[Dixielandjazz] Busking

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/29/03 8:23:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
jazzboard at hotmail.com writes:

> 
> Everywhere I've traveled, especially in Europe, I've encountered buskers in 
> the busy streets of major cities. Among the most ubiquitous have been the 
> folk-lorico groups from the Peruvian Andes that play pan-pipes and indian 
> flutes with guitars and charangas (a ukulele sort of ax with an armidillo 
> carapace for the body - weird, but neat). You see them always near 
> Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco (a great tourist attraction) along with 
> other street performers. I've seen black groups with lotsa drums and 
> individuals with guitars singing folksongs etc. etc. etc.

Hello Bill:

Nice of you to discover them since I have been telling this list about them 
for two years now, and how I managed them when they first came here from Peru. 
and how I did their USA tax returns and told this list that they made between 
$150,000.00 and $190,000.00 a year just selling CDs and cassettes.  I am the 
guy who set up their marketing plan for performing 200 days a year with no 
guaranteed pay check.

How utterly brilliant of you to finally realize and post this.

Rock groups can't really do this sort of thing will because of the sound 
requirements (amps with the dial set up to 10 and enormous drum kits and 
related paraphenalia) -- it would be virtually impossible for a rock group 
to play accoustically. But a dixieland band sure as hell could!

In case you have not read my posts in the last two years Bill, I have been 
telling folks on this list about this and how to do it.

In London there are lots of underground walkways between subway stations and 
buskers like to hang out there because of the spiffy acoustics of the venue.

I just had an Iranian musician and his trio that nobody in the USA will even 
hire go to London last week to play at the Jot Street festival and sell their 
CDs with no transportation money, or work permits from the British Government 
or musician's union, and they came home Saturday after selling $6,000.00 worth 
of CDs.  Not a bad week for three unknown boys making music.  Beats the Hell 
out of playing a local pub for chump change.

They also had the pleasure of having the Great Mose Allison walk up to their 
show and congratulate them on a great sound, not only once but two times in 
three days, and asked if they might get together soon to collaborate on some 
music.

Many of the groups I hear (especially the Peruvian Pipe folks) have highly 
sophisticated sound systems costing a fair amount of money. They also sell a 
ton of CDs! While they're playing they often have members of the group out 
in the crowd gathered around to which they are offering the group's 
recordings.

I don't know what you consider highly sophisticated sound systems Bill but I 
can tell you that these guys have nothing even remotely sophisticated, they 
use the cheapest system that they can buy from a local music store, usually a  
Two speaker one amp system from Peavy or Sun or Electro voice.  Cost factor 
between $300.00 to $500.00  they usually invest in their own electricity 
generator so they can play any place any time at a cost of about another $300.00.  and 
a  13'X13" Sun Shade from Costco at about $150.00.  Of course to a washboard 
band anything other than a megaphone might seem sophisticated.

I've often wondered just how much those itinerant musicians are raking in 
each day as measured by the coin of the realm!  There is almost always an 
open instrument case or two (which has been salted with a few sheckels, I'm 
sure) and most of the time there seems to be a fair amount of cash within.

That dear Bill is used to pay the hotel bills and travel expenses, the real 
profit is the $9 to $12.00 profit they make on the CDs and cassettes.  at the 
rate of about $1000.00 to $3000.00 per performance date.  My two best acts play 
200 days a year for this amount of money, which makes them Millionaires in 
Peru.  They have been so successful that they have franchised the groups all 
over the world.  Just like McDonalds.

Have any of you ever done this sort of thing? How 'bout you, Elazar? You 
mentioned earning some money this way . . . would you consider it lucrative 
or even sufficient for the effort?

For God;s Sake Bill don't you even read the post that come into this list?"

Elezar just stated exactly what he does in his post that gave you the 
brilliant idea to discover the fine art of busking.  He stated that he makes a modest 
income from it, and has expanded it to include additional players now that do 
the same thing.  sheesh!


Does one need a permit from the city government to do this stuff on a city 
street 

No in most cases you do not, and if you had been paying attention to my now 
countless posts about this subject over the past two years you would not have 
had to ask this question either.

I keep envisioning gathering up some musician friends (me on washboard, a 
gut bucket bass, a banjo, a trumpet, bone, and stick)   and just setting up 
in a cheerful, holiday like atmosphere such as Old Town Sacramento on a 
Sunday afternoon, and playing for contributions. If I were a passerby and I 
heard a bunch of old farts wailing out some jumping Dixieland music (with or 
without a P.A. system) I'm sure I'd reach in my billfold and extract a buck 
or two and drop it in the old gig bag!

Put your money where your mouth is and go do it, I assure you if your any 
good you will make more money than you do working for any pub or jazz society 
preserving Dixieland.


Any further thoughts on this phenomenon?

ELAZAR . . . YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ME - MY HERO!!

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com


Certainly a far cry from your last negative posts about Dixieland music dying 
on the vine my friend.

Me thinks you indeed speak with forked tongue just like Baghdad Bob to stir 
up Crap!

Cheers, and I love you anyway,

Tom Wiggins