Street performance

"Busking" and "Busker" redirect here. For other uses, seeBusking (disambiguation).

"Street music" and "Street singer" redirect here. For other uses, seeStreet MusicandStreet singer (disambiguation).

For the fundraising pledge system also known as the Street Performer Protocol, seeThreshold pledge system.

Jeff Masin, aone-man bandin New York City

Street performanceorbuskingis the act of performing in public places forgratuities.In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is practiced all over the world and dates back toantiquity.People engaging in this practice are calledstreet performersorbuskers.Buskersis not a term generally used in American English.

Performances are anything that people findentertaining,includingacrobatics,animal tricks,balloon twisting,caricatures,clowning,comedy,contortions,escapology,dance,singing,fire skills,flea circus,fortune-telling,juggling,magic,mime,living statue,musicalperformance,one man band,puppeteering,snake charming,storytellingor recitingpoetryorprose,street artsuch assketchingand painting,street theatre,sword swallowing,ventriloquism,weightliftingandwashboarding.Buskers may be solo performers or small groups.

Etymology

The termbuskingwas first noted in the English language around the middle 1860s in Great Britain. The verbto busk,from the wordbusker,comes from the Spanish root wordbuscar,with the meaning "to seek".The Spanish wordbuscarin turn evolved from theIndo-Europeanword*bhudh-skō( "to win, conquer" ).It was used for many street acts, and was the title of a famous Spanish book about one of them,El Buscón.Today, the word is still used in Spanish but mostly reserved for female streetsex workers,or mistresses of married men.

History

1855 painting of a street musician,O Pobre Rabequista(The Poor Rabeca Player), byJosé Rodrigues

An organ grinder in Paris, photographed byEugène Atget,c. 1898–99

There have been performances in public places forgratuitiesin every major culture in the world, dating back toantiquity.For many musicians, street performance was the most common means of employment before the advent ofrecordingand personal electronics.Prior to that, a person had to produce any music or entertainment, save for a few mechanical devices such as thebarrel organ,themusic box,and thepiano roll.Organ grinderswere commonly found busking in the 19th century and early 20th century.

Busking is common among someRomani people.Romantic mention of Romani music, dancers and fortune tellers are found in all forms of song poetry, prose and lore. The Roma brought the word busking to England by way of their travels along theMediterraneancoast to Spain and the Atlantic Ocean and then up north to England and the rest of Europe.

In medieval France, buskers were known by the termstroubadoursandjongleurs.In northern France, they were known astrouveres.In old German, buskers were known asMinnesingersandSpielleute.In obsolete French, it evolved tobusquerfor "seek, prowl" and was generally used to describeprostitutes.In Russia, buskers are calledskomorokh,and their first recorded history appears around the 11th century.

Mariachis,Mexican bands that play a style of music by the same name, frequently busk when they perform while traveling through streets and plazas, as well as in restaurants and bars.

We like playing for big crowds, and the goal all along has been for people to pay a little to come and see us. But it all started on street corners, and that is still very connected to what we do. It's such a validating musical experience. Busking is a very humble and brave act that takes courage to do well. It's also about the energy of music being alive outside in a city... You can walk right by it right in front of you. Sure, to some people you're just another guy with his hand out, so sometimes busking can be great social barometer. You're able to gauge who you live with on earth.

Ketch Secor,Old Crow Medicine Show

Around the mid-19th century JapaneseChindonyastarted to be seen using their skills for advertising, and these street performers are still occasionally seen in Japan. Another Japanese street performance form dating from theEdo periodisNankin Tamasudare,in which the performer creates large figures using a bamboo mat.

I Viggianesi,street musicians fromViggiano,Italy. Work byFilippo Palizzi,1853

In the 19th century, Italian street musicians (mainly fromLiguria,Emilia Romagna,Basilicata) began to roam worldwide in search of fortune. Musicians fromBasilicata,especially the so-calledViggianesi,would later become professional instrumentalists in symphonic orchestras, especially in theUnited States.The street musicians from Basilicata are sometimes cited as an influence onHector Malot'sSans Famille.

In the United States,medicine showsproliferated in the 19th century. They were traveling vendors sellingelixirsandpotionswhich purportedly improved people's health. They would often employ entertainment acts as a way of drawing in potential clients and rela xing them. The people would often associate this feeling of well-being with the products sold. After these performances, they would "pass the hat".

One-man bandshave historically performed as buskers playing a variety of instruments simultaneously. One-man bands proliferated in urban areas in the 19th and early 20th centuries and still perform to this day. A current one-man band plays all their instruments acoustically usually combining a guitar, a harmonica, a drum and a tambourine. They may also include singing. Many still busk but some are booked to play at festivals and other events.

