Best/worst songs done by buskers/street performers

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Best/worst memories of street performers/buskers.

So there's always that guy (they're all interchangeable) on the Boston subway who thinks he's Bob Dylan and sings off-key about the war with his acoustic guitar. And then there's this kid at another subway stop who's got a karaoke machine and sings the same bad R&B song to it, over and over...

But sometimes it happens--you're walking to work and then you see a street performer who's amazing--someone who's doing something exciting, instead of the same stale renditions of Beatles songs. Has this ever happened to you?

One of my favorite memories was seeing a group (who appeared to have never played together before) rock out on the sidewalk to "Satellite of Love" using broken guitars, and then proceed to fight rather violently with each other, before finishing the song with incredible sensitivity.

So..Best/worst experiences?

― geeta, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

real live doo-wop groups used to busk street corners, but even *i* am not old enough to remember that (plus also not american, this never did in shropshire that i know): and gale is left, so we can't ask her...

at elephant and castle i once saw a man doing side 4 of metal machine music on spoons! (ok i don't know WHAT he was "doing", he was so drunk he was stood at 45°)

― mark s, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Best: That street drummer in 'Taxi Driver' is shit hot. Oh and Charles Gayle (does he still busk?) and Moondog (busking in heaven, obv.)

Worst: anyone doing 'Wonderwall'.

― Andrew L, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There was a FANTASTIC Japanese exchange student in Canterbury who used to busk on Saturdays and did an acoustic version of Pretty Fly For A White Guy. Okay, dreadful song but I've never seen anyone throw themselves into a performance with such enthusiasm, especially the "uh-huh, uh-huh" bits... marvellous!

― Matt DC, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cat Stevens "Father and son" or whatever it's called. This busker in a subway in Melbourne seemed to know this song and this song only, because he was playing it EVERY TIME I walked past him on the way to work for SIX MONTHS..

― electric sound of jim, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There are guys who do doo-wop on the subways in New York. Often they have very elaborate patter worked out between them "and remember -" "it's okay to smile!" "it'll make your hair grow -" "and it don't cost a thing"

worst: white guy doing "No Woman No Cry" OVER AND OVER while crowd grows at NR track for a very late train.

― Tracer Hand, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

that retarded looking bearded guy who busks accapella (sp?, sorry) in george st sometimes, outside the countdown supo sometimes. greatest hit : "Banks Of The Ohio".

― , Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

crowd grows at NR track

You've named a track after me? Aw.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That Satellite of Love thing does sound like something I would have enjoyed. I believe I've already told the story here somewhere of the 3am drunken tuba rendition of Rubber Ducky. I probably also mentioned that all buskers doing Pink Floyd songs deserve swift death from above.

― Kim, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

In Canterbury, there was also a man who went busking with his daughter. He would sit there playing a hurdy-gurdy while she would sing All Tomorrow's Parties over the top. That was weird.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 10 January 2005 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Buskers make me sad because most of the time their homeless with only their dog and a musical instrument to keep them company. Last year, just before Christmas, on one of the coldest days of the year, there was a homeless guy with a recorder doing "Annie's Song" and it was really sad. I welled up and give him a fiver.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 10 January 2005 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

A guy in Bristol centre yesterday was doing 'High And Dry' as I passed him in one direction, which was fair enough I thought, and sort of busker-ish.

As I went the other way, he was doing 'Paranoid Android'. Which is clearly not busker-ish. I would have stayed to listen, but I didn't want to look like a stalker.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 10 January 2005 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)

there was a big issue person singing a christmas song (the one that goes something something tra-lalalala-la la la la) but changed the words to like "buy big issue help the homeless tralalalala, la la la la.. it was awesome so i bought a copy.

also there is one guy who plays "trumpet" by making a "boooo" sound through a traffic cone in his mouth. it was pathetic and great.
no money that time though.

and there was once two dudes at the underground who did the beatles with harmonies and all.. it was really really good. so no cash for them.

i once performed "wonderwall" a cappella in order to earn £10 for train fare home. i was really good actually.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

none of the buskers here are homeless, as far as I can see, except this tragic old man who sits cross legged on Westmoreland Street playing a tin whistle like anyone else would blow up a balloon.

