Well I really enjoyed Gazzos lecture and found it very encouraging to give it a go. I loved Kozmo's material too but found Gazzo's approach less intrusive which was Interesting since I always thought his performance was Intimidating with his endearing insults...he's got a Ricky Gervais thing that I could never pull off. Anyways for the three main tricks I was thinking egg bag, liquid metal, and then Chop for the finale. I thought I'd play with Lennart's figurine while people approach. As experienced buskers, do you like my tricks and believe they're workable in that environment? I want to be sure I'm investing my time wisely. Thx for your thoughts!

Not that I'm an experienced busker but...

The tricks you do don't matter, its all about you!

Pick tricks that don't need any reset or replacement parts.

Start small, pick an opener and closer. Once you get a feel for things adding more material will be easy.

Think modular. Your routines should be able to start and stop whenever you like and flow seamlessly into each other.

TAKE YOUR TIME! DO NOT RUSH!

Talk to people and look them in the eye. Don't just remember their names, use them!

Personal advice from someone who does not work the streets. Stick with Chop and the Egg Bag for now. Use the sharpie stuff from Chop as filler until you have a couple of people. Borrow a $10 and go into Chop, finish just before the Bill in Lemon, which you should save for after the egg bag. People will stick around to see what you did with the $10.

Gazzo, showed you how to do your pitch with just a deck of cards, why not start out taking his advice, work in a coin routine after you have done a pitch for a while and then work the others in as you get more street time. Oh and like he said, just stand there,,, I thought his advice was golden and even thou I am not a true blue street performer I can see where it would draw a cowed.

I thought of chop because of a finale instead of cups and balls...I may learn card to pocket...the truth is I loathe card tricks...I guess I'm biased because I think more of what I like than what people would love to watch...thx for the thoughts guys!

The tricks don't really matter so much, but I would offer this bit of advice: think of your show in terms of beginning, middle, and end. Start out with something simple or visual but that builds an interest and let's the crowd get to know you. He interactive throughout. Entertain them in the middle and build toward your ending. For the most part, the ending is what they tend to remember and enjoy, so make it special. But have a clearly defined and thought out ending both in terms of the effect and the reaction you want from the audience.

Have a great time!

My busking act is strictly a rope routine and it works very well for me.

I'm not familiar with how you perform the effects, but I like that you've got a good solid game plan and are thinking of this with a unique approach as opposed to just copying what others are doing. The question of will it work can only be answered in one way: go to the pitch and find out!

I suggest you consider broadening your scope by having say 10 tricks that may or may not work ... now if the egg bag doesn't draw a crowd, try another of your tricks. By the end of a day, you should be able to test 10 tricks on a pitch and then have a very good idea as to which would work best.

That is not saying put 10 tricks in your show - no - the three trick formula works really well. I'm just saying do 3 tricks, then do 3 other tricks ... now you can compare and contrast the results. Has worked well for me.

-JoeJoe

Great thoughts guys

Adjust and be versatile.......

what happens if your 3 don't work at first?


I was once told that its gonna take 1000 shows before I see any results....

that's a rough pill to swallow, but I used it as motivation to get out there and do my show!

The best advice I've heard is that a good street performer should be able to do 15 minutes of stand-up/improv. (Gazzo) I've done 5 minutes of stand up and that took me 2 weeks to write...guess that's why I'll never be a good street performer,
Point is, the props and magic are secondary to your relationship with your audience. The props and magic are just vehicles with which to interact with the crowd. Whatever effects you go with, remember that they aren't really what the show's about.
The best advice I've heard is that it's not about getting the audience to like you, it's about getting the audience to know that you like them. (Danny Hustle) I don't like people...guess that's why I'll never be a good street performer.
Learn to find humor in the situation, and learn to show your love to the audience...the rest will take care of itself. (Fun Time Al). That's the best advice you'll ever get on street performing. And no, I can't do either.

Hey Brent!

Some great suggestions thus far - these guys know what they're talking about!

