Oh there was one fellow I remember, but he is so obscure that no-one remembers him. What was his name. . . oh right, Harry Anderson.

Busking is the concept of gathering a crowd, entertaining them, and then passing the hat.

Busking can be many forms of entertainment; juggling, break dancing, a balancing act, contortionist, whip cracking, mime, ... or magic. The difference is that the people stopped what they were doing to watch. It differs from the "Blaine" approach which is to approach a person or two, do a trick they may or may not want to see, and then leave.

The "show" is based on at least three phases with a different style of tricks for each phase. First is the "gathering" phase. You can do one on one stuff and get a couple of people involved. Once you start "building your edge" others will stop to see what's going to happen next. This is the phase where you move to some more interactive tricks that play to more than one person. Rope tricks are a good example for this. Then comes the "main show" phase which may or may not be combined in the "build." Here is where you continue to perform your best stuff while enticing the people to stay around for the "big finish"... the trick they've been waiting for,... the one they'll be telling their friends about,...

During this "finale" phase you can do things like Cups and Balls, Linking Rings, Strait Jacket, etc... while gently reminding them about the "value" of your act in preparation for the "hat line" where you get your money out of their pockets and into yours where it belongs.

A good performer (like Gazzo) can build a crowd of several hundred people in a matter of a half hour. If even a percentage of them paid $2 or more each, that's way more than you'll ever make with a few dozen B1 Bomber tricks for a buck apiece.

It's simple economics. One show for two hundred people for thirty minutes earning $100 or more, or bust your tail doing 10 "Blaine" shows for ten people during that same half hour for $10. It's easy to see which one pays better.

you are absolutley correct dave. busking is the life for me and i plan on doing it for the first time in about three years from now. can't wait got to buy all my stuff build a routine and pracitice.

thanx

Buy all your stuff? For busking? I use a thumb tip w/ a 6" silk, a set of linking rings (1 double, 2 singles and a key,) and my chop cup. That's all. The only other things I use are flash paper and either limes or kiwi, depending on which is cheaper.

Remember when busking, lighter is better. thye less suff you carry the better off you are.

What I meant was that I was getting Dvds like Crowdpuller,Building a Tip,Gazzo on Tour,Cellini Art of Street performing,and a pouch. A few other stuff also. Just mainly DVDs to get me started. Not all tricks.

thanx

I think the other thing Paddy wasn't saying is that Buskers aren't necessarily the richest of performers. Many do it because they need to eat. Very few started by buying reference material like you mentioned, they just went out and did it. They learned what worked by doing it.

You're lucky that you have all this great information available to you now. (I have all of that myself) but don't think it's required to start busking. Take a few tricks, get out on the street and find what works *for you* It's the interaction with the people that is the key to busking and you can't really learn that from a DVD.

Yes I know,but I'm not busking for a while so I might as well just invest in those Dvds. I will go out and find what works for me when the time is right.

Thanx

Happy shopping! I have all of the ones you mentioned, and even if you never hit the street, it's still some great entertainment and teaching that will help whatever you want to do with it.

OK, I thought you were going to buy effects to perform. The DVDs will help. I have all of those that you mentioned and have watched them all several times. Cellini's DVDs are great I bet I watch them once a week to refresh myself on things. Once you're in the field, it is different than what you saw on DVDs. They don't show you how it is when it is so hot or cold or rainy that peiple won't stop to watch you. They don't show you standing there and trying to build a tip and you're so darn hungry you want to fry up one of the squealing kids for lunch.

But it is all worth it when you get home and count up your hat and realize that you made more in 6 hours than a lot of people make working 40 hours a week. Yes I live very comfortably on my busking money. In fact I worked at a restaurant tonight for 3 hours and made US$130 plus the restaurant fee. That's entertaining.

Thank You, I'm also investing in The Street Cups Giant and Gazzo Cups and BAlls dvd. Alot of mone ybut worth it. I was wondering do you do the sups and balls as your closer? If so what cups do you use? How long have you been busking? How long did it take you before you finally got your real first FAT HAT?

Thanx

I have a set of Johnson cups. Really good cups. I did the cups and balls, in fact I took a masterclass from Gazzo himself when it was offered in VA. But I now use a chop cup or three linking rings as a closer. My first month was bad! I had to set a goal that I wouldn't leave the pitch until I made $100. I made enough to keep going but it would take me several hours before I reached my goal for the day. Now I just say I will work just so many hours and then leave. It varies between 3 and 6 hours depending on the weather and how I feel that morning.

Am I missing something here?


I'm assuming that the 65 hours is also per week.
If that is so, this doesn't seem very lucrative to me. I'd work the normal 40-hour week and enjoy my freetime and do magic part-time.

Two things:

It shows that you can set your own hours, working 65 hours, or 20. It's really up to you. You can't do that on a 40 hour standard job.

It also shows that you sometimes have to work your tail off to come close to making what the nine to fivers do. But, the advantage is, you enjoy your work so you really don't mind.

You caught me! I have edited that line to what I meant to say. Shows you that even spell check will miss the "fat finger" syndrome. What I should have typed is "But it is all worth it when you get home and count up your hat and realize that you made more in 6 hours than a lot of people make working 40 hours a week."

SmokingMonkey wrote:
paddy wrote:
But it is all worth it when you get home and count up your hat and realize that you made more in 65 hours than a lot of people make working 40 hours a week.


Am I missing something here?


I'm assuming that the 65 hours is also per week.
If that is so, this doesn't seem very lucrative to me. I'd work the normal 40-hour week and enjoy my freetime and do magic part-time.


You caught me! I have edited that line to what I meant to say. Shows you that even spell check will miss the "fat finger" syndrome. What I should have typed is "But it is all worth it when you get home and count up your hat and realize that you made more in 6 hours than a lot of people make working 40 hours a week!



Yeh that confused me a little bit too.
So, Paddy where can i get those Jhonson cups? Roughly how much are they? I would like to know more about them if i could.


Thanx