Diary Of A Busker Day 373 Wednesday May 22nd 2013 Winchester High Street 1. Opposite Oxfam. Time: 1:10-2:25pm 2. Opposite Bellis/O2. Time: 2:50-4:50pm
The day starts off pretty much like how yesterday ended, in other words, a terrible rate of pay. I get very depressed about it all and I think my mind goes a bit weird and I try and work out a logical reason. For a few minutes, I think it’s something to do with my trousers; a new pair, and the first day I wore them was yesterday when I again made no money. The trousers are the common denominator!
There’s something else bothering me. I’ve noticed that the usually friendly young waiter from across the way at Moulin Blanc no longer smiles at me, or acknowledges me in any way anymore. He even used to come across to see if I wanted a cup of coffee or tea. I’m sure I’m not imagining it, although I know I get a bit paranoid, especially if things aren’t going well. Anyway, after wracking my brain, I think I might know why. A while back, he came over to ask how I was and I said I was going to play up the road at The Buttercross, but there was someone else there; a keyboard player, who I hadn’t seen before. In fact, because I hadn’t seen him before, I described him as a “foreigner,” not because he was black or brown or purple or anything – I fact he was a whitey – a honkey like me! And I think this is what it is – he must think I’m some old racist bugger! Anyway, I’m going to wait a bit longer and if he’s still ignoring me, I’m going to have to have a word. I ain’t Barbara The Racist!
Speaking of racism, after my hour’s playing, in which I made between £5 and 6£ – a measly amount, I went to Waterstones and was reading a new book on Jimmy Page. He said Peter Grant told him that when he went to the southern states with The Animals, in 1965 I think, they had a black driver and one time they all went for a swim in the hotel pool and afterwards, the management emptied the pool and scrubbed it.
A few almost memorable moments: 1. During Can’t Help Falling In Love, an old bloke walked by and said ‘You’ll never fall in love with ME!’ 2. Delia was in town AND IT’S NOT A TUESDAY OR A FRIDAY! 3. I broke a string for the first time ever, and not even while I was tightening it, but while I was SLACKENING it (in preparation for Jesu). 4. I saw, or heard rather, Maurice, from across the road – ‘HELLO YOUNG MAN, ARE YOU WELL?!’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘WELL, I CAN’T STOP!’ he bellowed. Good!
I’m actually quite scared of starting another set as I’m thinking – why should it be any different from the first? and all I need are two rubbish days in a row. Shame on me, though. I’ve forgotten the Golden Rule; it’s nothing if not unpredictable, this lark. And so it was – like being in a completely different world. I even sold a CD – to a woman with a £20 note and I could even give her change out of the bucket, and that was after only fifteen minutes. In fact, amazingly, I made £45 here; that’s slightly more than double the usual hourly rate.
Well wishers include Ragtime Phillip, who I again had to apologise to for forgetting to bring in the tablature of my arrangement of Girl (because I haven’t done it yet), something I’ve been promising him for about three weeks. Also George, who turned up and requested La Vie En Rose, the song I’d done before Albatross, which was what I was doing when he arrived.
…which has just made me remember that exactly the same thing happened during the first set. I’d just finished Dr. Zhivago and was tuning down for Yellow Bird/Wheels, when Delia appeared and the first thing she said was ‘Oh, you couldn’t play Dr. Zhivago for me, could you?’ Well of course I did, after re-tuning back up and then I asked her what on God’s earth did she think she was doing here on a WEDNESDAY. She said she was buying a present for her great granddaughter, so of course I said ‘Oh, you don’t look old enough to be one of those – a great grandmother.’
Earnings: £51.30 (Including one CD) + one 5 cent Euro, a sixpence from 1966 and a small, gold 2 dollar coin with the Queen’s head on the back.