Here are my two cents: if you feel comfortable with the three tricks you mentioned (Egg bag, Liquid Metal, Chop cut), then it definitely seems like a workable set to me. I would consider rearranging the order to go from Liquid Metal to Egg bag and then Chop cup as a finale because Liquid metal will be most effective on a smaller scale than the other two (i.e. will probably work better as a draw while you're starting to build an edge). The key word on this first effect is MODULAR. You want to have several phases that get progressively bigger and more inclusive so if it's a slow draw you can continue with the routine whereas if you pull quickly, you can establish the audience with a strong finale of metal bending and move into the middle section.

Egg bag to me seems like a natural middler - the effect is straightforward and clear, so it's open to plently of audience participation and comedy (if you're using a comedic style). If you've used your opener to establish yourself as a performer, your egg bag could focus on building that rapport/relationship with individuals and the audience as a whole. Danny Hustle is a great resource for this kind of interaction - as FunTimeAl said, it's about showing the audience that you care about them... their respect and care for you will all come out of that. With the simplicity of the Egg bag, you can focus on calling back names you learned during your draw and picking out situational comedy moments to make each performance unique.

Chop Cup is a beautiful closer. Strong magic, and very open to creative routining that will round out your show as a whole and make it feel like a full piece of street theater. Really think through your final loads and make them meaningful to your particular show. Especially if you're doing something with money (like Kozmo's bill in lime chop cup), this is a great time to do some preliminary hat references to prep the audience for your real hat lines.
I'm also of the opinion that material is secondary to performer/audience relationship, and that basically any material can play depending on how big your personality is. When you first get going, your inclination is probably going to be to get to the big magic moments. One key to understanding street audiences is that yes, they want to see something impressive, but more importantly, they want to have fun and be engaged by a strong personality (note, strong doesn't necessarily mean aggressive or assertive - you can be clumsy/unsure/scared with strong conviction).

Above all, working the streets is about confidence. No one wants to be approached by someone who seems unsure of what theyre doing. Chances are the audience is unsure of how exactly to act, so clear direction will be welcomed (moving them to your desired positions to build a strong edge, explaing your hat lines and telling them what a reasonable tip might be, etc). Be a performer that they can trust to take control of your own show and make it fun for all.

Good luck in planning, and let us know hoe else we can help!

Evan

"it's about getting the audience to know that you like them."

cant say I totally agree with that...
if you busk full time...there will be many days where you don't want to be out there doing a show...but you have to because its your full time gig, you have a kid, a habit, a whatever....

frankly, some days its about breaking that bread.

the biggest hat I ever made happened after I was really ****ed off. didn't want to do a show but had to. I intended to do a show to express my hate and dislike for being there. the people saw I was upset, and just going thru the motions. after the show people come up to me and said they loved it. even though I didn't. so whos to say?

Very true friend Nick. No advice is sound for all people and for every occassion.

So much advice....so few shows.

How about just start performing stuff you like. Weed out what doesn't work and an act will eventually evolve.
Then you can start tweaking it.

Take the three/four effects you are best at, most comfortable with and can do in your sleep.

Choose ones that involve the audience- this is critical.

Then get the heck out there and perform, because as Bobby's saying (not in so many words)the only way to learn what really works for busking and for you is to DO IT.

Bobby, you've goy it all wrong! Going online is the worst thing a full time busker can do. Who would work hard all day on their show only to give all their secrets away to a buncha weekend warrior hacks that will only thank them by crowding the pitch at prime time! Who does that appeal to? Naw, this place is for chest beating and arm chair quarter backing! That's why I'm their leader ;o)

I do believe a Bluebird of Happiness exploded from the dessicated wit just displayed by Al.

And I admire that.

I'm still not sure what Bobby is trying to say??

-JoeJoe

JoeJoe, I think he's remarking on the fact that people hand out advice readily (nothing wrong with that) even though they don't have much experience.

Something, presumably, he has much experience dealing with.