Raise your hand if you're a STREET PERFORMER

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 06 Aug 2010 11:35

Comment if you are a street performer. What kind of stuff you do? Where do you do it? What your gig is all about? Stage name?
Etc...

I'm "Gnarly Nick, The Footbaggin' Jester". I also incorporate some juggling and bodily contortion in my act. I try to use a lot of weird/unusual tricks (dragon/sole/squeeze/knee bump/could/etc..) I perform for a small town called Phoenixville, PA.

This is on the back of my business cards.

Looking forward to hearing from some other performers here!

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 06 Aug 2010 13:32

For me, street performing seems like begging unless you are on a level like Peter Irish or Jorden Moir. We have a movement here in Spokane started by a fat lazy tophat wearing harmonica player named Harpman Hatter for people to be able to play music (terribly) anywhere they want and beg for money. I dislike Harpman Hatter and he has possibly distorted my sense of street performing.

So, do you ask for money when you perform? The jester gimmick is pretty hack man. Seems more act than skill.

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 06 Aug 2010 14:44

I play in public very rarely but when I do I play for money. I place a hat on the ground and... yeah. The only reason I do this is so I break even when it comes to footbag.

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 06 Aug 2010 17:13

James: I understand why you think that, and it does seem like begging a little bit... but not the way I do it. I'm a HIRED street performer for the town in live close to. I get a check for x amount of dollars for shredding for 2 hours every Friday, plus I have a donation can that I'm allowed to collect tips in. All the money I make goes towards helping pay for college because college sucks on wallets harder than a horny sex-deprived thai hooker sucks on HUSHYOMOUF. And people really seem to dig my way of working the corner because I make a modest amount in tips usually. So I see why you said it seems like begging, but I do it as my job and get paid by a boss who organizes the town's Friday celebrations. Thanks for the compliment on the jester gimmick (if that was a compliment... if not, i'll take it as a personal opinion and constructive criticism

)

007: Dude, I hear where you're coming from. It's really useful to fall back on something you're good at to earn a little extra money when you need it. I'd be interested in seeing some footage of your shred. I've heard from you a few times and it sounds like we've kind of got similar styles in some ways.

Donovon · Post by **Donovon** » 29 Aug 2010 16:00

There is a group around here that hires buskers to play music during the summer. Ive thought about it, but never really caught on.
I absolutely love shredding/juggling/playing music in public areas. I like getting some people together at local town festivals and setting up circles where people are walking, we get a lot of positive feedback. And i like playing music in the park.
But never really for money. I just dont expect it.
I really love heading to the mall (its an outdoor mall, meaning you have to travel outdoors to get from shop to shop) and juggling by this little lake for the kids. They really like it =] I usually end up teaching people how to juggle, lol.
~Donovon

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 29 Aug 2010 20:20

That's awesome dude. I just learned how to juggle, so I've been incorporating that in my performances now and it's really been turning some heads once people see my juggle turn into shred.

james · Post by **james** » 29 Aug 2010 23:08

I like your positive attitude Nick, even in face of blatant pessism/negative vibes.

James, one should never criticize someone that is doing something they enjoy (that is not deleterious to another person). Nick did say 'comment if you are a street performer...', I don't think you qualify as one of those. I don't either but I put my two cents in when I feel it necessary.

Begging is not the same as busking. I've rarely given money to either, but there have been many occasions where I would have paid for that small 20 second snippet of live jazz music as I'm wading through the public transport system.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 30 Aug 2010 02:20

I play footbag at the local markets every week with Lotus, except for when I'm hungover, injured or playing football. It's pretty good, I can make a hundred dollars or so. I wouldn't call myself much of a performer though - I just try to hit long sub guiltless runs. It's my only source of income other than welfare (for being a student) at the moment though, so it's good. Maybe it's begging, but I'm a poor student who doesn't want to work in a real job, so using footbag to beg is fine with me

The skill thing that James R. mentions is funny though. I do try to focus on skill and I much prefer to see buskers with good technical skills rather than care about their performing skills etc. but at the same time, I find it frustrating when you get more crowd props for datw or a few consecutive whirls or ducking clippers, than for stuff like big apple or fury. I mainly hit the easier crowd pleasing moves because just not dropping it impresses most people, but I try to throw in a few harder moves for my own entertainment now and then.

Donovon · Post by **Donovon** » 30 Aug 2010 06:48

Jeremy wrote:I find it frustrating when you get more crowd props for datw or a few consecutive whirls or ducking clippers, than for stuff like big apple or fury.

Pendulum, lol.

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 30 Aug 2010 06:56

Donovon wrote:
Jeremy wrote:I find it frustrating when you get more crowd props for datw or a few consecutive whirls or ducking clippers, than for stuff like big apple or fury.
Pendulum, lol.

Hater

F[uns]tylin' Eclectic · Post by **F[uns]tylin' Eclectic** » 30 Aug 2010 18:41

James M: Thanks for the compliment. I'm normally pretty dapper and positive when it comes to most things. That's one thing most of my friends say they admire about me.

Jeremy: I hear where you're coming from. People definitely need a trained eye for footbag to some degree. Bigger tricks are way too quick for people that don't already play footbag. You really have to "dumb it down" a lot so people can understand how challenging it really is. One of my favorite combos to do while performing is inside stall> ATW> inside stall> opp clipper> rev. swirl> swirl.

A sweet one that I just picked up that incorporates juggling is hold 3 bags in your hands, so your audience can't see them, and freestyle for a bit then do a solid xbd sole. While you hold the sole stall, throw up the other bags in your hands and juggle while still holding the sole stall. After juggling a bit, catch the bags in your hands and continue to shred. That had a family of 4 stop and stare this Friday