Back to School

I’ve probably said it before but it’s worth saying again.   Children are a buskers best friend   They have a curiosity and an interest in what’s going on around them that fades with many as they get used to the work, eat, sleep, buy stuff at the weekend routine of being a ‘grown up’.   Buskers are often the first experience that kids have with art in a live situation.   They don’t judge by ‘what’s cool’ and openly show appreciation.   The Market Tent and  Brian blowing This weekend, after the ravages of ‘ex-hurricane’ Ophelia and with the imminent arrival of storm Brian, I wondered if I’d get any busking done at all. Since moving to Limerick, the weather has generally not been so good for playing on the street and many planned busking sessions had to be called off - or at least cut short. I’d heard that they allowed busking at Limerick’s Milk Market and that Saturday was the really busy day and so, on Friday, I called in to speak with the ma...

Wednesday is usually a busy one with a songwriter spending the day with us discussing their approach, playing some songs and us in turn playing some of ours - some finished songs and also perhaps something we’re working on or maybe starting on something from scratch.   Having had a visit earlier in the week from Chris Wood, and with the visit on Thursday from Jake Clemons, we had a free day this Wednesday. I did go in for a couple of hours and went to a workshop on critical writing and after that, thought about trying out another pitch for busking - between the college and home.   Not good.  When I pulled into the car park, there was a very loud continuous noise which turned out to be emanating from a generator outside the chip shop.  There were still many power outages following the hurricane Ophelia. I checked the weather forecast for Killaloe - about 12 miles the other side of where I’m staying and it looked okay so, after stopping by the house f...

From my point of view There’s a small shopping centre just up the road from where I’m staying while in college.   I’d been in Limerick for a couple of weeks when I first came across it and, as I was on the way back from busking somewhere else, I just pulled in to have a look at it to see if it looked like it would be a potential busking site. I called into the butcher shop - butchers usually know everything about everything and I asked if anybody busked there.   They said they’d never seen anybody - just in the city centre.   I asked if they’d mind if I tried playing outside their shop some evening after college and they said they’d be delighted if I did, ‘It’d bring a bit of life to the place’ A few days later, I went there again, with my guitar and, of course my friendly dog.   It was just before six in the evening and on a Wednesday so probably not the busiest day of the week. At first, I felt a little self conscious about singing where appar...

Clara - my silent busking companion When I busk it’s as much about the people I meet as what’s in the pot (and yes, I do actually put out a teapot for tips). When I moved out of Dublin, I missed my Saturday ‘residency’ at the Dublin Food Co-op.   Over a six year period, it’s where I played most Saturdays and made quite a few friends.   From my new home which is on the border of three counties, I went busking, to test the waters, in lots of different places.   My partner also came along - for her, she was seeing most of these places for the first time.   Once we covered our fuel and food for the trips, we were happy.   She often remarked that we were like paid tourists. Within a couple of months, I found that I was welcome at a small shopping mall and I made that my regular Saturday gig and the proceeds would go a long way toward to weeks groceries.   We’d shop for food after my two or three hours busking, and all in the closest town to ...