Bad Busker Season!

thesandeman

For at least five hours tonight two lads (sax and accordion) played 'When The Saints Come Marching In' over and over and over and ov....(ye get the gist) badly across from Neactains.
I've commented before that Galway buskers have seemed to have copped on to themselves but this pair really brought down the standard. The lads playing the plastic buckets come a close second.
The feckers made a fortune from passing trade though.
Has summer arrived?

Gremlinertia

Stuck record season upon us again? :-/ oh I am disappoint - headphones at the ready.

Squeeonline

I think he's only around for july, but for the last couple years there's been a guy outside GBC playing wonder wall, badly. Like really badly. And that's all he plays.

It must be worth his while with the money though.

Spaniard14

Still you can find 2 or 3 guitarists that play really well!

snubbleste

dr.bollocko

The quality varies hugely. Some are far too into it. Others are a good laugh. Others just bring along three buckets and two sticks and have at it all day.

FouxDaFaFa

Was just discussing this with co-workers.

I think the buskers add a lot to the city. But some of them are completely inconsiderate to the businesses in the area.

Some are great, we have a rapport with them, they come in and talk to us, don't play too loudly, have a repertoire of more than two songs and move on after a reasonable amount of time.

Others bring as many amps as they can carry and play their two songs over and over until you think you're going insane. If you ask them to move on or lower the volume, they get thick.

The guy with the buckets "played" outside us for hours the last day and I had to take painkillers for a headache. Couldn't hear the customers, couldn't hear people on the phone, etc.

El_Dangeroso

The sax guy needs to stop. Seriously. He doesn't even play a discernible tune. The poor shop workers.

Notch000

the baldish is guy who sits in the street, doing some radiohead wailing in a womans voice needs to STFU.

Robbo

snubbleste wrote: »

I thought Menopause: The Musical was a Twink thing?

Gasket44

There are some musical geniuses out there at the moment

Top 10 in no particular order

Jamaican Brian - Drummer with no rhythm
Beavis & Butthead - Didgeridoo and Drum Combo - Unbelievably the drummer is even worse than JB!
Red Headed Stranger - American ballad singer that misses too many notes and whose amp is that bit loud
Spanish Pride - 3 girls and a drum - one girl sings ok - but very loud and goes on and on and on and on
Very pleasant Sax player - youtube performer extrordinaire! If only he could play like he can kick a door ...........
Accordion Gnome - only after dark - murders the same 3 tunes all night
Anyone who sings Hallelujah!
Sit on the ground baldy guy who sings miserable songs
Robin Van Pesky - Dutch Irish ballad singer
The very talented bucket players

Redhairedguy

Alright lads. Let's not get too personal here. The people you're referencing could just as easily be on here.

cfeeneyinterior

I flipping hope so

inisboffin

I disagree with that top ten slag list actually, and agree with rhg about not slagging off the locals. Everyone to their own, once they are respectful.

Gasket44

I work on Shop Street and it gets kinda personal when somebody is wrecking your head for more than 2 hours at a time.

If somebody is allowed perform on the street they should be open to critical analysis.

Respect is a 2 way thing.

ned14

Was passing by Tigh Neachtains on Good Friday afternoon. There was an old man playing the tin whistle leaning against the wall of the place. He was almost lamenting to the fact his favourite pub was closed. It looked like the man needed a hug... and a pint.

swine

Gasket44 wrote: »

I work on Shop Street and it gets kinda personal when somebody is wrecking your head for more than 2 hours at a time.

If somebody is allowed perform on the street they should be open to critical analysis.

Respect is a 2 way thing.

That's true but if a user on here got that level of insult, they'd get an infraction. As someone who has busked on Shop Street, it's a little bit of an uncomfortable read. It's a harder to stand on the street for an hour or two and perform than it is to insult someone on the internet.

Aiel

It reminded me of a documentary about Shop St a few yrs ago on tv.A well known lady who owns quite a big shop in the Shop St/William St area was on the show talking about how much the Buskers "add to the atmosphere" of the area and they are great. Yet I worked for awhile not too far from her shop and would see her verbally abusing them if they set up anywhere near her shop entrance and physically running them out of the area. So they were "great" (once they weren't near her):).

extra gravy

swine wrote: »

That's true but if a user on here got that level of insult, they'd get an infraction. As someone who has busked on Shop Street, it's a little bit of an uncomfortable read. It's a harder to stand on the street for an hour or two and perform than it is to insult someone on the internet.

I admire people that put themselves out there like that but do you not think it's better that people find out that they're not very good through constructive criticism so that they can go and find something they might be good at instead? I mean this in the best possible way!

inisboffin

Gasket44 wrote: »

I work on Shop Street and it gets kinda personal when somebody is wrecking your head for more than 2 hours at a time.

