Busking in Galway

Elfman

I've been living in Galwat for about a yr and a half

I'm an pretty bad guitar player (well ok for a year of playing) and a pretty good singer. Been busking once had fun intend to do it again.

figure since Galway has a ripe busking sceane this would be the place to ask for any advise, good songs to play, chords, funny stories that are busking related or even if anyone wants to play with me thats cool

anywho if it's busking related shoot away

cheers

Sleepy

Go out around 10ish on Shop Street when you've got lots of people moving between pubs and nightclubs, should be good for getting cash out of the drunks!

Learn lots of the old favourites and current chart stuff: American Pie, American Idiot, Damien Rice should do well in a college town, Beatles stuff...

You do need a licence to busk btw. Good luck.

Yank

Since when do you need a license to busk in Galway?? I have many friends who busk and none have ever mentioned a license.

po0k

try your luck till a garda tells you to move on.

I've no idea how much the license is though. I'd be curious to know actually...

Sarky

Sleepy wrote:

Learn lots of the old favourites and current chart stuff: American Pie, American Idiot, Damien Rice should do well in a college town, Beatles stuff...

No, don't bother with current chart stuff. They only folks who listen would be young'uns and students, and they either have buggerall cash or are far too tightfisted to give you any. It's nearing summer. That means rich tourists. Learn the songs THEY loved as kids.

My brother did this with some of the really old, really obscure Beatles tunes and whatnot, and made a fortune from older folks who'd, say, remember the 60's well, who were delighted to hear their old favourites again...

simu

Sarky wrote:

My brother did this with some of the really old, really obscure Beatles tunes and whatnot, and made a fortune from older folks who'd, say, remember the 60's well, who were delighted to hear their old favourites again...

Yeah, good idea. A lot less irritating than whiney ol' Damo Rice as well.

po0k

Learn Sultans of Ping - Where's Me Jumper, for I have spoken and so it shall come to pass.

Tar.Aldarion

get ppl to dance in front of you to rake in the money.watch out for the knacks walkin by,dipping their hands in.although i hadnt noticed much in galway they seemed to multiply on paddys day.....

Elfman

Cheers all good stuff,

if anyone knows how to go about getting a licence i'd be interested
(unfortunatlyi'm one of those tight fisted students so if there alot i think il chance my luck)

has anyone chords for paddy casey's fear seems like a good song

i made the misstake of sing songs that can;t be projected loudly and no one could hear .

po0k

can you play from tabs?

Google.ie is your gateway.

I'd imagine you could make an enquiry into licenses at either City Hall or Millstreet.

midlandmusic

Busked Grafton Street in Dublin for years...

1: You do not need a licence
2: Create as much volume as you can - sing and play loud
3: 5 popular songs is plenty - you're playing to passers-by
4: Empty your coffers into your pocket regularly
5: Busk when the streets are busiest - evening time is best but stake your pitch early
6: Do not play near buskers on saxophones
7: Good luck

8 Here's what happens when you get off the streets:

SCOOOBY

During RAG week last year myself and a few friends wanted to go busking to raise some cash for ourselves. Before we did we approached a Guard and asked about the whole license thing. We were told that you don't necessarily need one. You are supposed to, but it's not enforced much, as long as you're not attracting a huge crowd or causing a disturbance.

My brother writes songs and to find out whether or not they were any good, he would go out busking. He came up with a Busking rule for it. The first 5-10 seconds of the song have to grab a person's attention, as this is usually the only time you'd have as they pass you.

holy sh1t. What an old thread.

biko

Digging up a 4 year old thread to promote your band would probably work better in the right regional forum.
If anyone wants to talk Galway busking pls start a fresh thread.