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tom hughes Loyal user 225 Posts |
Hi folks,
Firstly thank you guys so much for the advice I've had for some of my, probably naive, questions. Unsurprisingly I have another one! I've decided to try out a new town ( don't want to over saturate my regular pitch). I phoned the city hall and their rules for busking are pretty fair ( only on public property, no blocking the sidewalk) with one exception. The town in question would rather me NOT solicit directly for money, they consider it peddling. Instead they would rather that I perform my act but have a tips jar out instead of actually "passing the hat" at the end of the show as I am accustomed to doing. Now I understand that some people here regularly trickle busk but to be truthful I don't have enough material to do this confidently and I much prefer to build a crowd, work my show and pass the hat at the end... I'm just familiar with that style. So what do I do? Do I; 1) ignore the rule and hope that noone makes an issue of it. 2) obey the rule and do my entire show with a tips jar out and not do a hat line at the end ( wouldn't want to peddle). 3) do the show and make sure that my hat line doesn't actually solicit people for money ( perhaps I could explain the rule and make a joke of it). Your thoughts, as always, are very much appreciated! tom p.s. anyone tried busking in Charlotte N.C.?
http://www.ashevillemagic.com
http://www.themagictomshow.com magician/magic show in asheville w.n.c. |
ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2885 Posts |
Providence is the same way. The few times I've gone out, I've used a "passive" line.
"My agreement with the city of Providence is that I will not directly solicit money. However, if at the end of this next trick, you are so blown away by my talent, my abilites or just my gall for being <out> here that you want to drop a one or a five into my bucket, I'm certainly not going to stop you!"
"...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
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Froste New user 88 Posts |
Hmm.. what if you said something like..
I'd go with #3. Maybe something about how you're trying to improve your show, and if people could drop comment cards, such as fives or tens, it would help improve your show greatly. |
JoeJoe Inner circle Myrtle Beach 1915 Posts |
Welcome to the world of busking ... Southern Style! Lots of cities in the south east have rules like this. Legally, the City has no right to restrict the content of your speech ... that's not to say they won't try to get you to voluntarily do so.
I would suggest you break the pitch in gently, start working a trickle ... and once people (ie: merchants and police) get used to seeing you, become more aggressive with the hat. Also note that you can flush a tip jar, I prefer this method myself. All you really need to do is call attention to your tip jar during your show, ie: when I need to borrow a dollar bill for a trick, I have a kid reach into the tip jar and pull one out at random. This way, everyone is aware of it's presence yet I have not actually solicited anyone to tip. Once one person puts something into the jar, you thank them and make a joke and let the hat lines fly. Works for me anyway. -JoeJoe
Amazing JoeJoe on YouTube[url=https://www.youtube.com/user/AmazingJoeJoe]
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tom hughes Loyal user 225 Posts |
Thanks guys... I think I'll give Charlotte a whirl then. I figured most people would have worked out a way around this problem. ( I think people in city halls around here think of busking as something musicians do... the south certainly is strange).
tom
http://www.ashevillemagic.com
http://www.themagictomshow.com magician/magic show in asheville w.n.c. |
solrak29 Special user NY Metro 936 Posts |
I was just curious...
Why not just have the "tip jar" (bucket or hat), with a sign on it that reads tips. You can apply your hat lines to the "tip jar" instead of whatever you use. You could fit in the line, "Don't forget folks, I work for tips". You can also "qualify" ( I think that is the word ) by referencing your "tip jar" so they know its there and what its for. I also thought that just having a tip jar out (for the trickle) would help in any type of busking routine. You can still bust out your hat lines in the end. Or would this push the line down South? What do you think?
To Find Me On The Pitch, Follow me :On Twitter
Checkout my pseudo blog : The Sidewalk Performers Forum "I intend to live forever, or die trying" - Groucho Marx |
suspectacts Elite user Boston 493 Posts |
For me the real problem with "the Trickle" style of busking is that it encourages the audience to come and go at will - some maybe after one trick.
As an artist and a businessman I like to encourage the audience to see my entertainment as 'a show' with a beginning and definite end. This allows me more artist freedom - not every trick needs to be a closer, raises my status as an entertainer, and helps me justify asking not for a 'tip' but for a more substantial reward. I like to remind people that 'a tip is reward you give someone who is already getting paid; what I am suggesting is that I have provided a service and I hope they will pay what they think the service is worth. Leaving a jar out the whole time encourages people to leave when you want them to stay. |
scody Loyal user 232 Posts |
The real answer about the tip jar is this...
You want to control how much your audience is going to give you as much as you can. Put a tip jar out, and you'll get coins and dollars.... From that SAME AUDIENCE with a proper hat line, you'll get 5's and 10's.
-manamana
Denver Corporate and Party Magician |
DevynS New user 98 Posts |
If it's not a written rule then I say **** it and do the show with the hat lines.
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Pokie-Poke Special user Bensalem, PA 883 Posts |
Hat lines do not have to mention $$$ I don't think I have worked any "real" street where the mention of $$ is legal. It will be a good skill to have to do that dance, If the pitch is a bit lax on the rules fine, if not, you are still in the right. (if only just)
if the pitch is new to busking, how you treat it will be important. Educate your crowds well, and avoid the trickle.
www.pokie-poke.com
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