If somebody is allowed perform on the street they should be open to critical analysis.

Respect is a 2 way thing.

Agreed, about respect being a 2 way thing. But it's also relative... I used to work and live in that area too, and I've said this before, but Elvis Presley could be singing on Shop Street, and if you work there daily he will make your top ten slag list. Someone playing early morning will drive some people bonkers, other will think they are amazing. We don't get to slag off businesses on here so I think it's a bit unfair to slag off individuals playing music. And before someone says they are all on the dole and don't pay taxes, that's actually not accurate across the board. If you feel the need to make a slag list, maybe musicians forum is a fairer platform?

inisboffin

extra gravy wrote: »

I admire people that put themselves out there like that but do you not think it's better that people find out that they're not very good through constructive criticism so that they can go and find something they might be good at instead? I mean this in the best possible way!

:P

If a musician quit being a musician just because of someones *opinion* posted on boards which was 'constructive criticism', then yeah, perhaps they shouldn't be a musician in the first place LOL!

In fact if most famous people read 'critique' on all the internets, and took it on, they would probably switch to another career, no?

extra gravy

inisboffin wrote: »

:P

If a musician quit being a musician just because of someones *opinion* posted on boards which was 'constructive criticism', then yeah, perhaps they shouldn't be a musician in the first place LOL!

In fact if most famous people read 'critique' on all the internets, and took it on, they would probably switch to another career, no?

I think calling some of them musicians is a stretch to be fair! I could go down there and bang a few drums out of rhythm but it doesn't make me a musician. I just feel sorry for people who do it when it's clear to everyone except themselves that they've no talent. But hey if it makes them happy and they don't annoy other people too much then who am I to judge

swine

extra gravy wrote: »

I admire people that put themselves out there like that but do you not think it's better that people find out that they're not very good through constructive criticism so that they can go and find something they might be good at instead? I mean this in the best possible way!

I do agree that they're not immune to criticism, and I know they can be a pain for some working in close proximity. I just felt that some posts in this thread were a bit over the line and not exactly constructive criticism.

zarquon

Sadly, there is a lot of delusions with many people regarding their musical ability. One only has to look at the various singing and talent shows to see that there are a lot of people lacking in talent who are deluded into thinking that they are much better than they are. I have no doubt that some of the bad buskers on shop street think they are much better than they are and don't realise that they are only causing the ears to bleed of those around them. The truth hurts but it also sets people free. Sadly we are living in a society where people think it's appropriate to be dishonest rather than hurt someones feelings hence why people develop untrue grandiose ideas about their own talents and abilities.

For some it would do them no harm to hear honest opinions. Why is it okay to rate various things on sites like trip advisor where people are directly affected but not okay to rate buskers.

Wasn't there proposals in dublin to bring in an auditioning system for buskers before permits. Sadly anyone without a note in their head can pitch up on shop street. For every class act out their sadly there are some aweful buskers too that should not be allow to perform in public as they are simply not good enough.

Ficheall

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Others just bring along three buckets and two sticks and have at it all day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drZ5qvBPhk4

(Not Galway, mind...)

Snickers Man

In my dim and distant youth I (along with LOTS of Galway people) spent some summers in Munich which has a lengthy pedestrianised city centre with loads of opportunities for buskers to play.

They brought in a simple regulatory system whereby one required a permit to play legally. The permit was free, a limited number (I think 10 but that sounds quite low) were issued daily on a first come first served basis and there were only a few commonsense restrictions.

The busker had to display his/her permit while playing and was supposed to move their position ever half hour or so. Each busker was only permitted one permit per week. Sundays and holidays were permit-free.

Certain classes of instrument were forbidden: no brass, electrically amplified or percussion instruments.

Only one instrument was specifically banned from the streets of Munich: Dúdelsackspfeiffen. That's bagpipes to you and me.

Eminently sensible!

Mind you, it still had the blight that affects all cities namely that ninety per cent of buskers will play the same two or three bleeding songs. In those days it was Blowing in the Wind, The Boxer and The House of the Rising Sun. Nowadays it seems to be feckin Wonderwall, and maybe (although gladly this has seemed to disappear from most buskers' repertoires) "Why does it always rain on me"

An "audition system" would be too unwieldy to be workable but a simple first come first served free permit system to limit numbers and perhaps a "No Stairway" banned list of songs you are just NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY would improve matters greatly.

Diabhal Beag

Heard Wonderwall the last day and resisted the urge to get a 15-20 year sentence somehow. Stick that on the banned list.

