(ENGLAND) Busker and supply teacher Phil Gray was happily busking away when a passerby casually took the hat off Gray's head and disappeared.It all seemed to be a joke until the grim reality set in. The hat was gone - never to be returned.

Fortunately, an audience member was shooting a video with his cell phone of Gray performing when the incident occurred.

Gray claims the creep who stole his hat had talked with him several times earlier in the day.

In the video, you actually see the crime committed. The thief was later picked up but no hat was to be found.

Full story and video

(WWW) In these challenging times, we must all remember to go directly to the people. The busker must first "seek" an appropriate audience and go from there. The surprise impromptu performance is almost always welcome in the tourist industry. Even flea markets and towne festivals have been known to welcome the busker. Where else can you draw a nice crowd then entertain them?Not any ol' street corner will do these days. You will need throngs of toursits to entertain and make a decent amount of "appreciation". What's just as important is a smile on your face which is rare these days. A smile disarms people and they, more often than not, willl smile back instantly making a connection.

Whether you're a circle show or stand-alone musician, you should always have cd's or dvd's of your show...

[ Continued ]

Orlando homeless wanna-be busker Vincent Tarazavich has been prevented by city laws from playing for tips on the streets of Orlando.

It seems that Vincent might be getting his big break, as soon as tonight, possibly. Bob Snow, the man who created Church Street Station back in the day, called me this morning. He's willing to give Vincent a spot in front of the newly reopened Cheyenne Saloon on Church Street.

"We'll throw $20 in the case and get him started," Snow told me. "He can start tonight, if he wants to."

Vincent will be holding his sign for the electronics store this afternoon, so it's not clear if he'll be able to connect with Snow. If he does, though, it would be a happy ending.

Snow told me he was involved in discussions with the city about 10 years ago about setting up a system for busking permits that would have included auditions before a committee...

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(PITTSBURGH) Bringing the "Weird, Wild and Wonderful" to the streets, the Busker Street Union enlivens city streets making them safer. It also gives a voice to the voiceless. Busker Street Union is a national placemaking program."We reactivate street spaces. We engage community members through performance. We do research by collecting busking guidelines around the world and we map the safe places to play. The mapping allows us to identify spaces that are protected Free Speech allowing others to use the spaces as a venue for activism. If you are looking for a safe place to play, join the union and sign up here. You’ll get tips on the best places to play and friendly business owners looking to stir up a crowd."

An interesting take on the history of busking, street stages, and busking l...

[ Continued ]

Hi folks,

My name's Steven Lockmoore, I'm a musical busker from Leeds in the north of England.

A trailer for a film a couple of guys made about me and the busking scene in Leeds just went online yesterday. I'd love it if you could take a look and, if you like what you see, share it around with your friends. It's called Busking Turf Wars!

I'd love for the film to be seen around the world, because it shares a topic that is very close to all of our hearts: busking!

Plus, it's really fun to watch!

You can see the trailer over at the film's Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/BuskingTurfWars

I hope you enjoy!

Steven Lockmoore (@busker_steve)