A Californian in Dublin: Travels of a Busker

12-May-2016 By Shannon Duvall

It takes a lot of nerve to walk out on the street with an instrument in hand and start playing and singing for everyone to hear. But what about hopping on a plane and walking out onto the streets of a totally foreign city to do the same? That takes more than nerve – that takes cojones. Californian busker Albert Khalbourji did just that when he flew to Ireland with only one thing in mind: to share his music. Along the way, he had more than his fair share of adventures, which he recounts for youbloom here in A Californian in Dublin: Travels of a Busker.

Busking in Dublin

DAY ONE

I arrived in Dublin from England on the 15th of March ready to busk my heart away! I had my guitar and harmonica and my handy dandy backpack. I was determined to start playing as soon as I got off the rather short flight but the weather was against me. It was extremely cold. In California, where I’m from, the weather had never affected my busking, so this was new. I headed off to Blessington, the place I would call home for the next two weeks!

I left the shop with my guitar and walked through the beautiful St. Stephen’s Green Park. I thought I had seen a lot of green in England but Ireland is engulfed with nature!

DAY TWO

The next time I went to Dublin was St. Patrick’s Day. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining brighter than I had seen in awhile! I figured I would go into town and play on Grafton Street. On the bus to Dublin I met this nice lady named Ciara who struck up a conversation about music with me. We were talking about all sorts of bands, most of whom I’ve never heard, but then we got onto the topic of why I was in Ireland. Why hadn’t I stayed in sunny California? The truth was, I was determined to share my music with the world and what better place to take my folky acoustic style to than Ireland!? I didn’t end up busking on St. Patrick’s Day, opting instead to hang out with some great Irish people and celebrate a great holiday!

No one turned their heads to listen, but that was something I was used to; not everyone has time to listen. The world is changing, people are continuously on the move.

DAY THREE

I was starting to get the hang of taking the bus into Dublin (might I add the buses have Wifi!?). Today was the day I would go into town and busk my heart away. I arrived in Dublin and went to a sandwich shop. I can’t recall the name, but they made fantastic sandwiches. I didn’t know what I wanted so I told them to surprise me! And they did! It was called a California Chicken – an amazing sandwich. I left the shop with my guitar and walked through the beautiful St. Stephen’s Green Park. I thought I had seen a lot of green in England but Ireland is engulfed with nature!

One thing I noticed while I was in Ireland is that the people are very caring and they appreciate good music!

Travels of a Busker — Albert with hero and legend Donovan!

I found myself on Grafton street and felt intimidated by the many passing people. I made my way to the pub from the night before and found a little flower stand set up outside. I built up some courage and started to play my guitar little ways away from the flowers. No one turned their heads to listen, but that was something I was used to; not everyone has time to listen. The world is changing, people are continuously on the move. And my acoustic guitar is just too quiet without its amp, meaning I can only play so loud before the sound gets jumbled. Sometimes I will sing but I usually play the harmonica instead. I think it can be agreed that it’s louder and more attractive than my voice!

On the night of the 20th, I missed my bus back to Blessington so I had to stay in Dublin with nothing but my guitar.

The flower lady came up to me and told me to move to a better spot, one she was pointing at, a spot where people would hear me better. One thing I noticed while I was in Ireland is that the people are very caring and they appreciate good music! I began to play and blow my heart into my harmonica and I made my first euro! It’s always exciting to make the first quid. After an hour or so, the weather became more frigid and my fingers froze! Busking in Ireland or England – or anywhere cold, really – takes a lot of willpower. It’s tough just to get up and go outside, nevermind stand in the cold and play. I do a little jig as I play, just to stay warm.

On the night of the 20th, I missed my bus back to Blessington so I had to stay in Dublin with nothing but my guitar.I roamed Grafton street busking from one pub to another because I ran out of money. But I noticed that I made more money when people were drunk, which perhaps is no surprise. People enjoyed my music and I enjoyed their company. As time went on, the colder it became. I wandered around looking for a place to sit because it had begun to rain. I found a shop that was out of the way of the weather and set myself up. I sat and waited til the sunrise came. Not long after the that I got up and started my day. Busking on Grafton street was really an experience I will never forget.

It was like I was lucky the whole time I was there.

FINAL THOUGHTS

One thing that helped me along my journey was carrying my guitar with me all the time. Not only did I get to play but people always seemed shocked that it’s not in a case. I’ve had people in a pub ask me to play a song, so I play something funny like Piano Man on guitar. The whole place starts singing. I’ve even gotten to play a few songs at a pub because the bartender struck up a conversation about my music. All in all, busking around Ireland was very fun and successful. I learned a lot about myself and I can’t wait to go back! It was like I was lucky the whole time I was there.

