Banning street musician's and entertainers from using amps??

Davekoolhill · 13-06-2011 03:08PM #1

Guys, check this out. A local councillor here in Galway wants to ban the street entertainers and musicians from using amps (thinking they are too noisy.)

http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/featured/ban-the-busker/

What do you think about this? should street musicians be allowed to use amps?

DrumSteve · 13-06-2011 03:10PM

Makes sense....

Working in a city centre myself it becomes a bit annoying. can only imagine working in a shop and having to hear the same crap every day outside.

Or inside, if I worked in Carrolls. Wouldn't wanna be a fan of trad working in there. That'd be knocked outta ye quick style.

yoyo · 13-06-2011 03:13PM

Hopefully in Dublin aswell, some of those "artists" make far too much noise, and it is classed as noise pollution when amplified, good on the counselor I say

Nick

ger vallely · 13-06-2011 03:14PM

I think it's a good idea. those who have amps drown out any artists nearby. If they all start using them the noise would be horrendous. I have to be honest, as much as I like pan pipes the guys who are often outside Eason on Shop street really bother me,it's far too loud. It really must be awful for people working locally having to listen to that for a long loud period of the day.

sinjin_smythe · 13-06-2011 03:16PM

Bit unfair on the good solo guitarist guys that play in Dublin city, there's one fella who's brilliant (and doesn't blare it out on the amp).

ball · 13-06-2011 03:16PM

They should have to audition before they play like in most cities.

Kevin Duffy · 13-06-2011 03:17PM

Can we not take the road of improving and supporting street performance in this country, instead of moaning and regulating the shíte out of it? Ever been to Covent Garden? Great performances and atmosphere, huge contribution to tourism and I'm sure there are more around the world.

Oh_Noes · 13-06-2011 03:17PM

I hate those peruvian pipe groups. The one that used to be in Galway just up near where HMV is were awful and they ruined the nice busking buzz that used to be around. The councillor's actions are probably purely a result of those twats.

NTMK · 13-06-2011 03:17PM

Davekoolhill wrote: »

Guys, check this out. A local councillor here in Galway wants to ban the street entertainers and musicians from using amps (thinking they are too noisy.)

http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/featured/ban-the-busker/

What do you think about this? should street musicians be allowed to use amps?

This will be bad for the buskers that use smaller amps for electric guitars theres one busker in cork who an excellent player i'd hate to see the likes of him have their amps banned

The ones that have their amps right up i.e pan flute bands in cork and **** off with there noise pollution

chin_grin · 13-06-2011 03:20PM

Oh_Noes wrote: »

I hate those peruvian pipe groups. The one that used to be in Galway just up near where HMV is were awful and they ruined the nice busking buzz that used to be around. The councillor's actions are probably purely a result of those twats.

Only link I can find.

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

Seachmall · 13-06-2011 03:21PM

Instead of banning Amps altogether they should require a permit for playing over X db.

Richard Hillman · 13-06-2011 03:23PM

There's a guy on Henry Street that plays his guitar at a nice level. I dont see a problem with that. Maybe some people are a bit loud but I dont get how councils see them as a problem and not the zombies that walk around city centre areas on heroin or the chuggers

Oh_Noes · 13-06-2011 03:23PM

chin_grin wrote: »

Only link I can find.

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

See the first time I watched that episode all those years ago, Galway sprang to mind immediately which is an awful shame.

MistyCheese · 13-06-2011 03:32PM

Ban all buskers, living statues and "street performers". Or at least ban slack-jawed gombeens from taking up the whole street to form a semi-circle of misdirected awe.

SteoL · 13-06-2011 03:35PM

I thought a law had already been implemented banning amps. Seem to remember a thread on it on boards before.

Davekoolhill · 13-06-2011 03:36PM

ball wrote: »

They should have to audition before they play like in most cities.

They do in paris as far as I know.

You have to pay about 16 euro to subscribe and then do audition.

John_Rambo · 13-06-2011 03:36PM

Oh_Noes wrote: »

I hate those peruvian pipe groups

There's a gang of Native American looking guys in Dublin in full cowboy and Indian movie costumes playing pipes with a massive sound system, drum machine, backing vocals etc... truly awful. Are these the same guys?

lace · 13-06-2011 03:41PM

There's one busker in particular, plays on henry street a lot, with an electric guitar and an amp who actually ruins my shopping trips when he's playing. It's uncomfortably loud. Street musicians using amps is totally wrong, imho. If you haven't got the projection or technique to make your singing heard then don't sing on the street.

cython · 13-06-2011 03:42PM

As already stated, I wouldn't agree with a blanket ban on amplifiers, as some instruments (electric basses and guitars, for example) need amplification, so you effectively restrict who can busk based on what they play. However, I would be in favour of either the decibel/volume cap mentioned earlier, or at the very least a cap on the wattage of amplifiers or PA systems that are permitted. Amplifiers in and of themselves are not necessarily a bad thing, and need not be turned up any higher than a couple of acoustic guitars would generate, but excessive amplification does my head in.

stupidusername · 13-06-2011 03:43PM

MistyCheese wrote: »

Ban all buskers, living statues and "street performers". Or at least ban slack-jawed gombeens from taking up the whole street to form a semi-circle of misdirected awe.

