Day 2419

Diary Of A Busker Day 2419 Friday August 9th 2024 Winchester.

 

First time out with an electric 12-string – the red Burns Double-Six. Tell a lie, I took the psychedelic double-neck out once, just after it was painted but that would have been in 2012 and so long ago it doesn’t count!

There’s a young bloke singing opera stuff at the Buttercross and raking it in but it’s always the case. A singer always makes more than someone just playing an instrument. 

Don Lavelle and his wife are on a bench. I say I’m heading to the Square and Mrs. Lavelle offers to buy me a coffee, which I decline, as I want to get playing. 

 

Fortunately, the spot at the Square is free so I’m OK. Ten minutes in, Mrs. Lavelle appears and says the opera bloke has left but I’ve just started here so I might as well do an hour or so. 

Two boys – twins of around 8 years old sit in front of me and doodle with the chalk, then stop doodle-ing and just look at me.

‘Do you like the guitar music?’ I ask. They look at each other, then look at me and at the same time both say ‘No.’

‘Well, you don’t have to sit here, you know. You can go somewhere else!’ They pick up the chalk and resume their doodle-ing and bugger off after a bit. 

 

After just under an hour and a half, I’ve made around £25 and decide to pack up and set up at The Buttercross and the minute I start up, there she is. The old woman who dances and knows the words to every song I do. She’s actually quite good for me because she attracts attention; people stop and smile, many get their phones out (because EVERYTHING is filmed these days) and many contribute coinage. But what happens is, after a few songs she’ll reach down for her bag as if to go, I’ll start up another song and she’ll put her bag down and start up her dancing again. At one point I said ‘I’m keeping you from going about your business!’

While she’s there, two boys sitting behind me on the monument come forward to contribute a fiver. One says ‘Do you do requests?’ ‘Of course, if I know the song.’ 

‘Do you do Under The Bridge?’ 

‘Oh, umm…no, sorry. That’s got a good guitar bit, hasn’t it? I should learn that.’

‘How about Californication?’

‘Red Hot Chilli Peppers – you’re into them are you?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Sorry, I’ll have to learn something of theirs but I only do really old stuff…but Red Hot Chilli Peppers is quite old now, isn’t it?’

The old woman hears all this and says ‘You’ll have to learn some new songs!’ Yeah, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she knows all the bloody words to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. 

Don Lavelle was at the end of The Pentice and packed up at 4:30. He was about to walk off when I realised I hadn’t played his favourite, Layla, yet, so I stopped what I was doing and went into it. Don downed his canvas and bag and listened for the duration. What a polite chap.