An interesting day in town today busking. There were lots of buskers out which is weird as Saturday and Sunday there was hardly anyone. Anyway, the buskers at Russell and Bromley and The Face were having a ‘who has the loudest amp’ competition…. look if one turns up to 11 so does everyone else and it’s just a big ear-splitting mush. Just Stop!
Anyway, I set up after my husband and decided to give it a go. Kept to my usual volume but the quiet, gentle songs I usually start with were no good on a day like today, so straight in with the upbeat stuff, the low songs were transposed up a tone (hurrah for the capo!) and the Christmas songs (I only have 3) came out for an airing. I had 3 year olds dancing with old men, people singing along quietly to themselves as they passed by, people crossing the street to listen, kids waving at me from passing buses, ladies complimenting my skirt (gets more attention that me somedays!) and lots of serendipitous connections between strangers.
That’s what busking is about, that’s why I love it. And then it rained, and did it rain but I was in the middle of ‘I will survive’ and it seemed rude to stop mid song. By the end I had the taste of hairspray and stinging eyes but no Alice Cooper eye – Hurrah for waterproof make up. So I packed up and came home, still smiling from ear to ear. I love what I do!
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