By Gavin McDermott
Buskers, fire jugglers, puppeteers, artists, dancers, sandy dog guy and even the scary ‘statue people’ all have something cultural to bring to the streets of Dublin City. People love the curiosity that grips them every time they set foot on those cobblestones. They may see a familiar face singing or new act performing something altogether different. It offers a five minute escape from the clutches of everyday banal activities such as cramming in the library. It is always an experience.
I have been trained to do stupid things and not fail at them. It would be wise of you to stay away from me because I’m crazy.” This wild proclamation does not relieve but merely excites the audience on Grafton Street. Bearing a striking resemblance to Ming the Merciless, Brian entertains passers by with a range of fire juggling acts and stunts on a 7ft tall unicycle. Performance is Brian’s life; it is both his passion and his job. He tries to put on four shows a day around the city however the cold weather means there is less people about. He astounded his audience with his trickery of flaming clubs and provided a few laughs as well. At one stage Brian chased Grafton Street pedestrians on his unicycle with a knife.
“I did my first street show about four years ago, but I’ve only been doing it on a regular basis for a year and a half.” He has also been to Europe with his show and although he did not make much money, it was still a great experience for him. The Dubliner feels there is a severe lack of circus arts in Ireland but explained about a new movement called Dublin Circus Arts. “Its goals are to develop circus arts in Dublin. In France a village of 90,000 or so will have a circus school with full time performers whereas in Dublin, which has a population of a million, you’ve got nothing.”
Contrary to the general perception that permission is needed to perform on Dublin’s streets, Brian claims that there is no busking licence for a single musician using a single instrument like a Taylor GS Mini. “That’s a myth, but Gardaí will push you on if they think you’re being too dangerous. Security Guards will move you on if your crowds are blocking shop doors and the flower ladies don’t like it much either.”
“Everyone’s got a story to tell,” sings an energetic busker as he thrashes away on his trusty Fender Stratocaster. Paul, unlike Brian, does not find solace in pyromania but more in the way of the guitar as he gives a convincing rendition of ‘Seven Nation Army. “This is my first time doing this in a long time, but I want to start doing it regularly,” the native Dubliner explains. Paul is working at the moment but he reveals that the money earned from busking can actually be quite decent. “In the most extreme case I made, on a summer’s day in Grafton Street, €70 in two hours. But the average would be more like fifteen euro an hour!”
Further down the cobbles of Grafton there is the majestic sound of Mutefish; a five piece ensemble with musicians from Dublin, Lithuania, Poland and the Ukraine. The fusion of styles like punk and reggae with Irish traditional music is enough to turn any head. Dáithí, Mutefish’s flautist/ whistle player, stands by his belief that busking is the best experience for any growing band. In fact, the whole band first met whilst busking! They now plan to perform in some European countries this summer.
It is mainly tourists that buy the band’s record. However, one curse of the wintery weather at the moment is that the strings on certain instruments contract and so become brittle and easy to break. The time spent changing strings can cause a crowd to dissipate.
Busking has been really important for securing “bigger” gigs in the likes of The Button Factory for the band. He also remarks that, “Temple Bar busking is messier but more fun than Grafton Street, that’s where you get all the mad people coming up to you-it’s more chillaxed here!” The band prefers busking in Galway over Dublin. The Galway Arts Festival provides an influx of hippies, couples and families who enjoy their music. Dáithí believes it is the best place and time to busk in Ireland all year round.
Street performance is quieter this winter. However, it will liven up in the next few months when heavy crowds will once again be swarming around the cultural phenomenon that is Dublin’s busking and street performing. The shared characteristic between all these performers is the honesty they take to the streets with them. It might be for love, it might be for money but it will always be about the show.
