hello again
after some street action in ajaccio
some tips on "busking" with yoyos and tops
by busking , i mean playing a performance in front of people on an open space
the choice of the spot is very important : i don't do that in central paris for example
but in smaller cities whether seaside or countryside , it really works
like me you will feel a lot more comfortable than street artists because you don't really need the money you're going to make , even a small "hat" is a great achievement , and this "special money" will be spent apart from the "real world"money:::::
now for the tips
everyone developps his own "tricks" while performing like mark hayward or higby have their way to heat the crowd, i'm not at their level so i resort to this:
i start with the whistling diabolo: once accelerated it's going into a high pitch harmonic and the dogs ,if any, start to bark...//at this point i play some spinabolo , tell people to come closer , then stop and draw a line with a chalk around me
result people get closer and form "the circle"
i switch to yoyo , ostensibly showing a pack of 100 strings ,play some picture tricks while trying to spot a "partner" for a future trick i mean a someone happy looking and ready to have a go ....I finish with a high skyrocket, then i tell them that modern yoyos are called 'yos" because they don't come back, switch to new skool play and end with a G5 with bearing tips on each side .....easy transition to spintop...small preach à la joe mauk and woodtops on the ground ,in children's hands, then progressively bearing tricks without exagerating and final with big tops involving the guy spotted previously...salute ....
hat given to a child to pass around and annoucing the next show in 10 min
downbeat events :
#1 the hassles :
put your gear in front of you, watch it regularly
if someone publically questions what you're doing, don't reply , just keep going
cops/authorities : very few places have specific rules against street acts and busking
as long as you don't block traffic , play music from a PA, you won't be bothered ...an ID check is always possible especially in france but ok officer : my taxes pay your job, be good to me ..(on that point the quicksilver remains the perfect stash)
#2
drops, tangles,misses ; if you drop, you were bound to drop :i mean ,after a while you know what you are capable to do : i prefer to "underplay" than to drop
my rule is never to drop
in a word : go for it , give it a try !!
jim
