(HASTINGS) A busker, Dean Langley, set up shop outside the Anchor pub in Hastings and started to play “Wonderwall” by Oasis. He then played “American Pie” by Don Maclean. Then he played Wonderwall again. Then American Pie, then Wonderwall. After two hours, the landlord of the pub approached Mr Langley and pleaded with him either to stop playing or to learn a third song. Mr Langley then became abusive and was arrested.

Is there anyone who can read this without feeling passionate sympathy with the pub landlord? When General Noriega took refuge in the Holy See’s embassy in Panama in 1989, the American army bombarded him with non-stop repetition of terrible old rock records. It has been reported that a torture technique in Guantanamo Bay involved playing Barney the purple dinosaur’...

[ Continued ]

(from the You've got-to-be-kidding-me Department)
One of the themes of 2009 was that collection societies around the world went nuts trying to charge for anything they possibly could while also trying to increase the rates they could charge. Even banks went wild with their hidden charges.

Remember how one collection society wanted to charge a woman because she put on music in public for her horses? Or how about the woman who worked in a grocery store who was told to stop singing while stocking the shelves or the store would have to pay a performance fee? And, of course, we had ASCAP trying to claim that ringtones were public performances, and mobile operators needed to pay up -- beyond the license fee that was already paid on the recording.

SOCAN, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, has been no exception pushing for drastically increased rates...

[ Continued ]

Summer of 2013 a couple friends and i will be buying greyhound discovery passesw and traveling the us for two months. i have plans on bringing a guitar and perfoming a couple 30 minute sets in each town i visit. with the cash i make from this i am hoping to be able to me my food expenses and be able to afford another discovery pass by the time the first one expires.
I'd like to know if anyone else is interested in tagging along or maybe would like me to come through their town. Discovery passes are aroung $560 before tax and are good for 2 months. i feel this is an interesting way to tour, see the country, meet people, and have a good time. Be aware that you can only bring two bags without having to pay an extra fee and your instrument case will count as a bag.

(VENICE BEACH) The Venice Beach boardwalk is known as a happening place. However, the Los Angeles City Council thinks there may be too much going on there.After receiving hundreds of complaints from area residents over the past year, the council has asked city lawyers to draw up some new rules. The new rules could include a ban on musical instruments and amplified sound between sunset and 9 A.M.

The council wants to crack down on street performers that draw big crowds and clog the boardwalk. The council also wants to limit the size and number of demonstrations. Many people consider the boardwalk a free speech zone.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl says it's the first step toward creating a more peaceful environment for boardwalk business owners, residents and thousands of visitors.

abc7.com

(UTAH) With it's first ever Buskerfest, Salt Lake City has started to come out of it's shell in regards to street theater and performances. Citizens of the city are calling for more pitches to perform their art.Kim Angeli is determined to get more street performers in Salt Lake City - a place that hasn’t always been receptive to the idea. Angeli hopes the SLC Busker Fest will help spread the wealth and connect performers and audiences.

"I would love to have performers on every corner. Art and artistic performance makes an urban environment wonderful and begs to be visited repeatedly," posts Lance Hemmert.

"Abby the Spoon Lady is the most amazing Busker!" cries another.

Most professional buskers are...
...

[ Continued ]