Folk musichas always been an important part of the busking scene. Cafe, restaurant, bar and pub busking is a mainstay of this art form. Thedelta bluesmenwere mostly itinerant musicians emanating from the Mississippi Delta region of the USA around the early 1940s and on.B.B. Kingis one famous example who came from these roots.

Dancers inSutton High Street,Sutton, London,England

Thecountercultureof thehippiesof the 1960s occasionally staged "be-ins", which resembled some present-daybuskers festivals.Bands and performers would gather at public places and perform for free, passing the hat to make money. TheSan Francisco Bay Areawas at the epicenter of this movement – be-ins were staged atGolden Gate ParkandSan Jose's Bee Stadium and other venues. Some of the bands that performed in this manner wereJanis JoplinwithBig Brother and the Holding Company,theGrateful Dead,Jefferson Airplane,Quicksilver Messenger Service,Country Joe and the Fish,Moby GrapeandJimi Hendrix.

Christmas carolingcan also be a form of busking, aswassailingincluded singing for alms,wassailor some other form of refreshment such asfiggy pudding.In the Republic of Ireland, the traditional Wren Boys, and in EnglandMorris Dancingcan be considered part of the busking tradition.

In India and Pakistan'sGujaratiregion,Bhavaiis a form of street art where there are plays enacted in the village, thebarotor the village singer also is part of the local entertainment scene.

In the 2000s, some performers have begun "Cyber Busking". Artists post work or performances on the Internet for people to download or "stream" and if people like it they make a donation usingPayPal.

Forms

A walk-by street performer blowing large bubbles inBath,United Kingdom

There are three basic forms of street performance: circle shows, walk-by acts, and stoplight performances.

"Circle shows"are shows that tend to gather a crowd around them. They usually have a distinct beginning and end. Usually these are done in conjunction withstreet theatre,puppeteering,magicians,comedians,acrobats,jugglersand sometimes musicians. Circle shows can be the most lucrative. Sometimes the crowds attracted can be very large. A good busker will control the crowd so the patrons do not obstruct foot traffic.

"Walk-by acts"are acts where the busker performs a musical, living statue or other act that does not have a distinct beginning or end, and the public usually watches for a brief time. A walk-by act may turn into a circle show if the act is unusual or very popular.

"Stoplight performances"are performances in which performers present their act and get contributions from vehicle occupants on a crosswalk while the traffic lights are red. A variety of disciplines can be used in such a format (juggling, break dancing, even magic tricks). Because of the short period of time available to them, stoplight performers must have a very brief, condensed routine. This form is seen more commonly in Latin America than elsewhere.

Collecting money

Toss jugglingstreet performance in Denmark

Buskers collect donations and tips from the public in a variety of containers and by different methods depending on the type of busking they are performing. For walk-by acts, their open, empty instrument case or a special can, box, or hat is often used. For circle shows the performer will typically collect money at the end of the show, although some performers will also collect during the show, as some audience members do not stay for the entire performance.

Sometimes a performer will employ abottler,hat man,orpitch manto collect money from the audience and encourage them to contribute, sometimes by cajoling them in a humorous fashion. The termbottleris a British term that originated from the use of the top half of a bottle to collect money. The bottle had a leather flap inserted in the bottleneck and a leather pouch attached. This design allowed coins to be put in the bottle but did not allow them to be removed easily without the coins jingling against the glass. The first use of such contrivances was recorded by the famousPunch and Judytroupe of puppeteers in early Victorian times.

The increasing use of cashless payments in the 21st century, and the corresponding lessening of the amount of cash typically carried, has affected buskers, some of whom have begun using electronic payment systems including contactless payment terminals and web or app based payment systems (sometimes reachable byQR code). This trend accelerated afterCOVID-19lockdowns, but predates this.

Pitches

The place where a performance occurs is called a "pitch". A good pitch can be the key to success as a busker. An act that might make money at one place and time may not work at all in another setting. Popular pitches tend to be public places with large volumes of pedestrian traffic, high visibility, low background noise and as few elements of interference as possible. Good locations may include tourist spots, popular parks, entertainment districts including many restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs and theaters,subwaysand bus stops, outside the entrances to large concerts and sporting events, almost any plaza ortown squareas well aszócalosin Latin America andpiazzasin other regions. Other places include shopping malls, strip malls, and outside supermarkets, although permission is usually required from management for these.