I work in the middle of touristville and there are always so many buskers, mostly student wankers playing acoustic versions of Britney or else of course the Beatles etc etc etc.

On the other hand sometimes there are bastard little kids singing Irish traditional songs in an accentuated "Sean Nós" Irish old man rural singer voice, accentuated of course to get more money from Americans, never hurts to crack the voice a bit too while they're singing.

I can't think of anything worse than student buskers and their acoustic guitars.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 10 January 2005 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

there are mime artists.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't think of anything worse than student mime artists and their acoustic gloves.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

those who paint themselves silver and then stand still are the worst

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Ken and I once saw this person at the bottom of an escalator in the underground playing the violin like a motherfucking VIRTUOSO. It was sort of astounding and off-putting, actually. Do you remember that, Ken?

When I was in NYC for the holiday, there was this Korean-looking guy (and a skinny little blonde fashionista-in-training-type girl holding his coffee and singing occasional pathetic harmonies) with an acoustic (he had a pile of cds stacked in the case) who sang almost exclusively Radiohead songs from the OK Computer era (I remember in particular "Karma Police", which he wisely nixed before he got to the high bit) at, I believe, the Astor Place subway station. I was standing there with two of my bandmates and one of their GFs, and we were all comepletely and thoroughly disgusted by this guy, as was everyone else in the train station. One guy, as he walked past my friend, muttered in his ear (without stopping walking) "GOD, and look at the bitch he has WITH him." That's somewhat off-topic.

Anyway, he sang in this immensely put-on "gruff" voice, which did not serve the songs at all. The train was late and everyone was visibly agitated with this loser. My bandmate told me he would pay me one dollar if I would go up to the guy and say "excuse me, but would you mind shutting your cocksucker?", but our train arrived as I was telling him I'd do it for free, so I just sort of shouted it through the closing door.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

the violin person was GOOD! now i'm trying to remember which station this was - i seem to remember there were more than 2 escalators.. could it be picadilly circus??

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

i am planning to go busking in tube stations singing momus covers.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I sort of thought it was at Bank.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

but i'm apprehensive about how having a laptop would look as a busker. maybe i can premix some stuff on a tape first.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

wait.. i think you're right - didn't we past her(?) twice? after getting lost?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

No, that was the really good guitar playing guy with a long white beard near where you get on for the DLR.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember a busker outside the Rosslyn metro who not only had a dog with him, but a cat as well. And thanks to this guy I never again want to hear "Don't Lets Start."

― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 10 January 2005 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

oh god there was him as well! my momus impersonation career will never take off :\

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

A dog and a cat! He was trying to appeal to all tastes.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 10 January 2005 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

NYC!
Search:
The Black Beatle with half his head shaved
Hambone, the guy who tapes up his pant legs and makes rustling sounds
Destroy:
"Old Timey" Williamsburg "folk" artists
Jesus Freaking duo singing Everly Bros/Beatles/Oasis medly

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 10 January 2005 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

A dog and a cat! He was trying to appeal to all tastes.

That cat violated all known rules of feline behavior by simply lying there all day. Any remotely normal cat would have gotten bored and insisted on wandering off to explore the area.

But yes, the menagerie helped appeal to passersby. During the evening rush several times I saw people feeding the cat and dog.

― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:30 (twenty-one years ago)

That cat violated all known rules of feline behavior by simply lying there all day.

i once witnessed a cat sitting on a suitcase and not moving for almost a day.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

twelve years pass...

If I was a busker I'd play "Lonely is the Word" all day

― calstars, Tuesday, 11 April 2017 00:11 (nine years ago)

were?

― calstars, Tuesday, 11 April 2017 00:21 (nine years ago)

best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JHigEpDpyI

worst: the guy I saw last weekend outside the 7-11 doing his best Santeria

― del griffith, Tuesday, 11 April 2017 00:41 (nine years ago)

Would also pepper in Hey You and Automatic by the PS

― calstars, Tuesday, 11 April 2017 02:27 (nine years ago)

Obligatory Violent Femmes were discovered busking post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2J6d0EVEJE

― behavioral sink (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 12 April 2017 02:05 (nine years ago)

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