Mrs OBumble

zarquon wrote: »

Sadly anyone with or without a note in their head can pitch up on shop street. For every class act out their sadly there are some aweful buskers too that should not be allow to perform in public as they are simply not good enough.

Fixed that for ya.

Licensing is a nice idea, but then you get into whose judgement it is.

If you're as sensitive as my choir director, then almost everyone who sings on Shop St is probably out of tune. If you're me, then pretty much everyone is ok.

And who's gonna tell a cute 7 year old that they can't sing. And at what age do we say that cute no longer cuts it.

And for some, the act is the theatrics rather than the music.

BeardySi

Wasn't there a proposal to ban the buskers from using amps? I'm guessing that never happened...

It was bloody headwrecking over the Easter weekend, there was a goon with an electric guitar/amp/backing track every few metres. As you walked down the street each clashed with the other into a godawful racket. I managed to hear three different (diabolical) renditions of wagonwheel (oh how I hate that song) on one trip from Eglington St to Quay St...

muppetkiller

"Sit on the ground baldy guy who sings miserable songs" This guy drives me insane lol He butchers every single song and sings them all in exactly the same miserable tone. It's like if Maroon 5 sang Everybody Hurts by REM on repeat lol.

And the Sax players are all woeful except some Hungarian guy who plays late at night.

Spring Onion

thesandeman wrote: »

For at least five hours tonight two lads (sax and accordion) played 'When The Saints Come Marching In' over and over and over and ov....(ye get the gist) badly across from Neactains.

Blame those 2 pesky popes!

dr.bollocko

Saxophone guy sounds like an indiscrete cat strangler.

Mike747

muppetkiller wrote: »

"Sit on the ground baldy guy who sings miserable songs" This guy drives me insane lol He butchers every single song and sings them all in exactly the same miserable tone. It's like if Maroon 5 sang Everybody Hurts by REM on repeat lol.

And the Sax players are all woeful except some Hungarian guy who plays late at night.

That dude gives me the creeps, singing in his woman's voice.

Is that the sax player who improvises so much you can't even tell the tune he's playing?

restingpilgrim

extra gravy wrote: »

I admire people that put themselves out there like that but do you not think it's better that people find out that they're not very good through constructive criticism so that they can go and find something they might be good at instead? I mean this in the best possible way!

People should stop giving them money as that is the only constructive criticism that really will stop most of them. I also make a point of never giving money to people with amps, think it should be natural if they are busking but maybe thats just me.

El_Dangeroso

For balance there are also some amazing buskers, on Sunday there was a string quartet playing Elanor Rigby outside the AIB. Memorising.

FouxDaFaFa

restingpilgrim wrote: »

People should stop giving them money as that is the only constructive criticism that really will stop most of them. I also make a point of never giving money to people with amps, think it should be natural if they are busking but maybe thats just me.

In an ideal world, this would happen but people see someone murdering a song, it makes them laugh, they decide the busker is great craic and they throw him a euro or two.

There is one guy this happens with in particular and it drives me insane because it only encourages him.

Edit: Currently enjoying "Careless Whisper" on the sax. I want to die.

antoobrien

restingpilgrim wrote: »

People should stop giving them money as that is the only constructive criticism that really will stop most of them. I also make a point of never giving money to people with amps, think it should be natural if they are busking but maybe thats just me.

reminds me of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwCMuV2fZOU

Naux

inisboffin wrote: »

:P

If a musician quit being a musician just because of someones *opinion* posted on boards which was 'constructive criticism', then yeah, perhaps they shouldn't be a musician in the first place LOL!

In fact if most famous people read 'critique' on all the internets, and took it on, they would probably switch to another career, no?

This comment made me think of the "mean tweets" section on some American talk show(can't remember which one) where the celebrity has to read out various tweets made by strangers about them on twitter.

Some of them were absolutely hilarious........

Mean Tweets for Galway buskers on TG4........maybe I'm onto something:D

inisboffin

Naux wrote: »

This comment made me think of the "mean tweets" section on some American talk show(can't remember which one) where the celebrity has to read out various tweets made by strangers about them on twitter.

Some of them were absolutely hilarious........

Mean Tweets for Galway buskers on TG4........maybe I'm onto something:D

I loved watching that! Difference is though that it was a more even playing field, and the celebs got positive press from doing that, as they were already, well, celebs and not trying to pay their rent. Cate Blanchett and Joseph Gordon Levitt are my faves

Redhairedguy

People have been ignoring my warning to stop getting personal about the buskers. So we'll just end it here, as if you can't play nice, don't play at all.