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Electric Busking


Notes_Norton

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Just came back from a vacation in Prague. I heard the Czech Philharmonic, Prague Symphony, and Prague State Opera in concert. I also cruised around town, in and out of squares and other places where the buskers perform.

 

I generally like street musicians and have enjoyed them in Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Mexico, China and other countries.

 

The two countries where they irritated me are the UK and now the Czech Republic. Why? Volume. Well irritated is way to strong of a word, because they didn't bother me, I just gave them a wide berth.

 

Now I know I'm getting on in years and don't like it as loud as I used to, but that isn't the problem. Put two or more amplified buskers in one town square and what do you get? Volume wars. Before long they are running at well over 100db (ear damaging volume) so I don't want to get too close, and standing 15 feet away sounds like too many surround sound sets all on different channels. You can't really hear anything because they all interfere with each other.

 

There were a few delightful exceptions and I tipped all the acoustic buskers that I passed and enjoyed. Seems Dixieland style music is popular on the streets.

 

I also noticed the buskers displaying a license and have time slots where they are replaced with another. I wonder how much the license costs.

 

IMHO Electric Busking should either be illegal or regulated at 85db at the speaker.

 

But all in all it was a great vacation. The symphonies and opera were great, the food was fantastic (I put on a few), the people were very nice, the sights were worth seeing, the public transportation clean and efficient, the art and history museums were worthy, and we didn't get any rain.

 

The biggest problem was like all vacations, it was too short and the airplane rides too long ;)

 

Notes

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Although the volume of amplified buskers often annoys me, it's also the poor sound quality that drives me crazy.

 

I might have told the story of my outdoor patio gig. I was playing in a trio on the second floor outdoor patio of the Vancouver Art Gallery - playing light jazz and such. Down in the street below us was a keyboard and drums street duo, playing for all they were worth. We basically had to play louder than we wanted to, just so we could drown them out. It was a very strange situation. In fact, IIRC I started picking songs in the same key as the duo below, just so it wouldn't be so awful. That really didn't help any, but it was worth a try.

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Yep, I realize it's competitive, and that's why the volume wars. I also realize that this probably doesn't affect a lot of the listeners because most people don't know that kind of volume is harmful (and I agree loud feels good), but when I get to safe listening volumes, the mixing of all the different volume war buskers made it impossible to hear anything clearly.

 

An 85db at the speaker rule (or lose your privilege) would be one answer, larger territories would be another, and no amplified busking would be a third.

 

And when the buskers are pumping out 100 - 120 db of sound, they become responsible for damaging the hearing of the unsuspecting and uneducated members of the audience. Doesn't some personal responsibility seem reasonable? Is it right to go and inflict permanent physical harm on someone who is attracted to your music? Robbing them of a piece of their high frequency hearing forever?

 

Insights and incites by Notes

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I am an electronic busker (keytar, loop pedal and a mic through a QSC K10).

If I wanted to I could really ramp it up but then I'd get kicked off all my spots and quite rightly so.

One of the challenges of being electronic is persuading people in the first place that I will not deafen them and I when approaching people for places to play I always emphasize my awarness of the need to control the volume.

Basically my aim is that you should be able to stand pretty much next to me when I am playing and hold a normal conversation because in some case there are vendors right by me and I am sure they don't need their ears blasted for three or so hours.

 

So far I have only been playing farmers markets although I have a street gig scheduled for next month but they are all by invite so competition is not really a problem. One market I did do had other people doing stuff (I guess I was the official market musician for the day) but volume was not an issue. I think if it became an issue I'd just pack up and leave, I'm not doing this to make money, just have some fun so I don't need the aggravation and if they ruin it for us all, well life sucks like that sometimes.

 

Part of the challenge of being amplified is that many towns really restrict the volume or lay down sever rules. My local town says no power or power leads and since I use a battery/inverter setup, that means I have power leads equals instant disqualification from playing. The db limit down town is also 55 db. Have you ever measured that, it's not even a normal talking voice so obviously they don't want me down there but a guy with a sax (much louder) is OK!

The town I am playing next month, if not actually encouraging amplification, at least accepts it and says to just keep the volume to an acceptable level and work with those (vendors/shops in this case) around you. That's not unreasonable in my opinion.

 

If you want a laugh, this is my blog: http://abuskinglife.wordpress.com/

 

 

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I agree, 55db is unreasonable, I think 85 at the source would be more appropriate. Of course that would be location specific. Last year in Spain, there were dozens of little squares in residential sections, an acoustic guitar or accordion is plenty loud there.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

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I am in NY and the cops can be VERY tough on you if you are annoying anyone. In fact in NYCity yoiu have to rent a place to busk.,...you pay to rent a few feet of tiles. You then are assured of NOT competing with someone a few feet away...they only rent out a few areas each night. Its a tough way to get ahead...make any money. I tried it very briefly..its not my thing. I am surprized Europe doesnt police this more...it can be a mess!

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Drums (full kit) seem to be the new thing in my area (Vancouver BC). I was doing a downtown hotel gig today and went for a walk on my break. On the NW corner of this one block there was an electric guitar and miced vocal - not too loud. Across the street, just up from the NE corner there was an electric guitar and drums duo. At the SE corner of that samee block there was another electric guitar, miced vocal and drum duo. they were pretty loud, but at least the sound was decent. Somehow all the acts managed to stay out of each other's way.

 

Doesn't seem to be any enforceable bylaw here. Of course it took them three months to get the hundred tents out of a downtown park. Had to go to the Supreme Court to do that. Sometimes I think there's such a thing as too much freedom. OTOH and OT, it sure feels weird to be playing in a lounge where a beer is twelve dollars, and then walk outside, and there's a guy right in front of the hotel lying on the ground begging for money. It's surreal.

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I am surprized Europe doesnt police this more...it can be a mess!
Towns in the UK try to have a voluntary code in regard to busking. Although The London Underground does have strict regulations, including an audition process. Although I haven't busked since I was a kid in Liverpool, got to say I love it and find the imaginative way of using amplification refreshing. To be honest the only time I have been "brassed off" with a street performer was in Las Vegas and it was a chap on the bagpipes what a god awful sound.
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Q. Do you know why bagpipe players are often seen marching?

 

 

A. They're trying to get away from the noise

 

rimshot please.

 

I was in the UK quite a few years ago, went from Heathrow to Wales up to the Outer Hebrides, to Dover and then to London for a few days. I don't know if it has changed, but in Leicester Square there were 3 or 4 electric buskers all trying to get their audience, and the volume was so loud, that you couldn't ear only one without hearing the others. I put my hi-fi musician's earplugs in.

 

Notes

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