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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Hello Buskercentral people and all of the other Busker-lovers,

I'm a mid 30's Belgian magician from Antwerp. I'm studying magic since I was about 15 years old, and perform now for already 12 years. I always were more interested in close-up magic, but through meetings with other magicians, I started doing kids-magic on birthday parties, schools, etc...
Because I performed for children, I tried to start performing as a clown-dressed magician. Yet, some years later, I stopped doing those children shows, and I'm focusing pure on sleight of hand magic for the use in close-up and/or parlor magic. Because I have a busy day-job as a European International Courier Driver, I didn't liked the hassle anymore when working with contracts.
For that reason, I will start out Busking here in Belgium as soon as the spring is in the country. I studied a lot of other street performers, as well magic as other arts, and I really want to go out now to Hit the Bricks!!!

The name Mik-Kado is the only thing...

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(ASPEN) Let us take a Summer stroll up to Aspen and see how the buskers are faring.In this sleepy little hamlet high above the madding crowds lies four downtown city blocks and the high-end shopping district. Within the red bricked lanes are planters, evergreens, grass, trees, and benches. Classic streetlamps light the way and no cars are allowed. The style was influenced by Boulder and it's mall on Pearl Street.

In Aspen (or "Hollyweed" as the locals call it), you can find many buskers plying their art. Why, you may even run into a "moobie star" out shopping at any given time. The famous four ski lifts long quiet, people are finding Colorado in the Summertime rather interesting, fun, and something out of the ordinary.

A Busker Central News reporter busked Aspen a while back. "As...

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(NEW YORK) Central Park buskers at the Bethesda Fountain Terrace have been booted off their long-standing pitch by an effort to establish a food and booze court. The city has posted a new "Quiet Zone" sign there and have been ticketing performers - even handcuffing one opera singer and taking him away.

Parks Department spokeswoman Vickie Karp said the musicians are the problem and have "completely blocked the stairs. The public wants quiet zones and have repeatedly requested quiet places for passive enjoyment of the park."

The food court and bar will feature $8 to $10 beers, $8 glasses of wine, and $7 to $9 sandwiches.

More...

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(VANCOUVER) Once a bustling tourist mecca, Vancouver is rapidly gaining a reputation as the "No-Fun-Allowed" city.Granville Island has recently revamped their busking regulations with a dizzying array of almost impossible requirements.

Included is having to pass not one but two auditions by a non-qualified jury, a doubling of license fees, arbitrarily banning popular performers, and for good measure, an unbelievable 15 pages of rules.

And they're just getting warmed up. Forget fire and circle shows. Even with insurance, these are out. Want to change a line or joke? It's not allowed once the license agreement is signed. It's the most preposterous, cockeyed, idiotic conception Busker Central News has ever reported.

License fees were doubled because they "hadn't been raised in 5 years."...

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