6th July 2012 2pm
Yesterday went terribly at first. After some fun playing with the next door neighbour's pig,
and fucking around to Sean Paul playing on the amp/figuring out the chords to "Don't Look Back In Anger", we headed into town just after 3 to busk. We walked all our stuff in using the big box with wheels so that we wouldn't have to come back later. Brought the guitar, amp, and 5 clubs. First we settled down to a spot up the road from the main square, where there were a few other buskers. It went baaad. We played a good hour, got about 2 or 3 euro maybe. People were stopping and listening and all, but just not paying. An old man from Madagascar came along and asked could he join in. He sang Let it Be and When The Saints Come Marching in. He was a terrible singer but it was fun to just play guitar while Dara drummed - could concentrate on mixing them rather than Dara trying to follow what I'm doing as we usually do. We decided to move to another spot. Went down to the others who'd done terribly too. About 6 euro between them. They went off for a break so we held the spot. Tried some juggling - just put music on the amp and ran our fire routine from body and soul. A few people watched but no money again. We gave up pretty fast this time - we were just demoralized. Finbar arrived so we moved the stuff up to the square and took a break to get some baguette/crappy cheap cheese. Gotta live cheap if you're not earning.
I decided to give it another shot and while Finbar facepainted Dara I did another hour in the square. There were a few crowds watching and clapping etc but no money coming in at all really. At the end of it I thought about what a girl had said to us last night - that we should really go around with a hat to collect money. There was a big crowd sitting on the museum steps watching the whole time but hadn't gotten up. So fuck it, I walked over, didn't say anything - I don't wanna be pushy. Just walked around holding my hat and to my amazement 4 people stopped me to put money in. It was awesome. Got like 3 or 4 euro extra. Small but sura. Finbar got 3 facepaints done too, so he made 9 euro. We were doing okay. Nearly the campsite covered and still the night ahead of us.
Next the music started in the square. It was awesome, 4 stages - 2 funky strange dancers on one, 3 girls playing sax on another, 3 guys playing trumpet on the third and the fourth was the conductor/electronic DJ girl pumping out the beats. It was pretty fucking awesome. We danced away for a little while then decided it was time to go set up as it was after ten.
We moved back to where we were the first night - the corner of the bars with lots of foot traffic. Man it went great. We went straight into it, had loads of crowds/videos etc. A girl came along and decided she'd help us, she picked up the guitar case and went to the crowd collecting money, then went around with the hat collecting. It was class. A homeless dude even gave us three loaves of bread. So much fun, only did an hour and we pulled in over 30 euro.
Need to document the actual playing more though - we need to bring the GoPro tonight and get videos people dancing. I wanna remember those moments.
Went back to the campsite and sat around the table drinking wine with coke (for a change) and counting our money/talking til 5am. Total count was 51 euro, putting us 30 euro up overall taking away campsite fees etc. Enough diesel to drive us to the next town. Obviously we'll need to make more as expenses will creep up, but given that we're just starting we're very happy to be making any profit.
I was on such a high last night though. I love performing so much. 3 years ago I could never have imagined me playing to a crowd of 20 people watching and dancing away at night on the street in France. It was amazing. It's funny how up and down it can go - at 7pm I was heartbroken; by midnight I was king.
Finbar blew all the savings shopping this morning. He did buy lots of things we need like salt/ketchup etc. But I do feel somehow that if it were Dara or I it would have been a tenner less. He likes the good food and whatnot. But I won't judge yet - if his facepainting kicks off he could well pull in as much as Dara and I together per day, in which case he can buy all the good food he likes sure!
Today is our day off - kinda. Dara and I need to learn some more upbeat songs as the night seems best for us with the cajon/guitar (I'd imagine me alone would be as good if during the day, leaving Dara to do something like facepainting). And we need to start working on our streetshow. So Finbar's gone to try make some cash for wine facepainting.
