Diary Of A Busker Day 5 Tuesday November 2nd Southampton City Centre Pitch E Time: 11:05 – 3pm
A long day. I arrived a bit earlier as I thought I’d make a bit more of this pitch as it is right in the centre, opposite the mall entrance. Weather was dry, but the hands got too cold to play at about 1 o’clock, so I went in to the mall and sat on a bench next to two young Korean chaps who had laptops and were on Facebook the whole time I was there (almost an hour). Even as I came back from the toilets, they were still on it.
Back on the pitch, I meet Marika again. She tells me she’s listened to an album I gave her of my original songs. I gave her the album free, as I felt sorry for her after hearing her experiences of racism! “You sound very deep and sad. you know what I mean?” “No, not really? Sad?” “Yes, your song, For Francesca, very sad, yes?” “Oh yeah, that one, maybe.” Her grandson, George, was with her, again clutching his Postman Pat figures – Pat in the right, Mrs. Goggins in the left, just as before.
Also met a lady in her 60s and her daughter. The lady used to be in a 60s girl group with two others called The Barleys, The Barneys, The Baileys, The Borleys, or something like that! Her daughter was going to audition for the X Factor tv ‘talent’ show currently popular. “Well”, said the daughter, “if some of those idiots can get through…!” These two were very amusing, but kept me from playing for about 20 minutes! “What you need to do, Marvin, is learn a whole lot of Christmas songs ’cause of the Christmas market comin’ up. People hear a song they know and they start singin’ it and they love it! Anyway, you’re smart lookin’, you should be playin’ in a wine bar down Oxford Street. See, YOU’VE made an effort to look smart, same as us (they were both really ‘dolled’ up), not like this lot (indicating by a sweeping arm gesture, the rest of Southampton). Look at them, they don’t care! ‘Course, WE’RE smart and have intelligence, but they, these people don’t care. Thing is, these TV people like on the X Factor, they just want people who are stupid so they can tell them what to do. They don’t want people like us. Anyway, where are you from?” “Winchester”. “Well, you should be busking there – they’re all posh and got money. What you doin’ down ‘ere?” “My partner has forbidden me from busking in Winchester”. “Tell her you gotta’ make some money!”
…after I had finished The Third Man (Chet Atkins arrangement/1960), some guy shouted “Hey! Wasn’t that from Spongebob Squarepants?”
Earnings: £10.51p
Expenses: £5.50p – train fare.