Diary Of A Busker Day 302 Monday November 5th 2012 Winchester High Street Opposite Vodafone. Time: 2:15-3:30pm
Before I set up, I chat to Chris – the peaked-capped RAC man who stands just up a bit from where I am. He asks me how it’s going, and I tell him: that I’ve had enough of this busking lark, the idiots that come up and ruin my day, the cold weather – that’s really coming along now, but especially the idiots – like the guy the other day who swore at me and thought I was a millionaire – “you live on that house on the hill!” Chris says that’s just part of the ‘street life’ and I should just ignore them. He has a theory – ‘I was thinking about it and I thought “there must be a common denominator” and I thought “what do all these ne’er do wells have in common?” and d’you know what it is? ‘No, I don’t.’ ‘None of them are happy; they don’t like themselves, they’re unhappy with their lives. All of them, that’s why they’re like that. So I don’t feel hatred or anything like that. I just feel pity for them.’ Interesting.
I set up and play, and start with something I haven’t played in ages – years even. It’s Chet’s arrangement of Swedish Rhapsody. I gave up doing it because of this damned hand thing but I’ve just seen a load of Claes Neeb videos and there’s one of him doing it – a great performance, too. I can also see how the very beginning goes, which was a bit of a mystery. I couldn’t quite work it out although I’d got most of it but now I know, so I’ve resurrected it. Also, it’s a very cheery number – something I need a few more of. In fact it’s all got a bit sombre recently, what with Ne Me Quitte Pas, Requerdos, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and all in A minor, too. Hmm, must be my saddest key. In this respect, I must disagree with the Honourable Mr. Tufnell’s assertion of his D minor. To each his own saddest key, I reckon.
Swedish Rhapsody goes OK, apart from the end – what them old bluegrass banjoists call the ‘shave and a haircut’, but it makes a 4 year old dance around for 15 seconds thereby making it Song Of The Day, although it gathers no coinage from the parent or anyone else.
Like the other day, I can barely play after half an hour…but soldier on! As I’m packing up, Chris comes by – ‘Had enough?’ ‘Yeah…of everything. I’m too old for all this – and it’s too cold!’ He ponders…’Hmm…what you need is a positive mental attitude – PMA.’ ‘A positive mental attitude? What, is that going to make it warmer?!’
Earnings: £8.42 (including 1 CD sale of £3.25)