I’ve been trying to get this blog up for 4 months now, but keep spending my rare and precious moments of spare time playing my guitar instead of sitting in front of the computer. ** Sorry ** I just cant help myself, but rest assured… I’m getting much more accustomed to my new cyber busker status and my fingers are finally adjusting to tapping keyboards more often, instead of plucking and strumming strings.
I’ve always been known for my stories, so why break tradition… this one is about a brief but very successful busking stint at the Sydney Olympic stadium which is the only place I know of – 20 minutes from the heart of Sydney that looks like a ghost town. Man! what a waste of space and resources. It was time to bring some city vibes into this place or spend the rest of the night wallowing in my beer and dreaming of what it would have been like to perform on these streets during the 2000 Olympic extravaganza.
It was a cool, rainy summer January evening and as I sat in the street level bar chatting with friends in a subdued atmosphere, keeping a close eye on the sports screen in the background showing the Socceroos –v- Qatar world cup opening match, I viewed the carless street at peak hour on a weekday evening in a bemused stupor and saw a few patrons were socialising on the footpath whilst sipping their boutique beers and chardonnay. The whole atmosphere of our surroundings was reminiscent of a one-pub town in the outback – except… we were in the city centre – well close enough!
Instantly my mind diverted to street performance and the question of how on earth would a busker survive around here? What tips and strategies could I suggest to turn this place into a success story? No sooner had I asked myself that question when a spontaneous opportunity to perform came up and I decided to make the most of something that was purely a case of seizing a busking moment as soon as it appeared.
Brett, a friend of mine introduced me to a girl at the bar. She was the hired performer who had set up a legal pitch at the entrance to the pub, facing out onto the street. What’s the pitch like I enquired? “Totally dead” was the sombre reply. “Are you going to continue playing?” I asked “Sure, I’ll be doing another set in a few minutes”.
I found it hard to believe that a singer as beautiful as her was having a hard time keeping people interested. She sounded and looked great and yet no one took any notice and she received a measly applause after each of her songs. I remembered being in her situation many times when I was travelling in foreign lands and related to her discomfort in empathy (a feeling that most buskers know all too well).
Then again, this situation reminded me of how a busker learns to hone their art and increase their repertoire. Circumstances like this can help to inspire great songs and to form techniques that help connect with the audience. (After being in a situation like this a number of times, I wrote a song called “Love Don’t Come To The Singer”).
Little did I know that my buddy Brett had quietly asked this beautiful girl… “Do you mind if my mate plays a song tonight?” She was reluctant to give up her pitch and her guitar, so he offered to give her the proceeds of what I made during the song. He also happened to have dropped in a few stories about my busking history, so suddenly she was intrigued and the offer was too good to resist.
Brett triumphantly approached me and said “you’re up mate”. ‘WHAT!” I had been casing the joint, summing up the crowd and analysing the atmosphere all night. I was horrified with his suggestion to play, especially after having quite a few beers myself and knowing how the crowd had reacted to this beautiful sounding girl. “I’d rather have another beer and watch the Socceroos, than make an idiot of myself in front of this dreary audience and the rare passer-by, who obviously had no interest in music whatsoever!”
After all, I had an important reputation to protect… but Brett wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Peer group pressure increased as word got out that I could play, which made me quickly sober up, get over my analysis paralysis and get back in touch with my creativity and happy-go-lucky outlook on life.
I stood up to the busking challenge and the rest is history. Before I knew it, the audience sparked up (no not literally!) and a crowd seemed to suddenly come out of nowhere. They were dancing, cheering for more and throwing coins and NOTES into my hat (which I nabbed from one of the punters sitting in the back corner – thanks mate). Suddenly the whole atmosphere had become charged and passers-by were coming in to see what was going on. The pub ambience was reminiscent of the Olympics hey day – well close enough! The proceeds for that one very short song was $40 and a few more beers. But what’s more important is that I have another great busking memory and yet another great story to tell.
When I got back home, I browsed through my busking e-book to see if any of my 101 tips would have covered this situation and found Tip 68 – Power To The People (Go Ahead… Make Their Day) summed it up perfectly. Here I talk about simplicity and mastering the art of enriching the mood.
Amazingly the moment has been captured on camera, check out the video below… BUT BE SURE to watch it to the end to catch Brett the boot skootin cowboy doin his thing! Wickid!
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Johnnie Mac is a world class, professional, leading street performer, turned celebrated musician. He is the only Aussie Professional Busker who provides a fast, reliable and sure-fire Busking System that can transform any busker into a well paid and highly acclaimed entertainer enjoying a remarkably exciting lifestyle. To discover 101 Essential Tips to Have More Fun and Earn More Money Busking visit http://www.BuskerWorld.com/theBuskersBible
