(WWW) Beginning buskers all have to start somewhere deciding just what they're going to perform. Perhaps they already have a talent they can build upon. Others may have to start from scratch.Here at Busker Central, an editor spent two years learning the songs he was to play before stepping a foot on a pitch. Once he had his songs down pat, he was confident he'd be successful. In fact, he was so successful, he was the number one musical busker in the whole city for twelve straight years.

Let us now check out around one hundred or so interesting pictures that may give you an idea or two about just how to approach the wide wide world of busking. Some are goofy, some are unique - but all are continuing the tradition of busking and street performing from centuries ago.

Click the link below for some ideas you may...

[ Continued ]

(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...

[ Continued ]

(LONDON) An article in The Guardian examines where the streets have no change - and how buskers are surviving in cashless times.A recent hot topic, the article asks is it time performers turned to contactless readers? After all, dropping coins in a hat is increasingly, well, old hat.

Speaking of hats, they're down in London. Again, society is changing. Spending our money is much more convenient nowadays using plastic rather than carrying around coins and notes. Americans have gone plastic for decades but now it's becoming more of a world-wide trend.

For buskers, touchless card readers are now "the thing" since people are carrying around a lot less cash. With plastic, even if you get robbed right there on the street in broad daylight, the poor crook doesn't have access to your PIN number(s)....

[ Continued ]

(NYC) Get ready for the 15th annual BuskerBall on April 22! A celebration of New York City’s vibrant street performance culture, the event is being held at Unit J
338 Moffatt Street, Brooklyn, NY. This unique event will feature a selection of the city’s best buskers showcasing their musical talents and highlighting the importance of street performance to the cultural fabric of the city.

The BuskerBall isn’t just about music – it’s about celebrating the vital role that street performers play in the cultural life of New York City. These artists bring joy and inspiration to our streets creating shared experiences and fostering a sense of community among city dwellers.

By supporting street performance, we can help to ensure that the arts remain accessible to all - regardless of economic status or social ba...

[ Continued ]

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The city has launched a program to encourage performers to display their talents at designated downtown spots billed as “busk stops.”

Known as “Busk Stop Central,” the program will allow performers – including jug musicians, avant-garde mimes, tap-dancers, orange jugglers, rubber-band pluckers, bongo players, Flamenco guitarists, spoken-verse poets, Austin Powers imitators, Renaissance Fair re-enactors and other artists – to legally do their thing at specified downtown locations and receive donations from passers-by.

“Busk” refers to an old English term for street performers, known as “buskers.”

A performer must apply for a free city permit to perform at one of three designated areas, all on State Street. The busk stops are marked with medallions in the sidewalk.

For details, contact the Bristol D...

[ Continued ]