Comments on: Getting Hassled When You’re Out Busking

By: joolsax

joolsax — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:39:36 +0000

Hi john,

Theres a realy good street amp on ebay called a traynor 50 watt you may be able to buy something like that,
on the street you need a good battery amp, so something like a maxi mouse, harley benton hbca 30 , crate do a taxi for
a reasonable price , check it comes with a charger, what ever you get, you could try Thonmann and have alook at there rang of portable battery amps, its worth getting mains chargeable, 2 input, and awedge for good monator, and a trolly to move it around, id say save your money and try to get one of those mantioned, if you come up on the lotto AER make a fantastic battery amp veary clear cost £1200 but worth the money, they run for 4hrs the rest will run for about 6-8 hrs
i think they’ve stoped making maxi mouse and the harley benton but if they come up s/hand there good amps to buy
hope this is helpful keep rocking in the free world, hope you have a good xmas cheers jools

By: john katon(James Hardinge-Cornwall

john katon(James Hardinge-Cornwall — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:05:17 +0000

Am on a very limited budget, please can someone advise me the cheapest and best way to set up for performing busking using an electric set up? I have s digitech RP 150 box plus a strat copy and a tiny belt hook up amp at the mo. Any practical suggestions appreciated. btw wishing you all a great Xmas )0( John

By: Andy Martin

Andy Martin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:32:12 +0000

PS
I suppose I can’t be too judgemental as I’ve had “issues” with booze etc. myself in the past, but at least I drew the line at wrestling with buskers!

By: Andy Martin

Andy Martin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:20:01 +0000

I think you were a model of patience there! I don’t think I’d be quite so long suffering. I’ve recently played a couple of times in public and discovered how trying people like this can be!

By: Angela Parker

Angela Parker — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:15:23 +0000

Hello,
A great read. I came across your page whilst looking into busking.
I live in Essex and I’m contemplating busking. I know that exact place in Chelmsford opposite Lloyds TSB!
I was going to try Chelmsford… I think I still will but i’ll keep my eye out for that chap and others.
Being a woman, it does make me feel a bit apprehensive. I do have experience of performing but not alone in the street.
Can you use a small amp there? I believe you don’t need a licence/permit.
Any advice you could offer a potential female busker is appreciated!
All the best,
Angela.

By: john katon(James Hardinge-Cornwall

john katon(James Hardinge-Cornwall — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:54:04 +0000

Would lke to leave one of my short stories, Btw you have an excellent sit. a few years ago I wasnt actually homeless but literally scraping the barrel for cash (wont go into detail but its true) a friend got me a beat up old acoustic and I busked (with caution) outside ARchway Tube station in London. I was playing some instrumentals and noticed a dear child (about 6 years old dancing with her friend while her mum was talking. she came up to me and said “I really like your music, tell me is it difficult to learn?” The conversation went on for a bit and then she thanked me and walked away deep in thought, then she turned round and ran back to me, ” Please if my mummy says its Ok would you teach me when Im older?” To this I replied ofcourse, if mummy says its ok ” she leaned into to me and whispered quite seriously ” Also tell me HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY THEM TO LISTEN TO YOU ?” I could have hugged her!! One day i hope to see a gl on the X factor or elsewhere and Ill recognise her as the LIL gal from ARchay Tube

By: Kier

Kier — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:26:27 +0000

Hi Kenny, thanks a lot for your input. I can see how responding to a person in such a way as you explain could really have a positive effect on the way they react to your own situation. In a way you’re connecting them to your own sense of feeling instead of them concentrating solely on their own compulsive needs. That way they’ll be more able to relate to the stress they are putting on you and perhaps back down instead of continuing with the relentless onslaught of selfish behaviour, even if it is driven with the misguided sense of drunken fun.

I think you could be right and it’s something I’ll think about next time I get hassled. Whichever way you deal with it, connecting with your aggressor in a positive or non violent manner is definitely better than kicking off.

.. however sometimes, you may have no choice, so be prepared for all circumstances.

Cheers.

By: kenny

kenny — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:31:50 +0000

I am an older person just starting out in busking here in New York. I really appreciate your effort in writing so elaborately your incident with the intoxicated, invasive person at your street performance and your personal feelings and responses to it. I think that scene, were it to happen to me unprepared or even forewarned would really freak me out, leaving me non-plussed as to what to do.Nevertheless I would like to tell you about something called NON Violent Communication which is a book with a method wherein you empathize and and try to let your harasser, problem person know that you are hearing /understanding what feeling and needs are going on in them by saying something like ” I’m sensing that that you don’t like the music I’m playing” or “You look like you really would love to play my guitar right now” and then if they say “That’s right” or something like that and you think maybe their need/desire has been heard by you, then sometimes thereby a shift occurs within themselves to a more receptive state.That being the case they then may be able to take in a response from you that states your needs and feelings i.e. “I’ve been really looking forward to playing these songs and am really enjoying myself playing here and would feel really frustrated and sad if had to stop right now to let you play.” It requires a lot of vulnerability to do it sometimes as is not the usual way relate to people but, vast experiences by the writer of the book and others who try the method show it can be very effective. I didn’t go into a lot of elaboration here but I hope that what I just wrote didn’t sound to unrealistic or absurd (and I honestly don’t know if it would even work to a even a small degree with such a highly intoxicated person) and it may take some skills at this to say these things in just the right hearable way. In closing I’d also like to mention that I greatly related to and appreciated your describing about your compassionate and non-judgemental personal viewpoint towards the guy. Thanks again for sharing the story.

By: Kier

Kier — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:59:51 +0000

Cheers Matt, you've got a great site there too. I loved your composition - The Longing. A really beautiful, moving piece. Your other compositions are excellent too. Love the Prelude for Jigsaw. Eerie !

By: Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:01:57 +0000

I have just read your blog and it was well written, funny, sad and also bought back loads of memories for me as I busked for a bout three years in the mid to late 90′s.I completely related to this story and in Cyoydon had a couple of experiences with someone who could have been the man in the story (well they’re like the borg aren’t they? LOL)

but seriously, this is a great site and one I wish was around (with the internet!!) all those years back. Busking was sometimes awesome, with great money being made, sunny weather, new friends made and lots of adventures and other times the exact opposite. I will always support buskers and think what you are doing with this site is great.

Take care

Matt