyboard00 -
It took a d00rink last night (I spilt some on it) & now some keys are
buggere00d
Now everytime I type an d00 it ad00d00s extra zeros, or the Wind00ows
menu bar flashes up with some option I havn't seen before...
Wot happene00d just now was that Agent posted00 my msg before I had00
finished00 typing...
-----
Hey!
Isn't it great that "Frustration" d00oesn't contain the letter 00d?
Aah well, 5 quid00 for a new keyboard00...
Best,
Gervai
gmc
>Now everytime I type an d00 it ad00d00s extra zeros, or the Wind00ows
>menu bar flashes up with some option I havn't seen before...
bogus address
[Brian McNeill]
>> Whoa! I'm sure that Brian would just *love* to be known
>> as a "busker"...........
> I very much doubt that Brian would take it ill in any way.
> As part of our set on duo gigs he does a couple of pieces
> about his busking days.
and Brian's novel is titled what?...
Dick Gaughan
bo...@purr.demon.co.uk (bogus address) wrote:
>[Brian McNeill]
>>> Whoa! I'm sure that Brian would just *love* to be known
>>> as a "busker"...........
>> I very much doubt that Brian would take it ill in any way.
>> As part of our set on duo gigs he does a couple of pieces
>> about his busking days.
>
>and Brian's novel is titled what?...
Indeed.
--
DG
Jacey Bedford
<di...@dickalba.demon.co.uk> writes
:-)
Jacey
--
Jacey Bedford Art...@artisan-harmony.com
ARTISAN www.artisan-harmony.com
"Artisan - cheaper than therapy and better than beer." Rural Arts East
Mike Roebuck
<di...@dickalba.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In <igovfug7kjh4adtnj...@4ax.com> on Thu, 06 Jun
>2002 23:30:16 +0100, Mike Roebuck <mike.r...@gmx.net> wrote:
>
>>Whoa! I'm sure that Brian would just *love* to be known as a
>>"busker"...........
>
>I very much doubt that Brian would take it ill in any way.
I'm sure you're right. The comment was very much tongue in cheek, as
I'm sure you know.
As part
>of our set on duo gigs he does a couple of pieces about his
>busking days.
About time I got along to one of those. It's been far too long.
>It's a perfectly respectable thing for any musician to do, with a
>long and honourable history.
Yes, I've know a few myself....
When old Davy Stewart was being feted
>at Festivals and clubs all over the place, he was as likely to be
>found busking as standing on a stage - in fact, there's a great
>story about him busking the queue for one of his own concerts.
>Greatest hustler I ever knew.
I hadn't heard that, like it though.
>
>Busking paid my rent for a few years when I first turned pro and I
>don't know many pros who haven't done a bit of busking at one time
>or other.
>Including Brian, which is probably why his name's on that list :)
It was the fact that he was on a list of "current" buskers, more than
anything, which made me post.
Cheers
--
Mike Roebuck, mike.r...@gmx.net
Where did the beautiful people put all their beautiful things
The words that we carried on banners of smiles, and the songs that we all used to sing?
Dick Gaughan
2002 17:00:49 +0100, Mike Roebuck <mike.r...@gmx.net> wrote:
<quoting Dick Gaughan>
>>When old Davy Stewart was being feted
>>at Festivals and clubs all over the place, he was as likely to be
>>found busking as standing on a stage - in fact, there's a great
>>story about him busking the queue for one of his own concerts.
>>Greatest hustler I ever knew.
>
>I hadn't heard that, like it though.
I believe it was an early TMSA concert honouring Davy, with him as
the star attraction - the concert was about to start and nobody
could find Davy until some bright soul took a look outside and
found Davy working the queue. Lovely story. Might even be true :)
--
DG