The real way buskers play around the world

18 June 2010

Posted by Ian Chadwick in Music and ukuleles, downtown-BIA, Collingwood's municipal m..., Collingwood life

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Us-TVg40ExM[/url]
None of those buskers would be allowed to play on Collingwood's streets, because they use amplification.
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mjTH2X87kg"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=9mjTH2X87kg[/url]
Neither would this busker who performs to large crowds in Sydney, Australia.

But we won't allow any of them - or tens of thousands like them - to play here because they use amplification. Just check YouTube to see dozens, maybe hundreds of other busking videos.

Collingwood: We license culture, we tax culture and we control culture. But we don't embrace it.

Check the comments for more examples.

Tags: patios, downtown, buskers, Collingwood's Municipal Madness, council 7 Comments

Ian Chadwick
Jun 18 2010 10:04 AM

Two other buskers who wouldn't be allowed to play here because they use amplification:

This one is from Penn Station.

This electric violin busker plays in Chester, England.

Ian Chadwick
Jun 18 2010 10:06 AM

This duo in Halifax couldn't busk here because we don't allow buskers to use fire:[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXU--r9ju8"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=YeXU--r9ju8[/url]Nor would most of these buskers at the Halifax busker festival:[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5fZ7pfZz3Q"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_5fZ7pfZz3Q[/url]None of the dancers could perform because they can't use amplified music in Collingwood, which bascially eliminates dancing, acrobatics and many other performance types.

Ian Chadwick
Jun 18 2010 10:21 AM

Can you imagine the excitement this sort of busking would create here?[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5APJNzv9QI&NR=1"]http://www.youtube.c...5APJNzv9QI&NR=1[/url]This group wouldn't be allowed because Collingwood limits busking to a maximum of five performers:[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWT3mayJkA8"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=aWT3mayJkA8[/url]Most of these buskers who can play in Hamilton, can't play here in Collingwood:[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw8mhrWaB1k"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=kw8mhrWaB1k[/url]See how they play pretty much anywhere on the street, not just in offically approved places. That would animate Collingwood too much, it seems. And they'd be harder to police, says Councillor Jeffrey. And policing rowdy musicians and sreet performers is so very important. Someone might play the dreaded A# chord!Control, control, control.

Ian Chadwick
Jun 18 2010 10:38 AM

Ah, but here's a busker we'd probably allow in Collingwood:

No movement, no sound, no amplification... seems custom made for our new bylaw!