Being a street musician/busker

[Leftsolidarity]

Tips/stories for busking. What works? What doesn't?

[Prometeo liberado]

Good Marketing and a fine opening act. When I did my first tour with my band Menudo we started with just a lonely street corner and no more than a few hundred thousand in start up capital to see us through the hard times.

[Robespierres Neck]

I haven't busked in a while. My friends & I used to go downtown to do it. Try to find areas with a lot of people. We were given about 40 dollars one time after coming across friends/family that were having a bachelor party.

[o well this is ok I guess]

One guy downtown has a sign that says something along the lines of "I'm not homeless or into crack cocaine, this is how I pay the rent". Seems to really turn people on to him, seeing as his guitar case usually has lots of money in it.

[Leftsolidarity]

Good Marketing and a fine opening act. When I did my first tour with my band Menudo we started with just a lonely street corner and no more than a few hundred thousand in start up capital to see us through the hard times.

Lol are you joking?

[Leftsolidarity]

I haven't busked in a while. My friends & I used to go downtown to do it. Try to find areas with a lot of people. We were given about 40 dollars one time after coming across friends/family that were having a bachelor party.

Did you ever run into problems of not having a permit or anything? I've only done it for real like once or twice while passing through Madison cuz its a popular place for that. I've really only been a panhandler and there's not much to that.

I'm planning to try to go into all the cities I stop at on my bus ride to Illinois from North Carolina and trying to go busking for a bit a money. I just don't know how all the different places will be so I'm wondering if there's any unwritten rules or tricks you've picked up for different cities or anything that will keep you out of trouble.

[Ocean Seal]

Good Marketing and a fine opening act. When I did my first tour with my band Menudo we started with just a lonely street corner and no more than a few hundred thousand in start up capital to see us through the hard times.
A few hundred thousand? Or a few hundred to a thousand? Because the former sounds like more than I've ever heard a street musician have.

[Robespierres Neck]

Did you ever run into problems of not having a permit or anything? I've only done it for real like once or twice while passing through Madison cuz its a popular place for that. I've really only been a panhandler and there's not much to that.

I'm planning to try to go into all the cities I stop at on my bus ride to Illinois from North Carolina and trying to go busking for a bit a money. I just don't know how all the different places will be so I'm wondering if there's any unwritten rules or tricks you've picked up for different cities or anything that will keep you out of trouble.

Surprisingly, no troubles. It is illegal, but we've tried our best to dodge security/police. The best thing to do is not to stay in one place for too long, and always have someone keep an eye out for patrol.

[Prometeo liberado]

Lol are you joking?
Joking? Really? Yah, no, thats me in the middle. :confused:
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4616729768035572&id=09e608999e431219aa84c92ad130e6f6

[Prometeo liberado]

A few hundred thousand? Or a few hundred to a thousand? Because the former sounds like more than I've ever heard a street musician have.
You ever try and launch a World Street Tour with anything less than "a few hundred thousand"? Not really living in luxury but we do suffer for our art do we not?

[Comrades Unite!]

Look poor, it helps.

Also make sure you pull those really stupid looking faces that us Blues players occasionally pull, Makes you look like your really into it.

[Leftsolidarity]

Yeah let's try to keep the silliness out of this thread please. I didn't post this in chit chat for a reason.

[Comrades Unite!]

Ok, fine.

Busking is not a great idea, I've done it and its likely that the most crowded streets have loads of other buskers.

I don't know if you need a license, most people I know(myself included) just grabbed the money,packed the guitar as fast as possible and booted it when we saw the Gaurds(Irish Cops)

Might I add it is wise to check the forecast, For most people rain is no problem but it can seriously fucking ruin a Guitars sound(If you want to know how then thats another story but it does.)

Oh yeah getting robbed is common too.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

I don't know if you need a license, most people I know(myself included) just grabbed the money,packed the guitar as fast as possible and booted it when we saw the Gaurds(Irish Cops)

That would depend on where you're at in your city. In my city, if you're soliciting which busking could be construed as that, if it's in the actual city you're fine, you don't need a permit/license but if you go to a borough, you'd probably need one, technically speaking but really, no. Permits are easy to get but there usually is a few involved of simple shit like 10 dollars for a week or something or 100 dollars for 6 months.

[Ele'ill]

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[coda]

I'd try a major park in your area.