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Topic: Playing steel on the street for tips |
Don McClellan
From:
California/Thailand
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Posted 6 Apr 2008 8:45 pm |
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| Have any of you folks ever played solo (or with a group) steel guitar, especially psg, or reso on the sidewalk for tips anywhere? How did it go? What kind of battery powered amp did you use? What kind of music did you play? Did it pay off? Was it fun? Thanks, Don |
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Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 6 Apr 2008 10:55 pm
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| I've done it a couple of times in the Bay Area with my group when we were on tour and had free time. We basically used busking to generate tips and interest in our legit shows, which seemed to work fine. I was the only one plugged in, and I was using a Pignose amp with a Carter Starter at the time. |
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T. C. Furlong
From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 5:24 am
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1980 - Midtown Manhattan - Rockefeller Center - Fiddle Player + me on Dobro. It was really fun watching New Yorkers stop and get into our little western swing busk. We made about $75 an hour (split two ways) which was a lot more than we got for the Greenwich Village club gig we had at night. Aaaahhh those were the days.
TC |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 5:47 am
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i used to busk at Beaubourg museum & in the metro in Paris round 78/79 w: a lap steel, pignose amp, & dobromandoline along w: a Canadian guitboxer & a Welsh fiddler
we made about 150/200 $ a day each w: a cutie as the bottler
those too were some good times |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 6:56 am
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I was doing a few weeks in Europe with singer Little Ginny back in the '80s.
Our schedule in Zurich (we were there for two weeks, I think) meant that we had a couple of nights off, and Ginny said that she'd like to try doing some busking.
We went to the Old Town and situated ourselves by a fountain on the cobbled streets, pulled out three acoustic guitars and a tambourine, and we soon had quite a crowd around us. They enthusiastically applauded after every song, and showed no signs of wanting to move on...
Unfortunately, they also showed no signs of giving us any money....
By sheer accident, we discovered that it wasn't the custom to toss any Swiss Francs into the open guitar-case until the 'show' was over! We soon learned to limit our alfresco sets to just three songs, then take a few minutes off so that they could show their appreciation.
Once we figured out how it worked, we did pretty well. Ginny is a born entertainer and a fine singer - and the Swiss like their country music!
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Ernest Cawby
From:
Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 7:31 am hi
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We went to a Cracker barrel on the Ga. coast a guy was sitting out front on the concrete he had all kinds of instruments aroung him and was good on them all, he played a lap steel real well, I think he made his living doing this, John was with me and he was very impressed.
ernie |
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Scott Henderson
From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 10:19 am
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Buzz Evans did very well with it on the streets of Vegas, in shopping malls, etc.
_________________
D-10 JCH Dekley U-12 D-8 Magnatone Mullen RP Evans RE 200 profex 2 BJS bars
Dentyne gum (peppermint) |
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Paul Norman
From:
Washington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 10:54 am
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| What is a pignose amp?? |
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Jim Walker
From:
Headland, AL
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 11:00 am
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I bought a Pignose shorty after the Blues Movie "Crossroads" came out back in the 80's.
Runs on batteries and is totally portable. Great for camping, street picking and practice. Last fall I took a Pignose and a Telecaster out on Duvall street in Key West to help out the "Barker" for the club we were playing that night. I had a blast.
JW
_________________
Show Pro D10, Session 400 |
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Paul Norman
From:
Washington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 11:27 am
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Thanks Jim
That sounds like a fun deal maybe like a Cube 30.
I think I'll get me one. |
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Darrell Schmidt
From:
Charles City, Iowa, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 11:59 am
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YOU CAN ALSO USED A PORTABLE BATTERY PACK USED FOR JUMP STARTING VEHICLES.i USED OLNE IN A PARADE WITH A COVERTOR.PARADE LASTED AN HOUR AND STILL WAS GOING.
DARRELL |
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Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 12:10 pm
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| by the way, the pignose definitely breaks up at high volumes - on a busy street, that steel will have to be distorted to be loud enough! I think the Roland battery amps are cleaner. |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 7 Apr 2008 1:57 pm
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| The Electro-Harmonix Freedom amps sound REALLY sweet (solid wood cab) and are pretty light and portable as well. |
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Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Posted 9 Apr 2008 3:58 pm
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Three years ago, I was one of 4 hobbyist buskers who decided to "go legitimate". We created a website:
http://www.worldbuskers.ca/index.php
We applied for and were accepted for membership in our city's allied arts council, which consists mainly of dancers, weavers, painters, choral groups, etc:
http://www.artslethbridge.org/
We were quickly approached by the downtown revitalization organization or our city to work a regular set of paid street corner appearances, to create a sort-of big city ambience to our small city. This continues from year to year:
http://www.downtownlethbridge.com/whatshappening.asp?offset=9
As a result of this fairly aggressive schedule of busking downtown, I landed a residency in a local fine dining restaraunt, where I am hired to play solo dobro about once a month, plus New Years Eve:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9889150035
Our banjoist landed the job of playing at our race-track every Saturday and Sunday during the summer race season:
http://www.rockymountainturfclub.com/
Our trumpeter was hired to play solo trumpet at a wedding last summer.
The financial rewards are "OK". You earn what you deserve. However, I'm having a wonderful time just seeing how far this broadening of our venues can go. |
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Jeremy Steele
From:
Princeton, NJ USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2008 4:20 am
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| I don't know if they are still made, but I used a Mouse amp in my busking days. Plenty of power, and a surprisingly good sound. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 10 Apr 2008 5:03 am
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I have an official Paris Metro Busking card.
Just ran across it this week.
I played upright in an salsa band,
but after our audition for the car, Le Metro
booked us for World Cup Football entertainment
both above and below ground.
I also did lots of busking on dobro, mandolin,
guitar and upright in NYC arks and green markets,
and various places in the South of France.
Great ways for extra cash and getting many gigs.
It is a fine tradtion there and I have friends
who haven't had day gigs for decades, just busking.
I did play pedal steel solo in Avignon 2 times
with some backing tracks.
But I left before getting into it too much.
The Thai authorities DO NOT approve of busking.
Sad but true. You can walk the streets with a
baby elephant and accost toutrists to by food
for the animal at inflated prices,
but I ain't seen a busker yet.
Don't even try to play in an outdoor cafe
without a work permit. Real hardnoses,
looking for payoffs.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
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Mike Brinkmeyer
From:
Houston, Texas
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