(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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(PARIS) Some 1,000 people are expected to compete for 300 prized permits to busk the Paris métro. The auditions, which started Tuesday, are organised by the Paris transport network, the RATP. The 300 successful candidates will be given permission to perform in the underground passages of Paris's underground stations for the next six months, although many more do so illegally.

Interested musicians can apply at 102, rue de Charonne or by emailing RATP at musiciensdumetro@ratp.fr.

Métro busking has sometimes marked the beginning of distinguished musical careers. Keziah Jones, Manu Dibango, Ben Harper all started as buskers.

The auditions continue until the end of October.

www.rfi.fr ...

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It's survival of the fittest as some resort to dirty tactics in face of stiffer competition.

Outwit, outplay, outlast.
That motto from TV reality series Survivor also holds true for the buskers in Orchard Road.

The current economic downturn is certainly not music to their ears as they have seen takings drop in recent months.

If that's not enough of a worry, they also have to fend off competition from both legitimate and illegal buskers.

But more of that later. For now, the downturn is a more worrisome test of survivor skills.

Take the case of Mr Donald Wee, 51, who strums the guitar near Shaw House.

'More people are donating coins instead of $5 or $10 notes,' he lamented.

He used to earn about $100 in two hours but can net only $40 now. The former security guard went into busking four years ago when he could not find another job after he was arrested for fighting....

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(NEW ORLEANS) Celebrating 300 years in the making, New Orleans is currently busy with Mardi Gras, Jazz, and the French Quarter festivals. A visit by Busker Central reporters for a month reveals some interesting developments along with a deep history.Bourbon street in "da qwada" is traditionally known for it's late-night activities, bars, drunks, fights, and arrests. It's still a wild place but not too suitable for busking. Jackson Square mall is known for it's daytime bands, painters, and psychic readers. Now, one block off Bourbon, Royal street is really nice and becoming popular for buskers both day and night. Among the historic quaint shops, several jazz bands and others buskers have sprung up. And who can blame them? It's probably the best single street that embodies the French Quarter at it's best....

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We've all found ourselves at one point or another staring in fascination at a busking mime or a talented street musician.In recent years, busking, the term for performing in public places usually for money from the crowd, has grown into an organized art form complete with professional networks, associations and showcase festivals around the world.

Here in the United States, cities such as Miami, San Francisco, New York and New Orleans have become known for their thriving busking scenes.

Take Maria for instance. A longtime busker in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Maria acts as a human statue, completely still, covered in metallic gold paint and dressed in a matching antique wedding gown. While one may think Maria, often referred to as the Jilted Bride, just stands there doing nothing, her motionless presence...

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