Day 2465

Diary Of  A Busker Day 2465 Tuesday December 3rd 2024 Winchester.

First time back in almost a month, the absence due to bad weather and a brief holiday in Paris, Berlin and Brussels. I wonder if I’ve been missed. On arrival in town, Rob is finishing packing up at the top spot. I ask how it’s been. ‘Well, loads of people about but they’re not feeling very generous’ is his verdict.

I was going to take over but there’s some young group the road and he’s too loud for me – Rob can blast him out but I’m not nearly as loud so I’m going to go to The Square and disrupt the quiet, there!

It’s a cold day – 7% but thankfully no wind so I should be able to get an hour in, maybe. In fact, just before the hour I was thinking of packing it in, partly due to the cold but mainly because of the slow coinage.

At 55 minutes in I’d just finished the Gnossienne which I thought sounded quite good with the Strat, and two women came up to donate and ask what I was playing so I was telling them about the Gnossienne when an old couple came up and stood by while I was talking to the women. 
After the women left, the man says ‘what are you playing?’ so I tell him and he then says ‘can you play something else?’ 
‘Right,  we’ll what would you like?’

’Can you play something else because we live nearby and you always play the same thing.’

Oh dear, here we go again.

’You know what, I haven’t been here for over a month.’

’Well, we always here the same thing.’

‘Are you for real? You’re not actually paying me – you haven’t come to see me.’

‘No, we haven’t’

’Do you play an instrument?’

’Well, no but…’

’Do you know how long it takes to learn how to play a piece of music?’ (I don’t wait for a reply)…I do this for a living – it’s my job and I have to do it.’

‘Yes,  well we don’t need to keep hearing the same things.’

’Well, I suggest you bugger off and leave me to do my job, then.’

‘Um…well we…’

’I want you to go away.’

’Yes, I’m going away’ and to send them on their way, I’m cranking up the riff to Purple Haze. And off they went, towards the Buttercross, her arm in his. She didn’t say a word.

So, apart from the cunt in the shop,  there’s now this couple who aren’t overly impressed with the advanced fingerstyle guitar technique. Big fucking hairy bollocks to ‘em! It’s so nice to come back after a month and be appreciated!