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 the strange (but wonderful) people out there.
I have never gone out busking but I have been considering trying it. it cant be bad to make a little money and get a free lunch in the process
Yeah, it’s just whether you risk eating it or not.
I used to busk regular in Canterbury, in fact I’ve busked all over Europe many years ago and towns and cities Liverpool,Newcastle ect.. but Canturbury became a place that i settled in. I busked under a subway and became pretty popular with the local people who used it.
On this paticular day I was singing and playing a song called norweegen wood by the beatles and a middle aged couple stopped and watched me. They aproached me when I finished and asked me to play that song again which I did and after talking for some time so informed me that she was a music teacher and that I sounded great she was very impressed.She then asked me if I played 12 string acoustic I replied yes and then she vanished in a hurry only to return about an hour later carrying a brand new guitar case with a red bow on it she placed it next to my open case and said go on open it its yours. When I opened it I was shocked. it was a brand new Fender acoustic I couldnt accept it as it must have cost her a few hundred quid there and then. But she insisted that I now owned this guitar. She told me she had a brain tumer and that she only had a few months to live and she had always wanted to buy a fender 12 string. she said that I have made one of her dreams come true and that I should look after it for her.
I have had may things thrown in my case whilst busking but that occasion will be hard to beat. but then saying that you never know whats around the next corner.
Dave
Thats incredible, im just looking up permit type stuff for Coventry now but that almost brought a tear to my eye. do you still have that guitar? thats an amazing event right there.
Thanks Dave, what an amazing story. The kindness of some people is incredible. Like you say, you never know what’s around the next corner.
It’s nice to know that although she isn’t around anymore, her soul lives on through that guitar and her act of kindness will never be forgotten.
Wouldn’t it be great if all those passers by in the street who gain so much pleasure from the music you play with it, knew just how it came to be.
Hello Gentlemen,
I have been busking for years and have made my simple living at it for going on three years.
Kier, I was so touched by your story. I cried and cried. Thank you for sharing.
I have a couple of stories too.
I am a singer and when I started I had nothing but a song book and a pot. I would stand in front of grocery stores and sing. One day a man looked at me oddly, said nothing. I got nervous as I am a woman and do not take to well to being ogled strangely. LOL He left, “whew” I thought and kept on singing. About a half an hour later he came back and summoned me over to his trunk. Oh yeah, that boosted my confidence in this gentleman. But again, like the sandwich given to you, I had to think what to do. I choose to trust and when I came he had a whole Kustom PA system in the truck and said, “here this is my tip.” I still have and use the system although not when street performing. I have moved on to a battery op amplifier.
Next, on a different corner a few years in. I saw another man b-lining in my direction. Let me describe him. His pants where held on with rope, wearing a blanket like a cape and had a wig on his head backwards and it had seen much better days. God bless him but his mind had seen straighter days. Being again a woman and in a vulnerable position, I braced myself to what was coming but kept on singing. He approached, froze and stared, then put his hand into somewhere in his clothing and put 0.12 cents in my pot. First, he humbled me because I had judged him and he was a kind and gentle soul. Second, he gave me everything he had. All of his money. To this date that is the largest tip I have ever received. He gave me everything he had. May peace be with him.
I have more stories but those two I will share now.
Thanks for the page
Star
PS Use a Roland BA330 amp, runs on 8 AA batteries, I use rechargeable.