Busking?

So Glad

Got no form of income and my band is only in its infancy so I can't be making any money out of that yet and I need a way to make money without working (Before anyone asks, yes, I am incredibly lazy). I've heard that busking can actually earn a good few bucks? I'd just like to know if it's worth doing because I'll head straight in to town with a Cube amp and batteries and shred my arse off!

Thanks,

Dav.

Oink

Yeah, you can make a few squid, but for the love of Og don't just sit there noodling in a half-arsed manner like some of them do. Get your act together first. I stopped because I didnt want to put the effort into it. But I've heard countless buskers who should go home and practice. Does that stop them? Not at all...

So Glad

Don't worry, we can play. It's just is it worth doing (money wise). On average what would I be walking away with if I did it 2-3 times a week?

david

Hundred euro for a decent day i'd say... my sister busks on flute around x-mas for st. vincent de paul and gets anything from 50-200 a day... location is all important... oh and play something unique, nobody pays to see people bursting out dodgy bob dylan covers etc... I think i might busk in the summer... some acoustic eagles/tom petty/james taylor type stuff with bongos ha.

So Glad

Well, we'd be playing Dire Straits, Joe Satriani, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pink Floyd (With the psychedelics thrown in, none of yer Wish You Were Here). I'm considering doing the Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety, what'ja think? haha

Johnny Storm

So Glad wrote:

...considering doing the Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety, what'ja think? haha

I'd throw in 50c to see that on Grafton St

Oink

How many of yous?
My pet hate is drummers who don't know what brushes are for. And singers you can t hear over the drums or guitars. And guitarists who think they're not loud enough if they can still hear what the others are playing.

So Glad

There's four of us but there'd be 2-3 of us playing. We wont be too loud due to ****ty equipment.

-=al=-

lol what Joe satriani are you doing?? id throw some $$ in for that

or neil young - heart of gold listnin to that song today, good stuff

So Glad

"Always With Me, Always With You", "Surfing With The Alien" stuff like that.

Fingers Mcginty

So Glad wrote:

.......I'm considering doing the Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety, what'ja think? haha..........

That would stop me dead in my tracks....guaranteed earner right there.

So Glad

We'd love to do it too but it's all to do with equipment. Like for "On The Run" I'd have to have a POD or something handy so I can go mental on the delay and stuff, maybe a pedal board, but there's no plugs on Grafton Street :rolleyes:

Either that or the most ****ed up version of "Interstellar Overdrive" you've ever heard!

Fingers Mcginty

I'm sure you'd get a decent enough sound from a microcube though

So Glad

What think ye of Freebird? I can just solo for about 7 minutes, that'll be a time-filler!

So Glad

I just bought me a Micro Cube today (was gonna get new drum skins but what the heck) and I have to say, WOW. This thing is amazing. So anyways, me and my mate are going to bring our Cubes out one nearby day and play Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety and some other covers in between DSotM on Grafton Street, so I'll post the date .

Johnny Storm

I have my 50 cent coin on stand-by.

-=al=-

put it in the right little pocket over ur main pocket of your jeans

estebancambias

Me and my sister about 8 years ago were in the shopping centre with our mom she left us on a seat in the jervis centre to go shopping(irresponsible?) but anyway we had our instruments with us and took them out and start playing. we got so much money in like 30 minutes, my mum came back and just her jaw dropped when she seen us in action. I dont know why we got the money, we were awful, maby they thought we were poor Moldovian kids

*tOpLaSs

Yeah if you play shtuff that people know, like popular riffs or whatever, people will be more inclined to throw you a few bob. If you're playing some rendition of an old song that no-one can recognise people will ignore. You gotta make people stop and say "Hey, what's that song? I know what that is..." Best of luck!

Justas

Em... I would like to ask, if there's any licence needed for playing in dublin?

Steve_o

Justas wrote:

Em... I would like to ask, if there's any licence needed for playing in dublin?

I think ya need one for Grafton St. not sure about anywhere else....i could be wrong about that tho!

nyarlothothep

no, you dont need a licence at all, thats what I remember a garda telling me anyway 2 years ago.

Killaqueen!!!

How come everyone says that then?...

stevejazzx

i don't think it's even possible to obtain a busking license, it is is london but it's quite tricky especially for places like convent garden. There isn't ( i tihnk) any specific law governing busking...there are laws pertaining to codes of conduct or practices allowed/probhibited on major thoroughfares/streets, The gardai act at their discretion. You would only be arrested if you persisted on buskling after being asked to stop. You will (usually) only be asked to stop if you are making too much noise or are blocking tup the street or seeling cds illegally. The latter was our probelm a couple of years ago when we did it. We had a kind of spanish jazz guitar duo and we sold cds, usually saturdays and sundays, the guards were lenient enough. Ocassionally they'd ask about the CD's and we just them told that it was exclusively our own material and that under the artists exemption tax rule that we didn't see a probelm with it, they'd chuckle... When we got a really annoying guard we just told her (it was always a woman - 99.99999% of the time) that we were giving the cds out for free and that if the people wanted to make a donation that was great. So when people approached we just told them to put the tenner into the guitar case (as a donation!!:D ) and take a cd. There was litreally nothing the guards could do about it except ask us to stop in which case e just go for some coffee and come back when another guard started a shift. Ahh those were the days....we made a fortune...up to 400 quid a day...for about 4/5 hours...

Ayahuarian

Haha! That's genius I'd get around to doing it, but the weather is appalling..

Killaqueen!!!

Ah if only I could sing...I'd be rich beyond my wildest dreams!