Buskers - the gift of music, or just a nuisance?

[Backdrifter]

I don't care how talented a busker is, I find them a nuisance. I don't distinguish between them and any other form of intrusive music in public places. If I want music, I'll choose it and when / where to listen to it. My guess is that I'll be in a minority on this one; in my experience, people seem to get a bit soppy about buskers.

I've thought this for years, but was reminded of it recently in Edinburgh when a very loud busker using an amplifier was in Rose Street more or less all day, right up until midnight, audible even on the rear top floor of the hotel I was in.

[redman41]

Very good JJ ...is that you in the Flip Flops ?? :-)

[doctordb]

years ago in strattford-upon-avon i heard wonderwall sung by three different buskers in an hour, i've hated that song ever since.

[tamborine]

wow - luv that talented guitarist :)

You can see music being played & inspire more young musicians, sadly lacking these days.

Backdrifter - the hotel probably get an income from the buskers.

[joggerjayne]

tambo ...

Lunch times are just not the same unless someone rucks up and starts playing a bit of street jazz.

=0)

[tamborine]

do they play everyday ? Where & when - I'm on my way down there :)

[tinkerbell23]

Cant remember th names...

But on buchanan street in glasgow theres guys who play scottish music etc snd dance about in kilts etc they are FANTASTIC x

[joggerjayne]

tambo ...

There is almost always someone playing in that square. It's on East Street, right near the sea front.

And there's generally someone playing outside the Churchill Square shopping Centre (don't go in there ... it's really modern and cheesey).

And pubs wise, there is generally music in the Seven Stars and The Mesmerist.

If I go to a pub for lunch, I usually have a choice of three or four live musicians to listen to.

[bambiboo78]

Winchester has some brilliant buskers, i like when they're talented but always feel a bit sorry for them when they aren't

[andy-hughes]

I think acoustic buskers are fine - you can only hear them for the time it takes too walk past.

Amplified buskers, however good they are, are intrusive, and I am not as keen.

In my work town of Hanley we have Eric 'Busker' Newton - http://www.flickr.com...nbradbury/3566997621/

who makes a flippin' fortune, but is a seriously good player. he runs marathos for chariddeee and plays all the way round.

I saw some amazing jazz guitarists in Europe and went back the next day to hear them again, but the good ones are outweighed by the bad in most places.

[tamborine]

If this wasn't on the street you'd never get chance to appreciate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rky73a4Ati0

[Backdrifter]

I can happily live with hearing plenty of other music elsewhere without feeling any sense of loss of not hearing stuff I don't know about, being played on a pavement. And there's no shortage of young musicians being inspired without having heard buskers. I doubt the Travelodge get a cut of the buskers' takings - the reception guy was chief among those complaining about the unending racket. He said it was a regular occurrence, so they have lost any potential future income from me, through no fault of their own.

joggerjayne, I haven't watched the clips. I am happy to accept they are wonderful, especially as long as they stay in Brighton!

[cazzz1975]

last time I went to town there was an old man complete with soap box and microphone predicting the end of the world very loudly (I think his apocalypse is in may sometime)

[Canary42]

Mostly a nuisance,

[cazzz1975]

re buskers, it depends on how good the busker is, some are just awful.

[jomifl]

Excellent JJ, thankyou, Can't see how anybody would object to them. Midsummer day in France is national busking day (by law), Our village will have a few, me included.

[naomi24]

I like to hear buskers playing. It's jolly.

[joggerjayne]

National Busking Day sounds jolly.