Hard-working busker Derek Allan is about to embark on his toughest gig yet - playing 10 sets of 10 hours in 10 different venues.The singer-songwriter’s fundraising efforts will see him play for 10 consecutive nights as he pulls out all the stops to help Grace House Hospice Appeal to reach its latest target.

And not content with that, he is issuing a universal offer of help to any small charities or individuals who need a helping hand getting together the money they need.

Derek, 34, from Red Row in Northumberland, first came to the attention of Journal readers when he performed seven consecutive 12-hour gigs in seven different Northumberland pubs, with no backing group.

The exertion left Derek, who suffers from epilepsy, exhausted and he almost fainted several times during the g...

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(INTERNET) The leaves are turning a fantastic color of orange in direct sunlight. Along with Fall comes the cold North wind blowing down the alley and snow finding it's way into the tiniest crevice. To top it off, the holidays are coming and we're considering presents to purchase.Busker's Holiday is a new work just published by author Adam Gussow, an associate professor of English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi. It's the kind of book you want to curl up and read on a cold winter's night as you sit and contemplate next year's show. It warms your mind as you learn it's Summer all over again.

Gussow (or as the locals call him, Mister Satan) establishes Busker's Holiday as a story of one McKay Chernoff, a Columbia University grad student with a harmonica in his pocket and a blues band in...

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Just got done re-editing my busking book titled "STREETWISE- A Guide to Magical Street Performing." I changed my performance and noted it in the book. It has increased my hats considerably. I've also added a couple routines, more pictures. hat lines and hat line limericks. This book will pay for itself the 1st time out. It will save time and trial and error. The magic is primarily close-up, but it will also work for the bigger performer. Check out my website at: http:// blackbeltmagician.com You can order the book directly from there using paypal.
Well, summer is about over. I had hoped to get out more, but my work schedule wouldn't allow it. I did make the Lawrence Buskerfest. It was great. Lawrence, KS is a cool town. They are busker friendly. I did get booted out of an art show in Kansas City this summer. It was the first time in a decade.
Won't be back there next year. I did some performing at the River Market in downtown KC. Did decently, but the market...

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(SHANGHAI) For the first time in modern Chinese history, buskers and street-performers may be able to perform their art without being stopped. "We'll be the first city in China to open arms to street-side performers," said Luo Huaizhen, a playwright who for the last eight years has urged the Shanghai People's Congress to allow street performers.

Shanghai residents will be able to see artists and performers doing creative shows in public spaces for the first time since the World Expo in 2010 when it was temporarily allowed. China has forbidden buskers because crowds gather possibly leading to discussions concerning the government.

Busker Central noticed a few years ago when the Chinese government started draining the street-performer website with useless connections. It has since had to block China...

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(USA) It's that time of year again when a young man's thoughts turn to busking. It's all about sun, people, and shade as we take a look at some of the hottest performing venues the United States has to offer.An article in USA Today features David Michael, a former street musician and author of Busker: Tales of a Renegade Harpist. The article mentions Michael's insight into the wide world of busking. Waxing philosophical, he elaborates about the different venues some buskers take that, were it not for street-performing, the talent would go to waste. Crowd gathering is also discussed.

Some cities are obvious. New York, Boston, and San Francisco are considered the centerpieces of American culture. Yet, we find some surprising "off-the-beaten-path" pitches that, normally, one wouldn't think there...

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