Bizzare number of buskers in and around Red Square today.

ziedth

This post is two folded so bare with me, I was floating around town today waiting for Mrs Ziedth to finish work and with zero money I just said I'd wander around town fairly aimlessly. Anyway, on pretty much any street branching off from red square there where buskers singing away and it got me thinking first of all where the hell did all these people come from?

Then, as I thought more I thought could something like this actually be good. Has anyone been to Barcelona by any chance? there is a street called La Rambla that dozens of street preformers preform and draw a very big crowd in the summer and I thought why not in town? Of course is would have to be tightly awarded who could preform 7 different groups of teen's singing green day like today would be cat but It could boost the old city centre again.

Not The Real Scarecrow

They're protecting the city from giant hamsters with their beautiful renditions of age old classics.

dazftw

I loved La Rambla when I was in Barcelona! We kinda have the same thing on a smaller scale we sometimes have the guys who stand still..

The whole of red sqaure needs to be done up or something.. add better seating and surround it with fencing! That way everyone getting food from the various cafes/food places can bring it outside on a lovely day!!

foxylad

city council and chamber of commerce are trying to encourage busking antime ---
change of atmosphers is refreshing !!!!!

Sully

I always thought busking was illegal anyway?

ziedth

Meatwad wrote: »

They're protecting the city from giant hamsters with their beautiful renditions of age old classics.

Ha ha, i love it. Wave to the camera shelly.........

zeppe

Its great to see buskers around. Its even better when they're musically talented too:D

I'm not sure if busking is illegal but I think the cops are easy going enough about it. I've never heard about anyone being moved on. UNLIKE parts of mainland Europe where I was moved on at least 5 times for busking. Worst of all was Austria, Salzburg and Vienna particularly. Cops would come up to you looking menacing and stand a foot away from you just staring you out. They wouldnt say a word but you got the message alright...

Green Hornet

Just back from a few days in Galway.

Full of buskers and street performers. They add great character to the place.

I know that Waterford is only a big town in reality while Galway is a city but they've done a great job up there.

Eyre Square functions as a central meeting place and just down the street are loads of atmospheric pubs/restaurants. Street performers thrown into the mix as well and it's buzzing. Waterford in contrast has nothing of the sort. Only a couple of dodgy pubs and nightclubs in the centre.

I pity any tourist passing through and spending a few nights here. Even Wexford has done a much better job around the town centre and there's always a good buzz there.

jmcc

Green Hornet wrote: »

I know that Waterford is only a big town in reality while Galway is a city but they've done a great job up there.

Looks like you got that backwards. Galway is just a small town with a collection of villages whereas Waterford is a city. The reason that Galway seems busy is because it is so small.

Regards...jmcc

mike65

Green Hornet in controversial maneuver there, cutting up the right thinking citizens of Waterford.

MrLuke

Las Ramblas is the main thoroughfare in a city of 4 or 5 million. Ya cant compare it to barronstrand street in all honesty. As for busking... less people in pubs, less revenue, less bands getting gigs, more free time for musicians to play? Just a thought.

I have to hand it to kilkenny for this tho', a busker festival that gets the audience involved in the voting process. Something like this would not cost a lot and generate a lot of atmosphere around town. Anybody with the get up and go to do it (or something similar) here? http://kilkennymusic.com/

Green Hornet

mike65 wrote: »

Green Hornet in controversial maneuver there, cutting up the right thinking citizens of Waterford.

Didn't mean to do that .

Just feel that theres a great atmosphere in Galway. Maybe some of it is due to the green area in the centre which acts as a facility for people to meet, play a bit of ball, lie around kind of thing. Bunch of great pubs together just down the street then as well.

I suppose whats happened in Waterford is that the centre of the town (oops city ) has fallen down as other areas further out have bloomed.

ziedth

MrLuke wrote: »

Las Ramblas is the main thoroughfare in a city of 4 or 5 million. Ya cant compare it to barronstrand street in all honesty.

I wasn't talking the same scale by any means and in all honestly you couldn't do it daily like they do their cause it would get cery old but even say every second sunday during the summer, Invite "street presformers" and the like.

Adyx

MrLuke wrote: »

Las Ramblas is the main thoroughfare in a city of 4 or 5 million. Ya cant compare it to barronstrand street in all honesty. As for busking... less people in pubs, less revenue, less bands getting gigs, more free time for musicians to play? Just a thought.

There's no pubs in Waterford that has bands on at around the same time as people would be busking though. People don't spend a lot of time admiring the local "buskers" around here anyway. A lot of them are teenagers who can barely play or sing and as for those young children pretending to play the accordion, they're not fooling anyone. I see what you're saying about bands getting gigs but to be honest there's still a lot of gigs going. We had two this week (just home from playing in Kazbar) and two more next week and that's just us. Problem is pubs are only willing to pay a good bit less than what they used to.

alpha2zulu

On the topic of buskers, I think it adds a good element to the city centre. On the London Underground and Paris Metro for example theres a licensed busker scheme where anybody that is half decent can play away in a designated area without being chased off by security and it certainly adds character to the dreary stations.

Just walking through town today, the lads playing across from Jack and Jones this afternoon sounded great. Have no idea who they are, but its lads like them that should be encouraged.

Las Ramblas is the main thoroughfare in a city of 4 or 5 million. Ya cant compare it to barronstrand street in all honesty

That part of Barcelona is notorious for been flooded with pickpockets so I really hope Barronstrand St isent that comparable.