Random Encounters with Homeless, Drug-addicted, Street Performing Musicians: Share Your Stories

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There used to be this guy in Vancouver who had created his own electronic xylophonesque instrument that was decorated with plastic jewels. He would make noise pieces with bow. He had a big beard. I always wondered if he had ever recorded his noise pieces. He was cool. But I haven't seen him in a while.

There is this other guy who plays guitar outside my local liquor store. And in the 25 years I have lived in the neighbourhood, I don't think I have ever heard him play a song. He just kind of strums and pretend to play songs. He's growing on me, though.

― Star Cauliflower (Star Cauliflower), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Ok, those weren't all that random. But those are two of my favourite local musicians.

― Star Cauliflower (Star Cauliflower), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread is intended to be good-natured, btw.

― Star Cauliflower (Star Cauliflower), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 04:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Theres an old guy in Melbourne who has played "drums" on street corners for years. The drums consist of plastic buckets upended, and one cymbal. Also he can't drum. someone once kindly donated him a real snare drum, possibly so he wouldnt sound so terrible ;) But then it got stolen so back to the bucket he went.

He's been at it over 10 years. I think he is even gettting ok at it now.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 04:46 (twenty-one years ago)

i doubt most street musicians are homeless or drug-addled.

but anyway, today there was a male/female mexican duo on the F train, both singing, him playing guitar. i gave 'em a dollar, they were good.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 04:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw the guy in Melbourne last year and he seemed fairly proficient to me....

― dwayne dibley (frownland), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 05:56 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/img/news/Pete.jpg

― The Cricklewood Massive (The Cricklewood Massive), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 06:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Frankfurt has the Japanese Jandek, who howls wildly while thrashing away on a cheap Strat copy and dressed in a very nice suit. He only appears on weekends -- I think he has a day job in a bank.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Most of the NYC Subway musicians are clearly not homeless or drug-addled. I'm a fan of the bucket drummers, especially when they collaborate with tap-dancers.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

If I'm on drugs or with a girl or sometimes just in a good mood I try to dance along and give them money, but sometimes it makes me sad and confused.

― LeCoq (LeCoq), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 09:35 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah there's a picture somewhere of me dancing to this keyboardist from chicago who is blind and plays piano over pre-recorded beats, he's pretty fantastic. I gave him money. Definitely sad though.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 09:42 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a guy in Manchester who's act consists of throwing an acoustic guitar as high in the air as he can and catching it.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, that guy in Melbourne is actually a pretty good drummer.

― any Phil, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

True. I've been watching his progress since I moved here in '98 and his persistence is paying off. But for sheer innovation my favourite is this guy who travels all over Australia playing this really obscure string instrument made out of a goddam tree branch, attached to one or more contact mics, a bunch of distortion pedals, and some other electronic nick-nacks. You know the one? Really loves his washed-out obscure trance noise. Looks like a sufi. Calls himself India Bharti.

What shits me, though, is that guy who's always outside David Jones in the Bourke St. mall with his elaborate guitar/synth ensemble and amplifier that's always turned up too loud. For a good ten years now he's been tirelessy playing the same, dull, SBS-tribal-electronica, and looking all serious as if he's the first to so deftly unite these authentic world rhythms under a digital kickdrum. He's got his own CDs and everything. I don't think he's a current drug addict as such, but definitely has the look of a 70's acid burnout. He doesn't need my money.

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

What shits me, though, is that guy who's always outside David Jones in the Bourke St. mall, with his elaborate guitar/synth ensemble and amplifier that's always turned up too loud. For a good ten years now he's been tirelessy playing the same, dull, SBS-tribal-electronica, and looking all serious as if he's the first to so deftly unite these authentic world rhythms under a digital kickdrum. He's got his own CDs and everything. I don't think he's a current drug addict as such, but definitely has the look of a 70's acid burnout. He doesn't need my money.

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

shabby man in the subway connecting Kings Cross mainline and Kings Cross Thameslink singing the chorus to to 'By The Way' by RHCP over and over, while strumming open strings on his beat-up acoustic. i think someone complained and had him moved on, which i was fairly pleased about after his 2 month, one chorus residency.

― fsharp (fsharp), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

whoops

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

have you guys seen the asian guy at Town Hall station in Sydney?

he plays this weird japanese bowed thing, its great when you hear it echo down into the underground station. he is always there.

― Nic de Teardrop (Nicholas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

--the guy in New Orleans who places a rolling cage-on-wheels of percussion gear, mostly cowbells and pieces of metal. He can't play, but it's a fantastic contraption.

--a street drummer I saw in New Orleans a couple of years ago who was just passing through on "tour", trying to make money for college tuition. He played various metal pots and pans, but he had his shit TOGETHER. He would keep a kick/snare beat with his left hand and play melodic parts with his right on a pan where each side had a different note. It was amazing.

--Slava, a Russian in Milwaukee who's nice enough but an absolutely awful one-man percussion band. I played buckets with a friend at Summerfest one time, made about $90, and we saw Slava as we were walking out and asked him how he did. "Someone kicked me in the head." (we gave him a ride home at least)

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

there's a guy in chicago who stands with his acoustic guitar on the north end of the wells street bridge, just south of the merchandise mart. that's all he does -- stand there. every morning of late. hands in his pockets, shifting his weight left to right. maybe he's doing a version of that john cage thing over and over and over.

― john'n'chicago, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

this keyboardist from chicago who is blind and plays piano over pre-recorded beats, he's pretty fantastic.

that guy's got a couple cds out on delmark, i think! he's awesome.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a guy in the Toronto subway who did your typical busker fare ("Redemption Song", "Brown Eyed Girl", etc, argle-bargle). Perfectly competent, but the thing that made me want to punch him was the hand-made poster that said "I couldn't wait for stardom so I went without it". Grrr.

― Tantrum (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:12 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a great doo-wop/gospel group that I see a lot around downtown Seattle, often at Pike Place Market. Dunno how long they've been at it, but I've heard them throughout the seven years I've lived here.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

what's up with the dudes who dance with life-sized marionettes? ever seen those? at 14th and 42nd st. in NYC. it looks like they're dancing with a blow up doll, reak creepy, strapped to the guy's feet, their heads falling back like the dude's dancing with a corpse...

― shookout (shookout), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

What shits me, though, is that guy who's always outside David Jones in the Bourke St. mall, with his elaborate guitar/synth ensemble and amplifier that's always turned up too loud.

Heh. That guy (whos name escapes me) was a beloved performer of an old flatmate of mine, who actually owned all his damn albums and listened to them a lot, and would chat to him in the mall.

I found the music ok, innofensive. Very SBS test pattern. In fact dont they play his stuff on the SBS test pattern?

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, that Seattle doo-wop group are awesome. they're kind of an institution (wish I knew their name).

there's also an older black dude who plays a metal acoustic and has a horrible, whiny voice. I still get his rendition of Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My" stuck in my head sometimes.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 05:39 (twenty-one years ago)

one guy in footscray asked if i had change - i replied "yes ,thankyou for asking and walked away"
another time i flipped dollar coins up in the air then tossed coins into a fountain .
you get nothing for nothing , if he worked he'd have money.

― La Camilla Henemark, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 05:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Um, thats a stupid way of seeing it, but it also wasn't the topic question...

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

four years pass...

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Thursday, 23 April 2009 16:46 (sixteen years ago)

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