Every time I venture out to do a bit of street busking, I am always surprised at the wide variety of objects people seem to offer me or place in my guitar case instead of a simple coin or two.
I have received just about everything you could imagine from melted chocolate bars, cans of beer, broken biscuits, love letters, telephone numbers, job offers, grapes, skittles, m&m’s, drugs, burger vouchers, cigarettes, wine, coffee and half eaten sandwiches to name a few.
Some people are just taking the mick, and others will generally go to the nearest shop and buy you a bunch of grapes or a bottle of wine just to say thank you for playing a few of their favourite tunes.
Sometimes it really does bring a smile to your face and today, I had a couple of new ones.
After playing in the street for about an hour and a half, a guy came up to me and said ‘Hey mate, do you want this sausage roll ?’ He had bought two from the bakery a few yards up the high street, had one himself and offered me the other.
It was still hot and he didn’t look like the sort of bloke who would hide something nasty in it, so I said thanks and put it behind my busking case thinking ‘what a nice guy !’ At the same time I was cautiously wondering whether or not I should eat it later or dump it – just in case.
Continuing on with my session, around an hour later, some kid about 8 years old walked up to me (after obviously taking a trip to the local Iceland store) and stuck 3 of those freezy pop things in my case. You know, the ones you used to get when you were a kid with loads of dodgy E numbers in. It was a really hot day, and unfortunately they weren’t frozen, but the thought was there, and it’s the thought that counts.
It made me laugh, cause no one’s ever given me a freezy pop before, especially when out busking.
Twenty minutes down the line, a girl approached me, and with a smile said’ I hope you like chocolate !’ and placed two of those green shiny yo yo mint chocolate biscuit thingys in my hand. ‘Great’, I thought, ‘that’s dessert sorted !.’
On my way home, after packing away the freezies, and still pondering whether or not to eat the sausage roll, I thought of all the funny things people have given me in the past, and thought it would be a great idea to start a page on the things people give me while I’m out busking.
I thought in a few months time it could make for some interesting viewing.
So here it is…
The Street Musician Alternative Busking Pot
Last time I went busking, somebody gave me a Mc Donald’s fruit bag, but I’ll start the pot off with what I received today.
A Sausage roll..
..3 freezy pops..
..and 2 mint Yo Yo type biscuits..
Not bad for a days work.
I do really appreciate all the cash and gifts people place in my guitar case when I’m out busking, and every time someone throws a coin, gift, note or whatever in the pot, it really does make my day.
Just so our readers don’t feel left out on this one, the Street Musician Busking Pot is also open to postal gifts, parcels, emails, donations and anything else you feel like sending.
Take a look at my contact page for details of how to reach me.
Check back in a couple of weeks to see what else I get given by all you strange (but wonderful) people out there.