In her book,Underground Harmonies: Music and Politics in the Subways of New York,Susie J. Tanenbaum examined how the adage "Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast" plays out in regards to busking. Her sociological studies showed that in areas where buskers regularly perform, crime rates tended to go down, and that those with higher education attainment tended to have a more positive view of buskers than did those of lesser educational attainment.Some cities encourage busking in particular areas,giving preference to city government-approved buskers and even publishing schedules of performances.

Many cities in the United States have particular areas known to be popular spots for buskers. Performers are found at many locations like Mallory Square inKey West,inNew Orleans,in New York aroundCentral Park,Washington Square,and the subway systems, in San Francisco, in Washington, D.C. around the transit centers, in Los Angeles aroundVenice Beach,theSanta MonicaThird Street Promenade,and the Hollywood area, in Chicago onMaxwell Street,in theDelmar Loopdistrict ofSt. Louis,and many other locations throughout the US. Busking is still quite common in Scotland, Ireland (Grafton Street,Dublin), and England with musicians and other street performers of varying talent levels.

Legislation

See also:Street performing (U.S. case law)

A sign in a tourist area of Edinburgh, Scotland, advises buskers that guitar amplifiers and PA speakers are not allowed.

The first recorded instances of laws affecting buskers were inancient Romein 462 BC.The Law of the Twelve Tablesmade it a crime to sing about or make parodies of the government or its officials in public places; the penalty was death.Louis the Pious"excludedhistrionesandscurrae,which included all entertainers without noble protection, from the privilege of justice ".In 1530Henry VIIIordered the licensing of minstrels and players, fortune-tellers, pardoners and fencers, as well as beggars who could not work. If they did not obey they could be whipped on two consecutive days.

In the United States underconstitutional lawand most Europeancommon law,the protection ofartisticfree speechextends to busking. In the U.S. and many countries, the designated places for free speech behavior are the publicparks,streets,sidewalks,thoroughfaresandtown squaresor plazas. Under certain circumstances even private property may be open to buskers, particularly if it is open to the general public and busking does not interfere with its function and management allows it or other forms of free speech behaviors or has a history of doing so.

While there is no universalcode of conductfor buskers, there are common law practices that buskers must conform to. Most jurisdictions have correspondingstatutory laws.In the UK busking regulation is not universal with most laws (if there are any) being governed by local councils.Some towns in the British Isles limit the licenses issued to bagpipers because of the volume and difficulty of the instrument.In Great Britain places requiring licenses for buskers may also require auditions of anyone applying for a busking license.Oxford City Council have decided to enact apublic spaces protection order.Some venues that do not regulate busking may still ask performers to abide by voluntary rules. Some places require a specialpermitto use electronically amplified sound and may have limits on thevolumeof sound produced.It is common law that buskers or others should not impede pedestrian traffic flow, block or otherwise obstruct entrances or exits, or do things thatendangerthe public. It is common law that any disturbing or noisy behaviors may not be conducted after certain hours in the night. These curfew limitations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It is common law that "performing blue" (i.e. using material that is sexually explicit or any vulgar or obscene remarks or gestures) is generally prohibited unless performing for an adults-only environment such as in a bar or pub.

In London, busking is prohibited in the entire area of the City of London. TheLondon Undergroundprovides busking permits for up to 39 pitches across 25 central London stations.Most London boroughs do not license busking, but they have optional powers, under theLondon Local Authorities Act 2000,if there is sufficient reason to do so. Where these powers have not been adopted, councils can rely on other legislation including theEnvironmental Protection Act 1990to deal with noise nuisance from buskers and theHighways Act 1980to deal with obstructions. Camden Council is currently looking into further options to control the problem of nuisance buskers and the playing of amplified music to the detriment of local residents and businesses.

Buskers may find themselves targeted by thieves due to the very open and public nature of their craft. Buskers may have their earnings, instruments or props stolen. One particular technique that thieves use against buskers is to pretend to make a donation while actually taking money out instead, a practice known as "dipping" or "skimming".George Burnsdescribed his days as a youthful busker this way:

Sometimes the customers threw something in the hats. Sometimes they took something out of the hats. Sometimes they took the hats.