It's hard to believe it's only day 4. Think we'll stay another night or two in Rennes then time to move on. But seriously,
Yesterday went terribly at first. After some fun playing with the next door neighbour's pig,
and fucking around to Sean Paul playing on the amp/figuring out the chords to "Don't Look Back In Anger", we headed into town just after 3 to busk. We walked all our stuff in using the big box with wheels so that we wouldn't have to come back later. Brought the guitar, amp, and 5 clubs. First we settled down to a spot up the road from the main square, where there were a few other buskers. It went baaad. We played a good hour, got about 2 or 3 euro maybe. People were stopping and listening and all, but just not paying. An old man from Madagascar came along and asked could he join in. He sang Let it Be and When The Saints Come Marching in. He was a terrible singer but it was fun to just play guitar while Dara drummed - could concentrate on mixing them rather than Dara trying to follow what I'm doing as we usually do. We decided to move to another spot. Went down to the others who'd done terribly too. About 6 euro between them. They went off for a break so we held the spot. Tried some juggling - just put music on the amp and ran our fire routine from body and soul. A few people watched but no money again. We gave up pretty fast this time - we were just demoralized. Finbar arrived so we moved the stuff up to the square and took a break to get some baguette/crappy cheap cheese. Gotta live cheap if you're not earning.
I decided to give it another shot and while Finbar facepainted Dara I did another hour in the square. There were a few crowds watching and clapping etc but no money coming in at all really. At the end of it I thought about what a girl had said to us last night - that we should really go around with a hat to collect money. There was a big crowd sitting on the museum steps watching the whole time but hadn't gotten up. So fuck it, I walked over, didn't say anything - I don't wanna be pushy. Just walked around holding my hat and to my amazement 4 people stopped me to put money in. It was awesome. Got like 3 or 4 euro extra. Small but sura. Finbar got 3 facepaints done too, so he made 9 euro. We were doing okay. Nearly the campsite covered and still the night ahead of us.
Next the music started in the square. It was awesome, 4 stages - 2 funky strange dancers on one, 3 girls playing sax on another, 3 guys playing trumpet on the third and the fourth was the conductor/electronic DJ girl pumping out the beats. It was pretty fucking awesome. We danced away for a little while then decided it was time to go set up as it was after ten.
We moved back to where we were the first night - the corner of the bars with lots of foot traffic. Man it went great. We went straight into it, had loads of crowds/videos etc. A girl came along and decided she'd help us, she picked up the guitar case and went to the crowd collecting money, then went around with the hat collecting. It was class. A homeless dude even gave us three loaves of bread. So much fun, only did an hour and we pulled in over 30 euro.
Need to document the actual playing more though - we need to bring the GoPro tonight and get videos people dancing. I wanna remember those moments.
Went back to the campsite and sat around the table drinking wine with coke (for a change) and counting our money/talking til 5am. Total count was 51 euro, putting us 30 euro up overall taking away campsite fees etc. Enough diesel to drive us to the next town. Obviously we'll need to make more as expenses will creep up, but given that we're just starting we're very happy to be making any profit.
I was on such a high last night though. I love performing so much. 3 years ago I could never have imagined me playing to a crowd of 20 people watching and dancing away at night on the street in France. It was amazing. It's funny how up and down it can go - at 7pm I was heartbroken; by midnight I was king.
Finbar blew all the savings shopping this morning. He did buy lots of things we need like salt/ketchup etc. But I do feel somehow that if it were Dara or I it would have been a tenner less. He likes the good food and whatnot. But I won't judge yet - if his facepainting kicks off he could well pull in as much as Dara and I together per day, in which case he can buy all the good food he likes sure!
Today is our day off - kinda. Dara and I need to learn some more upbeat songs as the night seems best for us with the cajon/guitar (I'd imagine me alone would be as good if during the day, leaving Dara to do something like facepainting). And we need to start working on our streetshow. So Finbar's gone to try make some cash for wine facepainting.
It's hard to believe it's only day 4. Think we'll stay another night or two in Rennes then time to move on. But seriously,
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