(VENICE BEACH) It seems Venice Beach is the starting point for some busker's fame. Such is the case of the Naked Cowboy's forthcoming revelations.Ironically, he joins another famous busker who first started juggling real chainsaws on the famous California boardwalk.

In his new book, author Bob Burck a.k.a. The Naked Cowboy, exposes his rise to busker fame and unveils a life goal in his autobiography "Determination: The Legend of the Naked Cowboy".

"I want to be the most famous man on the face of the earth," Burck tells a reporter from the The Daily Free Press. Because he was a model and a bodybuilder, a photographer suggested Burck play guitar in his underwear to gain the attention he was sorely missing while busking on Venice Beach. The rest is history.

Well on his way, Burck is also...

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(SWITZERLAND) An interesting page at Swiss Info has many busking attractions, pictures, and related stories starting in the nation's capital with the Berne Buskers Festival.Celebrating its 12th year this summer, the three-day event featured 42 acts with 145 performers from 18 countries. Half of the acts were musical with the rest involving clowns, dancers, human statues, and other artists.

Related busking stories and pictures take us around Switzerland to Basel, Biel, and Montreux as well as podcast on what it's like to be a busker in Berne.

A reporter for Busker Central entered a Buskerfest contest in Luzern back in 1992. Unfortunately, the city was given a bad reputation when the contest was found to be "won" by a professional opera singer who had stumbled outside. Her father also happened...

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(WWW) It's deja vu all over again with ways to get muses off to a good start busking and street-performing. Musicians are the most popular type of busker simply because of the vast amount of instruments that can be found. Some musicians actually create their own instruments although they vary in timber and quality.An article at musicindustryhowto.com has prepared the beginning busker with valuable information to give them at least a fighting chance of success when performing in public.

Some segments include preparing your set list, memorizing the music, choosing the right songs, keeping it family friendly, getting your license or permit, observing the rules, performing strategically, and honing your craft.

While some popular bands are mentioned, buskers have been known to find success with songs...

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(WWW) An article at roland.com has what's regarded as the 12 Golden Rules of busking for the UK community."When it goes badly, busking in modern Britain is no picnic and can present some pretty serious challenges from sunburn and on-the-spot fines to abuse and even arrest."

Some of the "Golden Rules" are standard fare for busking yet are often forgotten. It never hurts to review the basics and even expand on the fundamentals of successful busking.

In a nutshell, the 12 are:

#1. Sort the paperwork
#2. Choose your pitch wisely
#3. Don't hog the best spots
#4. Avoid no busk zones
#5. Don't actively ask for money
#6. Spread yourself
#7. Don't get on people's nerves
#8. Trade your wares
#9. Pack a gigbag
#10. Loosen their wallets
#11. Grin and bear it
#12. Use it as an apprenticeship

For deeper insight...

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(BOULDER) Ever since the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado opened in 1976, it has undergone a series of rebirths along the winding way. Now home to human statues, jugglers, fire acts, and of course, musicians, "the mall" has settled down into it's present day form. New pitches have been created so now there's room for everybody at any given time.Boulder is one of the most popular cities on the international busker trail. While most tourists don't know it, the mall has essentially expanded to a full 10 blocks. The tourists continue through stop lights on either end and get to enjoy a much larger and thusly more dynamic Pearl Street Mall. Famous for being first in the modern red-brick style, "street furniture" (benches and seats) line the pedestrian-only walkways...

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