Notable performers

Colin Hugginsplaying a grand piano inWashington Square Park,New York City

Ed "Tuba Man" McMichael(right) in 2006

Arthur Nakane,a street performer and former one-man band who performs regularly in theLittle Tokyocommunity of Los Angeles

Billy Waters,a London busker from the 19th century

• 5 Seconds of Summer,Australian pop rock band. Prior to achieving international fame, the band busked inRouse Hilland other parts ofSydney.
• Abby the Spoon Ladyis a professional spoon player, street performer, andbuskingadvocate who lives inAsheville, North Carolina.
• Josephine Bakerstarted street dancing to make money and was recruited for the St. Louis Chorusvaudevilleshow at the age of 15, which started her dancing career.
• Joshua Bell,a noted classical violinist, posed as a busker in theL'Enfant PlazaMetro station inWashington, D.C.at rush hour in 2007, as part of a feature inThe Washington Post.In the 45 minutes that Bell played, only seven people out of over a thousand who passed by stopped to watch, and he took in just over $32.Gene Weingartenlater won aPulitzer Prizefor the story.
• Catfish the Bottlemana well-known busker from Sydney, Australia, so inspired Van McCann ofCatfish and the Bottlementhat he named his band after him. He watched him perform as a child and said that it was his first memory of music.
• Tracy Chapmanbegan her career busking inHarvard SquareinCambridge, Massachusetts.
• Mike Doughty,former singer forSoul Coughing,releasedBusking,which contains 12 tracks from a 2007 busking performance in the14th Street subway stationin New York City.
• Newton Faulknerhas been known to busk and video footage of him busking has been made available on YouTube, including a full acoustic cover ofQueen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
• Benjamin Franklin,the American inventor and statesman, was a street performer. He composed songs, poetry and prose about current events and went out in public and performed them. He would then sell printed copies of them to the public. He was dissuaded from busking by his father who convinced him it was not worth the stigmas that some people attach to it. It was this experience that helped form his beliefs in free speech, which he wrote about in his journals.
• G4,the Britishpoperaquartet, performed as buskers across London during their college days.
• Mark Goffeney,aka 'Big Toe', known for playing guitar despite being bornwithout arms.
• Shannon Hoon,former singer forBlind Melon,was known to busk all over the U.S.
• Colin Huggins,a classical pianist who performs on aSteinwaygrand pianoinWashington Square Parkand other parks inGreenwich Village,New York City.
• Henry Johnson (acrobat)(1806–1910),circusacrobat and street entertainer usingacrobatics,tightrope-walkingetc.
• Keytar Bear,a busker in Boston, Massachusetts, who wears a bear suit and plays a keytar.
• 'Guy Lalibertéwas a street performer when he founded theCirque du Soleiltheatrical company in 1984.
• Loreena McKennitt,developing a passion for Celtic music, learned to play theCeltic harpand began busking at various places, including St. Lawrence Market inTorontoin order to earn money to record her first album.
• Edward McMichaelwas a celebrated street musician known as Seattle's "Tuba Man", who busked outside the city's various sports and performing arts venues. In 2008, he was killed by attackers who were attempting to rob him.
• Sterling Magee andAdam Gussow,AKASatan and Adam,were busking on125th Streetin Harlem, New York City, in the summer of 1987 when the members ofU2,accompanied by a film crew, paused to watch the blues duo. The scene later appeared in the filmRattle and Hum.
• George Michaelused to busk near theLondon Underground,performing songs such as'39byQueen.
• Peter Mulvey,the singer-songwriter, recorded an entire album down in theBoston subway,where he was a regular busker. In most cases, songs were recorded in one or two takes.
• Kristyna Myleswon the BBC Radio 5 Live Busker of the Year competition in 2005 and has gone on to sign a recording contract with Decca. Her debut album is due for release in September 2012.
• Paul Oscher,a famous Blues musician and harp player, has busked as "Brooklyn Slim" on the Venice Boardwalk to try out new material. Oscher, a two-timeW.C Handy Awardwinner, was the harp player forMuddy Watersand his band in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He currently performs at blues festivals in the U.S. and internationally.
• Amanda Palmer,singer-songwriter, internet personality and founder ofThe Dresden Dollsstarted out performing as aliving statuearound the world.
• Don Partridge,an English singer and songwriter, known as the "king of the buskers". Achieved unexpected commercial success in the UK and Europe in the late 1960s with the songs "Rosie", "Blue Eyes" and "Breakfast On Pluto".
• Natalia Paruz,aka 'Saw Lady', who can be seen in movies such asDummyand heard on many movie soundtracks, has been playing themusical sawin the New York City subway since 1994.
• Surf/ska band theRed Elvisesboosted their career by playing outside inSanta Monica, California,on theThird Street Promenade.Their manic performances attracted such large crowds that city officials asked them to stop.
• Alice Tan Ridley,busked in New York City subway stations for 30 years; semi-finalist inAmerica's Got Talent,mother ofGabourey Sidibe
• Rodrigo y Gabriela,began their career by busking in Dublin, Ireland.
• Peg Leg Sam,a famous harmonica player from South Carolina, preferred busking over all other forms/venues. His most requested song was "John Henry".
• Daniel Seaveyperformed in the streets of Portland, Oregon, and subsequently joined boy bandWhy Don't We.
• Ketch Secor, whose groupOld Crow Medicine Showstarted with busking and remains committed to it, has said: "People... have short attention spans.... So if you can get 'em to stop... if you can get 'em to listen with a song, then you've got yourself a keeper."
• The Piccadilly Rats,street performance group from Manchester, England
• Allie Sherlocksings onGrafton Street,Dublin
• Tuba Skinny,street band in New Orleans
• Rod Stewartbegan hanging around folk singerWizz Jonesand busking, atLeicester Squareand other London spots in 1962.On several trips over the next 18 months, Jones and Stewart took their act toBrightonand then to Paris, sleeping under bridges over the riverSeine,and then finally toBarcelona.Finally this resulted in Stewart being rounded up and deported from Spain forvagrancyduring 1963.
• Tash Sultana,an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who busked on the streets of Melbourne.
• SungBeats,a beatbox loop artist won theAmateur Night at the Apollocompetition in 2014.
• Damo Suzuki,the singer of the bandCan,was found by band members Czukay and Liebezeit busking outside aMunichcafé and was asked to perform with the band that same night.
• Tones and I,an Australian indie-pop singer-songwriter and musician.
• KT Tunstall,a popular Scottish singer, has been recorded busking in Glasgow.
• Nik Turner,former saxophonist withHawkwindandInner City Unit,continues to busk regularly in the streets of his adopted hometownCardigan.
• T. RexmembersMarc BolanandSteve Peregrin Tookfirst performed as an acoustic guitar/bongos duo when they went busking together inHyde Parkin summer 1967 after their electric equipment had been confiscated byTrack Recordsand their two bandmates had both left. In this acoustic format, the duo would go on to release three albums.
• Unipiper,a performer in Portland, Oregon, is known for playing the bagpipes on a unicycle.
• Violent Femmeswere discovered byJames Honeyman-Scott(ofThe Pretenders) on 23 August 1981, when the band was busking on a street corner in front of theOriental Theatre,theMilwaukeevenue thatThe Pretenderswould be playing later that night.Chrissie Hyndeinvited them to play a brief acoustic set after the opening act.
• Yamunabai Waikar,decorated Indian folk–Lavani–Tamashaartist busked with her mother as a child.
• Billy Waters,a one-legged busker who rose to prominence in London during the nineteenth century.
• Hayley Westenraat one time busked on the streets of Christchurch, New Zealand.
• The NYC BuskerBall; BuskerBall, is an annual event showcasing the worlds best buskers, NYC Buskerball INC is a registered non for profit (501(c)(b) that strives to educate the public on the art of busking and stages an annual festival in Brooklyn.

