Busking in Dublin

Brethitmanhart

Hey,
I'm a lad from Cork and I'm heading up to Dublin for a <SNIP> gig in february, a friends whom i'm meeting up there asked would i go busking there...and I'm just wondering is it ok to busk in Dublin? Like do guards move you on and stuff? Or do many people busk etc.

Just me and an acoustic is what it would be.

deaddonkey

you can busk on grafton or henry street
be more than you and an acoustic and do something really, really, really different, or you'll not make a cent, cos there's a million lads up there singing wonderwall and suspicious minds.

Brethitmanhart

Ok thanks,
tbh the songs I do aren't just the plain wonderwall and suspicious minds, alot of people with no talent or little of it can just do that all the time...it's the same in cork, lads telling me you can't make much busking but the real problem is that they are incredibly average...I'll be doing songs most buskers don't normally do and songs that have reallly nice vocals in them...and see how that goes.

I know Dublin could be alot different but in Cork relative to other buskers I know I make alot more than the guys doing wonderwall.

Anyway, I'm just going to do it for fun anyway, I'm up for the weekend for the <SNIP> gig and just wanna have a bit of fun, don't really mind if I don't make alot. I just wanna see what it's like busking in a place different than home aswell.

Thanks again

humberklog

Shouldn't be a problem. Just back from Cork myself and was chatting to a few people about the recent moves by Cork C.C to clamp down on buskers. It's not the same here.

I'd try the square in Temple Bar before Henry St or Grafton St. It's a more transient crowd and plenty of Garda about. It would be a safer and more fun pitch. You could pick up a bob or two. I do Dun Laoighaire occassionally but that's for the hardened and disinterested. Bloody nippy too.


PS. 2.90 all pints in An Brog until 9pm.

Brethitmanhart

What moves by Cork CC?
I didn't hear anything about it!
Thanks, I'll try temple bar so!

humberklog

Cllr. Colm Burke wanted to table a motion re the regulation and possible lincencing of buskers about 3 month ago. Not sure how far it got but he keeps niggling the affair along.

Why are so many city coucellors called Burke?

Wishbone Ash

humberklog wrote: »

Why are so many city coucellors called Burke?

Candidates are listed alphabetically on the ballot sheet. Many people just put a '1' beside the first name listed. Hence we have 5 or 6 'Ahearns' in Dail Eireann!

Rb

Yeah if you can draw a crowd/attract attention you can make a fortune, otherwise you may as well join the junkies at the luas stop and just ask people for their change as it drops out of the machine.

mikemac

Try to be different.
Now this won’t apply to you OP but I once saw a four string quartet all dressed in tuxedos and gowns and playing classical music on Grafton Street.
Now classical music isn’t for everyone but these four were cleaning up! They were realy very good

They probably were down in the National Concert Hall and popped out for a nixer.

humberklog

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Candidates are listed alphabetically on the ballot sheet. Many people just put a '1' beside the first name listed. Hence we have 5 or 6 'Ahearns' in Dail Eireann!

Good point. There does seem to be a lot of the feckers. Fecking northside's full to the brim of Burkes on commitees.


On the OP. The chap said he's not interested in filling a sock full of shrapnel. I think he just wants to pitch up and play for the buzz and experience of playing in front of people (even if they're walking past ignoring them). It's a lot easier to do in another city. Good man Breth.

Just no pan-pipes. We have special laws on that here. Medievel but correct laws.

Brethitmanhart

Yea I don't really mind about making a fortune, if it comes then it would be a lovely extra but it would just be good build up to seeing <SNIP> the next day by busking in a different city....I'll probably play a couple of killers songs to get into the mood.

Thanks, on the point of the councillors, I don't know how Burke expects to get votes for that....if he tried to ban begging i could see some people agreeing but busking is different, it's good to visit a city and see buskers, alot of people like busking aswell...it's not just begging.

humberklog

When i was listening to him whistling on it appeared to me that it was a badly thought-out proposal aimed at shifting along Roma accordian players. But he can't really say that. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater I believe is the term.
It's a pity he can only see (or hear) a very un-enlightened view of a percieved problem in the city. He should be pushing the Cork Garda into enfourcing the law against beggers taking children out to beg with them.
But good to see your Burke councellors are as daft as our Burke councellors.

Wishbone Ash

Brethitmanhart - I've had to edit several of you posts. No further mention of that concert please.

Thanks.

In light of legal proceedings issued by MCD, we have been advised that there is to be no further discussion of MCD or events hosted by MCD.

Brethitmanhart

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Brethitmanhart - I've had to edit several of you posts. No further mention of that concert please.

Thanks.

Really sorry, I completely forgot, like I knew about the ban but I didn't even think about who was the organiser of the gig, I'll be more careful in future....sorry.

RaverRo808

I wouldnt bother mate,theres about 50 million buskers on grafton street with harps,pan-pipes,guiters,singers,crooners,rappers and then you have those statues looking blokes that jump when you throw money in their case,clowns,ballon animals,and down henry street there are afew,and other places here and there,be honest mate,most people find them a pain in the ar*e,they just very annoying and abit of nuisance,years ago they were a pleasant sight,but now every moocher with a guiter is jumping on bandwagon,so unless your a tap danicing midget who plays the harp while singing wonderwall,you wont make much money,because we've seen and heard it all

RoyMcC

Harsh, Raver. There are many that enjoy street entertainment. And it beats the many people that expect money and offer nothing in return.

Plasterer Mick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdKGeSl9Pcg

CharlesHaughey

I think I gave €2 to them one time!

Max Fagan

Me and my friends are 16 and were hoping to be able to busk to raise some money for our band. How exactly do we start?
Do we have to pay money to anyone?

Roguery

The new by-laws applying to busking come into force on 7 April. Street performers will need a permit to play, which can be got from Dublin City Council. Costs 30 euro without amplification, 60 with. There's more info on this on the Dublincity.ie site.

JuliusCaesar

I really hope they check that the buskers can actually play their instruments.





That guy on O'Connell St with the primitive bagpipes can no more play them than I can. At least I'm just walking past, heaven help the shop assistants who are stuck with him all day.

ollaetta

Roguery wrote: »

The new by-laws applying to busking come into force on 7 April. Street performers will need a permit to play, which can be got from Dublin City Council. Costs 30 euro without amplification, 60 with. There's more info on this on the Dublincity.ie site.

Here you go: Street Performer Bye-Laws 2015