(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)....

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(VENICE BEACH) It seems Venice Beach is the starting point for some busker's fame. Such is the case of the Naked Cowboy's forthcoming revelations.Ironically, he joins another famous busker who first started juggling real chainsaws on the famous California boardwalk.

In his new book, author Bob Burck a.k.a. The Naked Cowboy, exposes his rise to busker fame and unveils a life goal in his autobiography "Determination: The Legend of the Naked Cowboy".

"I want to be the most famous man on the face of the earth," Burck tells a reporter from the The Daily Free Press. Because he was a model and a bodybuilder, a photographer suggested Burck play guitar in his underwear to gain the attention he was sorely missing while busking on Venice Beach. The rest is history.

Well on his way, Burck is also...

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Move over Penélope and Scarlett - a struggling musician-turned-diva is the real feelgood story behind Woody Allen's new movie.

When British cinemagoers flock to Woody Allen's latest film Vicky Cristina Barcelona this week, they are likely to have been drawn by the triple attraction of Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem, who star in the tale of a love triangle conducted in one of Europe's most charismatic cities. But in Catalonia the true hero of the film is an Italian busker who has never been anywhere near the studios of Hollywood.

The film has already garnered a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, but last week a less publicised award - a Catalan film festival award for best original music - went to Giulia Tellarini, whose "Barcelona" forms the opening soundtrack to the film and has already been adopted by the city's tourist board.

Tellarini and her band a...

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(WWW) We may as well face it. Busking is not a bed of roses. There are bound to be instances where things go wrong. Sammy Showtime has put together his pet peeves when it comes to his caveats of busking.Some of the most annoying things about being a busker are events you encounter when attempting the sport of performing. One that resonates with many is when other buskers arrive, set up on you, then explain that "This is our pitch. We're homies and never travel. We come her every Friday."

Similarly, there's the "This is the only place we can perform!" excuse that doesn't really sit well with buskers...especially in the middle of a show. Rest assured, the intruders will get their due they so richly deserve.

Read Sammy's other annoying busker behavior at the link below and catch him...

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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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