Is Mise: "personally I never give to buskers who have amplification or who are just practicing music."

Some notable buskers I have given a dollar (or more) to.

1. The Doug Anthony All Stars, when they were mere uni students in the mid 1980s and busking at Civic, Canberra.
2. An old guy (ca 60-70) who occasionally busks outside the supermarket in my small country town. I think he does it mainly to get out and chat to people, not for the money (not during the lockdowns, but hopefully he'll be back soon).
3. My son, when he was at high school and in the youth orchestra. Well, I didn't give him dollars, but I encouraged him.

A couple of points:
1. Everyone under 90 uses amplification (and no doubt there's the odd centenarian with his guitar and amp somewhere). Are you still trying to send telegrams or have you heard of email?
2. Why not encourage those young people who are just practising music?
It can be scary to play in public and the more practice they get the better. I've seen the excitement and validation kids get when they busk: Wow, people clapped! Wow, I got $20!

Is Mise, are you practising as the Christmas Grouch? You are pretty good at it, so let me now where to send you some dollar coins

Cossomby,
Buskers who can afford amplification equipment don’t need the money and they obviously have no regard for the listening enjoyment of people who don’t like their kind of music.
I was once in an Army workshop where the radio blared all day to my discomfort so I devised a strategy and suggested that as not everyone shared the same taste in music that we should all have a choice of radio station. As there were only five of us this was approved by the boss and as luck would have it my turn came on the Wednesday,
I gleefully put on radio 2BL which played the heaviest of classical music continuously.
Two hours after we started work the boss turned the radio off and decreed that it was only to be turned on for the news.NO MUSIC.
I take your point about young musicians and will amend my attitude towards them and dig deep.

Hi Issy,

The wife done some busking back in the day, do you know how much a buskers licence costs these days? And the conditions attached.

How about this one, one of the Street People I know in Sydney 'Raincoat' Stew, takes his guitar and gear on a 2 wheel trolley, on the bus to Sydney's Paddy's Markets. Brings a box of those disposable raincoats on wet days, a bit of an opportunists me thinks. The city ranger is always at Stew for busking without a licence, and running a retail business on the footpath.

BTW, The Kiwi's got rid of 5c coins some time ago, now they are all broke, no one has any cash!

The Redfern Mob do well down at Circular Quay, the young blokes on the didgeridoo, Old Albert (Namatjira) with the clap sticks, doing the Aboriginal stomp for the tourists. The tourists pay big money for a photo opp with a real live savage from the bush (Redfern). The lads even have CD's for sale. On a busy day they pick up a few hundred dollars.

cont

Issy , if you're going to busk in style, not only do you need an amp with power, but a lap top plugged in as well, for your 'karaoke' music and lyrics, music stand, mike etc. We could bill you as "Issy Gillespie", but none of that 2BL stuff. Next thing you'll be telling us you were tuned into Howard Craven and his "Easy Listening" music.

Paul, Did my share of busking in Sydney, anywhere in the CBD was good, we never had a licence 9don’t know if they were required in the ‘60s.
I played flute and tin whistle whilst my mate played accordion.

People tend to give the smallest value coins, whatever is in their change, low value coins make it hard for buskers and those depending on a handout.

Hi issy,

From memory, over Manly way is a gold mine for the local council as far as busking is concerned. Just checked $31.80/day, $54/month, $124/3 month plus $2 mill in public liability, all councils demand insurance All councils set conditions about location, times, position near shop doorways, footpath obstruction, selling CD's etc. Sydney City are not too bad with fees and locations. My mate Stew, generally gets moved on, but one day a new bloke slugged him with an on the spot fine, over $100. He was spitting chips! You would have to blow a lot of tin whistle to get your money back.