Could members who busk list the most lucrative locations they have found - anywhere in the world?
Sevillia, Espana. Especially Bario de Santa Cruz area near Cathederal. However competion is high so get a good costume, get amped up and try to have CDs to sell. Saying that I did ok without any of it.
Algarve, Portugal. Tourist hotspots like Lagos, Albuferia etc very good. Regulars reckoned on 20euros per hour on a bad day. Do the cafes as well as on the street.
Galway, on an evening, again many buskers about, but you can do pretty well with a good pitch.
London, tubes are good, but you now need a license, apply to London transport. It’s great as you can play in foul weather and in winter and the acoustics are amazing. There are many charming little streets and alleyways off Oxford St which attract many tourists, but don’t have the traffic noise of the main road.
Key West, Florida. Play on the pier at sunset. Tourist goldmine, or used to be. Poulart spot, so get there early. (No personal experience of this one)
Many other spots, but can’t list 'em all, basically anywhere with tourists, olde worlde arcitecture and wealthy locals. It seems to be the more you stand out the more money you make, which puts uilleann pipers on an imediate advantage. I’ll post a pic of one of my busking outfits on here when I’ve figured out how to do it. Happy busking!
In Ireland:
Cork - Paul St., French Church St., Winthrop St. or Princes St.. These are pedestrianised streets and if you get a spot there, you’ll do well. However, many Cork buskers are very territorial and will be quite happy to tell you that you’re in their space and have to move on. If that happens just tell them to get lost.
Dublin - Grafton St. and Henry St., if you get there at 6.00 am and can successfully fend off the local - in this regard, I suggest a Chieftain Low D (non-tunable) makes a formidable weapon. Avoid Henry St at night unless you are fond of playing your chanter with your rectum. Grafton St. at night can be great fun. I had an impromptu jam with some Djambe players at 2.00 am one Sunday morning. It was great fun. I was on my way home from a session and the djambe players were busking. The pipes and djambe sounded great together.
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Lost for words PJ? 
The Shambles in York (UK) is a good tourist spot although a local bylaw allows shopkeepers to ask you to move on.
One particular shop keeper who had a reputation for this, had a bucket of water thrown over him by masked raider.
Local buskers (who all had big smiles) denied any knowledge of the fellow, who has now gone into busking folklore.
David
if i told you i would have to kill you!!!
This type of aggression is usually only associated with GHB players - Upipers are generally more relaxed due to the fact that their instruments are in fact capable of playing music.
PJ,
When I first busked in Dublin, 11 years ago now, there was a garda who walked Henry St. named…Paddy Boylan, I think. He was a bit of a weapon to buskers, known around the city for it. Is he still around?
J
Sadly, Josh, I’m now a long way from Henry St…
Sadly, me too…
:roll: Just because you can’t doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It’s the player who plays the music, not the instrument, right?
Cheers,
Aaron