Buskers

[joe_blow]

In many places, street musicians entertain people. They are often called buskers. Dire Straits had a song called The Walk of Life about just such a person. Do you have buskers in your city? Sometimes they please people, but sometimes they can be annoying. Sometimes, like in this clip, there are more than one playing together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goEMlFAy_-A

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

We don't have any in my little town, but every Friday night since the beginning of time they shut down the main street (old town) and it becomes the street fair: at the top, children's play areas, lower are various vendors, then the hot-ready-to-eat food, then the farmer's market.

Every night, for longer than I've been alive, this tiny (4' or so), completely blind Mexican man has sat in a camping chair, playing guitar and signing.

His singing isn't amazing, but his guitar playing is AMAZING and everybody loves him, his music adds to the charm of the event.

[zachrwolfe]

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[Aegir]

My freshman year of college I played in the elevator of my dorm building. Talk about a captive audience!

[hypehat]

I kinda hate a lot of the buskers I see - generally, the more fun they seem to be having, the more fun it is to watch them. Standing behind your acoustic guitar warbling Bob Dylan songs with dead eyes and a mannered vocal delivery is nice, BUT YOU BORE ME TO TEARS. You gotta sell yourself. Which is why I'd never do it....

As for busker etiquette, I personally believe that while using an amp is pushing it (but a necc. evil especially busking on the tube), backing tracks are a capital offence. A fact splendidly sent up by two old geezers I saw at Portobello Market playing along to songs with pink Rock Band guitars. The dudes had moves.

[Aegir]

yep, backing track people are the worst. guy with a panflute playing John Lennon's Imagine, no thank you.