Have you seen this? Dublin buskers need to brush up on their skills! And shush a little!
A creative Dublin Busker
I saw this in the news earlier, and to say the least, was a little surprised at it. Supposedly, a set of new rules governing the practice of busking in Ireland’s capital city are being brought in to appease the retailers and workers. They are mandating that the buskers who perform some musical act have at least 20 songs in their repertoire, and in some cases are even going to try to enforce a ‘dress code’. Whoa! There will also be new rules about performing hours, and noise levels, which I can see may have some merit, especially in residential areas.
But how does this encourage artistic development? Is this meant to throw off the young college-goer from picking up his guitar and heading down Grafton Street to bang out a few chords? Does it mean you need to be the ‘real deal’ to deserve a chance to serenade us as we stroll around Temple Bar?
And anyway, aren’t the buskers there to provide a better atmosphere for the shoppers? I’ve walked down plenty of Dublin’s city streets and stopped to enjoy the music, street performers, sideshows etc, but I’m not going to stick around long enough to listen to 20 songs. So is it really any big deal if somebody plays the same 5 or 10 songs a couple of times over during the day?
In my opinion the retailers should be thanking the buskers. It’s not like they cause any trouble, and if you have 50 people standing outside your shopfront, they’re going to need somewhere to go when the song’s over. Cash in!
What do you think? Have your say in the comments below.
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Hi Liam, you never know what you are going to get with buskers, that’s the charm. You would know that the larger spots have the more talented players, The urge to control and legislate individuals is hard to fight, but in the end the musicians that play the best can earn a living. With these trying days perhaps there are more pretend musicians trying to get a euro or two, that could cost them some customers. Some of my best listening times have been to buskers, one of my favorites was listening to a slow air by a whistle player by the Cliffs of Moher. The fellow played beautify despite the chilly March weather, Nothing much better than a haunting air overlooking the Cliffs.
Cheers,
Brian.
Wow…when did Ireland get so uptight?! This is over the top…hope it doesn’t come to be.
I have to agree with Brian@irelandfavorites and @elizabeth. Its too bad really. Busking is all apart of the ambiance and flavor of Ireland. Think of how many great Irish musicians got their start on the streets. It makes me sad to think that regulation could hinder new talent.