Gallery

• 
  German street performers play for pedestrians in 1948
• 
  Classical fiddler inArles,France
• 
  A street performance trio on their pitch outsidePrague Castle
• 
  Mother and son busking inLhasa,Tibet, 1993
• 
  Acrobat jumping over volunteers in Washington, D.C.
• 
  Violinist inSutton High Street,Sutton, London
• 
  Street performer using a fire devilstick inSão Paulo,Brazil
• 
  Street musician playing congas,Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 
  Street performer atŠpancirfest,Croatia

See also

• Busking Day
• Category:Busking venues
• List of circus skills
• List of busking locations
• Music Under New York
• Skomorokh
• Street artist
• Street painting
• Street theatre

External links

Organisations

• World Street Music – international project about street musicians
• Busker CentralCalendar of worldwide busking events
• National Association of Street Artists UK
• Street Arts
• Photographs of buskers around the worldby Tudor ApMadoc
• The Busking Project,celebrating and supporting buskers across the world.

Press

• "Striving to make music under the NYC streets".Daniel Strieff and Jon Sweeney. 24 August 2004.MSNBC.
• "What the ailing record industry can learn from a successful subway musician".Nicholas Thompson. December 2003.Washington Monthly.
• "The Real Piano Man"Steven Kurutz, 30 August 2008.The New York Times.

Other

• McKay, George (2007)."'A soundtrack to the insurrection': street music, marching bands and popular protest ".Parallax.13(1): 20–31.doi:10.1080/13534640601094817.S2CID143754205.
• Bennett, Elizabeth, and McKay, George. 2019.From Brass Bands to Buskers: Street Music in the UK.Norwich: AHRC/UEA.doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.18521.98408