Thank you! I thought I was the only one bothered by the circles of awe.i want to walk through the streets with some sort of ease,which is not possible with extremely wide circles taking up the whole street/path

ballsymchugh · 13-06-2011 03:52PM

yoyo wrote: »

Hopefully in Dublin aswell, some of those "artists" make far too much noise, and it is classed as noise pollution when amplified, good on the counselor I say

Nick

there was a guy on grafton street last week playing the fiddle to a drumbeat through his amp, about 100 yards away from some fella playing the bodhran to some music through his amp. i was going to suggest something but then just turned up whatever i was listening to.

the one person that really needs to be banned is the fella who writes some long schpiel in chalk on the footpath beside the molly malone statue. either ban him or make him write it on a wall where no one has to walk around it.

stovelid · 13-06-2011 03:53PM

Smell of comfy slippers, urine and Wether's Originals of this thread.

sensibleken · 13-06-2011 03:54PM

NTMK wrote: »

This will be bad for the buskers that use smaller amps for electric guitars theres one busker in cork who an excellent player i'd hate to see the likes of him have their amps banned

The ones that have their amps right up i.e pan flute bands in cork and **** off with there noise pollution

thats a point. i cant stand bands setting up and blaring at gig level. but say they made a rule of nothing bigger than a 5 or 10 watt amp. that'd do

ScumLord · 13-06-2011 03:55PM

They shouldn't ban amps, they should be allowed for instruments that require an amp and then regulated to be below a certain decibel. Send a noise pollution guy around once to give warnings and let people know where the limit is on their equipment and then issue fines if they have to talk to them again.

Banning Amps could be seen as banning rock and roll or any modern form of music.

Chairman Meow · 13-06-2011 03:57PM

lace wrote: »

There's one busker in particular, plays on henry street a lot, with an electric guitar and an amp who actually ruins my shopping trips when he's playing. It's uncomfortably loud. Street musicians using amps is totally wrong, imho. If you haven't got the projection or technique to make your singing heard then don't sing on the street.

Every time i walk past him, hes playing the same ****ing song. I know it note for note at this stage. I really would love to just kick the ****ing speaker of his amp in one day.

sensibleken · 13-06-2011 04:01PM

Chairman Meow wrote: »

Every time i walk past him, hes playing the same ****ing song. I know it note for note at this stage. I really would love to just kick the ****ing speaker of his amp in one day.

do us a favour and do it but just make sure a mate is videoing the retaliation youll get.

yoyo · 13-06-2011 04:03PM

ballsymchugh wrote: »

there was a guy on grafton street last week playing the fiddle to a drumbeat through his amp, about 100 yards away from some fella playing the bodhran to some music through his amp. i was going to suggest something but then just turned up whatever i was listening to.

the one person that really needs to be banned is the fella who writes some long schpiel in chalk on the footpath beside the molly malone statue. either ban him or make him write it on a wall where no one has to walk around it.

I hate walking down Grafton Street due to this and the crowds of people that manage to take up the entire street gathering around them. Some buskers even lay down some rope marking out a circle for people to stand behind! At the moment I'm living in Temple Bar (not for much longer now thankfully) and some of the buskers use excessive noise. Now I do not mind ones with a small amp with an electric guitar or ones which use no form of amplification, but with some of them I can forget about opening a window when they set up and cant watch tv/movie, listen to music etc due to the excessive noise and vibrations. The county council said that due to most amplifiers outputting decibel levels exceeding the limit that they are illegal and the Gardai do sometimes move them on, then they return :rolleyes:
It unfortunately the inconsiderate a*sholes which ruin it for the less noisey buskers but I think it would be easier to police by just issuing a blanket ban on amplification.

Nick

frag420 · 13-06-2011 04:04PM

Just cut the strings on his guitar with a scissors...............or **** in his collection hat.

While we are on it can we also ban the sign holders too? Several times now on grafton street I have come close to losing an eye nearly bumping into these plebs. On Henry street a well know clinic had three of them outside the front door spread across the street advertising hair removal. Maybe if I pushed them at the fire juggler then all will be ok.....................skin graft lads??

frAg

Davekoolhill · 13-06-2011 04:07PM

frag420 wrote: »

Just cut the strings on his guitar with a scissors...............or **** in his collection hat.

While we are on it can we also ban the sign holders too? Several times now on grafton street I have come close to losing an eye nearly bumping into these plebs. On Henry street a well know clinic had three of them outside the front door spread across the street advertising hair removal. Maybe if I pushed them at the fire juggler then all will be ok.....................skin graft lads??

frAg

sensibleken · 13-06-2011 04:09PM

frag420 wrote: »

Just cut the strings on his guitar with a scissors...............or **** in his collection hat.

While we are on it can we also ban the sign holders too? Several times now on grafton street I have come close to losing an eye nearly bumping into these plebs. On Henry street a well know clinic had three of them outside the front door spread across the street advertising hair removal. Maybe if I pushed them at the fire juggler then all will be ok.....................skin graft lads??

frAg

easy solution. look where your going. Its not as if they arent holding a giant sign letting you know their location

Chairman Meow · 13-06-2011 04:11PM

sensibleken wrote: »

do us a favour and do it but just make sure a mate is videoing the retaliation youll get.

Whats the matter? Butthurt because your atheist argument failed? No need to follow me around with pathetic attempts at trolling cause you lost

Banning street musician's and entertainers from using amps??

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