Annie Rhiannon

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

I'm not terrible

"I'm here about the busking license," I say into the intercom on the door of York City Council.

"You'll need to fill in the form," a woman's voice crackles back. "Then just drop it in t' letter box and we'll be in touch."

"I've already done that," I explain. "And I'm waiting for my audition. But I'm leaving town this week so I'm wondering if you could just give me a temporary permit?"

There is a pause. And then what sounds suspiciously like a snort.

"You'll still need to audition, love, even for a temporary permit," explains the voice. "You could be terrible for all we know."

"I'm not terrible," I sigh, saying 'terrible' just like that in italics as if well, actually, I might be something like terrible, I suppose.

I want to play her a 16th century baroque piece right here into the intercom to prove myself, but actually I don't know any 16th century baroque pieces. And so instead I wander around town and consider just playing without a license anyway. Rock n roll! I mean, this is busking – how high can the standard possibly be?

On Coney Street a man plays reels on the fiddle while simultaneously operating a dancing puppet on strings. On Sampson Square a woman plays Hendrix guitar solos while her dog sings along in perfect key. On Stonegate a guy plays 16th century baroque music on the harp whilst standing on his head.

Yeah, I'm not terrible, just a little dull maybe.

18 comments:

  1. York you say? I'd pay to see those guys

    On Castle Lane in Belfast, there is a man who just stands behind some singing (and terrifying) puppets. He doesn't operate them, he just turns them on.

    People tend to avoid that street when he's there

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  2. I'm pretty sure you could handily defeat the "talent" in Cardiff.

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  3. I watched one guy's entire show, he did this Houdini thing with a straitjacket or whatever, but he was brilliant. Then at the end he asked people to put money in his hat. He said: "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but please don't come up here and dump a load of shrapnel in. Fivers and pound coins only. If you don't have any money just come and say thanks... I'm a professional street artist NOT a beggar."

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  4. Hold on, you have a lion, don't you? Don't tell me you left part of your act in Ghent?

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  5. Oh yeah, the lion. I brought it all the way to York with me against Wies's wishes(it's a family heirloom)and now it looks like I won't be needing him after all. I have to post him back to Ghent in a box with holes in it.

    He doesn't sing or anything, he just sits there, that's his problem.

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  6. Could you teach him to walk the lion?

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  7. I have to agree with Chris.

    Come to Cardiff - from what I have seen there is no standard. I passed a woman the other day who was just strumming her guitar. No notes, no chords, no fingerwork, just one hand strumming. It's not the first time I've seen her.

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  8. I've heard about her - I think Curly's seen her too.

    Am gonna play 'Walk the Lion' for you, Galway, when you give me my lesson.

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  9. All buskers in Cardiff should strive to match the talent of Toy Mic Trev.

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  10. Here in Farringdon we get wonderful world performed daily on a traffic cone. Marvellous.

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  11. I would so pay to see the chick playing Hendrix with the dog. When I lived in NYC, I would pay people to STOP playing like when you are stuck in the subway with them. They would too.

    If that hasn't happened, you're golden.

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  12. There is a guy on Grafton Street who just bonks people on the head with a bug foam hammer, apearently there is no audition in Dublin

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  13. Big foam hammer, not bug foam hammer. can't I edit my comment? should have used the preview button

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  14. New idea Annie, you travel the world, getting guitarists to teach you one new song wherever you go, and slowly and interestingly increase your busking repertoire.

    Hopefully some famous people could get involved.

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  16. Oh, and there's a famous busker in Cardiff called Ninja who hits public bins with drum sticks. I think he was in talks about a record deal.

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  17. あなたの精神年齢を占ってみよう！当サイトは、みんなの「精神年齢度」をチェックする性格診断のサイトです。精神年齢度には、期待以上の意外な結果があるかも？？興味がある方はぜひどうぞ

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  18. メル友募集3.7.09

    今まで同い年や年下としか付き合ったことなくて疲れてしまいました…優しくリードしてくれるような大人の男性に憧れます。　ayu-cha@docomo.ne.jpよかったらメールしてみてください。

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