**Are your cojones the size of Albert’s? Could you busk your way around a city halfway around the world? Have you done it already? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

British Festival Hygiene: Top Tips

06-Apr-2016 By Mike James

Festivals are all about having fun and enjoying yourself but they aren’t always the most sanitary environments. With everything from rain, mud, hot sun and days without a proper shower, you need all the help you can get to keep up your personal hygiene.

When a double layer of deodorant no longer cuts it you’ll need some ideas for how to stay healthy and hygienic – here are some of our top tips.

Avoid jeans

It’s all about choosing the right clothes. It’s important to remember that even though festivals typically take place in the spring and summer months, in Britain, yeah, you can expect it to rain.

british festival hygiene — it never fails

You’re going to need to bring a waterproof jacket, but it’s also a good idea to choose clothes that are light and fast-drying. Jeans might look cool, but are neither of those things. There’s nothing as unpleasant as walking around in heavy, soaking jeans – it can lead to a really awful festival experience. In most cases, shorts are a much better idea as they’ll keep you cool when it gets hot but will dry off quickly when the inevitable downpour strikes.

Bring your wellies

Good footwear is vital for your festival wellbeing so make sure you bring a pair of wellies. Failing that, a pair of sturdy walking boots will be fine – just expect them to get quite muddy.

If you don’t have wellies or walking boots you will need to buy some, but make sure you break them in before the festival. If you don’t, you’re likely to end up with painful blisters which won’t be much fun when you’re on your feet all day.

On the same note it’s a very good idea to bring more changes of socks than you think you will need. Even with boots or wellies, it’s probable that your feet will get wet at some point and if it rains especially heavily you could find yourself in need of dry socks quite often.

Important products

There are some products and items that are absolutely essential to keep your health and hygiene at optimum level at a festival.

Probably the best multi-purpose tool in the festival goer’s arsenal is the wet wipe. Covering all manner of sins, wet wipes are even effective as a shower alternative. Along the same lines it is also a good idea to bring along dry shampoo. You will also benefit enormously from hand sanitiser – perfect for when you just need to clean your hands quickly before eating or drinking.

Finally, you absolutely need to bring toilet roll. There are good and bad festival toilets but you are always going to need to bring along your own toilet paper; do not make the mistake of assuming it will always be provided.

Watch out for the sun

Everyone wants there to be plenty of sunshine during their festival experience but if you are lucky enough to have fantastic weather you need to be prepared for it as well. It’s amazing how hot it can get and you need to make sure that you keep nicely hydrated (and not just by drinking beer). Drink plenty of water throughout the day along with any alcohol.

You also need to remember to apply plenty of sun cream. Pick one with a high factor and re-apply at least once a day. You’ll thank yourself when you see fellow festival goers sporting burned backs and legs.

Don’t Worry, Buddy Guy. The Blues Ain’t Dead.

06-Aug-2015 By Shannon Duvall

Buddy Guy is worried about the blues. The legendary blues guitarist and singer recently sat down with NPR Music and told of his fears that the genre – so deeply entrenched in not just the American, but the international music scene – would die out before too long. Spooked by a conversation with musical peer Muddy Waters, shortly before Waters’ death, Guy says he’s made it his personal mission to ensure blues remains important to future generations of musicians and listeners.

Dwindling live audiences and a shift to more electronic sounds in pop music have been cited by older blues musicians and fans alike as the “downfall” of the sound. But a little research turns up blues’ massive influence across the modern musical spectrum – from rock and folk, to soul and hip hop, and beyond. Simply put, the blues ain’t dead. Here are fifteen examples of artists keeping the train a-rollin’. Hit play on the playlist below and get the scoop while you listen.

The Soul Crossovers

Leon Bridges

http://www.leonbridges.com/

Bridges’ debut album Coming Home was released in June 2015. Hailing from Fort Worth, TX (and many would agree, it almost seems, another era entirely), his performances (in which he dons exclusively vintage clothing) have been likened to great soul and blues legends such as Sam Cooke. And if that’s not bluesy enough for you, here’s this: the first song he ever wrote, “Lisa Sawyer”, was about his mother’s baptism. In a river.

St. Paul & the Broken Bones

http://stpaulandthebrokenbones.com/

A seven-piece band out of Birmingham, AL, complete with a crazy tight brass section, St. Paul & the Broken Bones are often classified as Southern Soul. There’s no denying the blues element here, though, strongly heard in member Browan Lollar’s lo-fi guitar sounds and raw, humid vocals. The band are signed to Single Lock Records, a label based in the blues-rich Shoals region of Alabama. They gave the label their first Billboard 200 entry with “Half The City” in 2014.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

http://www.blackjoelewis.com/

Black Joe Lewis mixes the blues with old school soul.

Now performing as simply Black Joe Lewis, this band has been making bluesy waves out of Austin, TX (a city that has long been a hotbed for the blues) since 2007. Inspired by blues linchpin Howlin’ Wolf, with soul inspiration from Wilson Pickett and the funk sparks of James Brown, Black Joe Lewis’ guitar sound is vintage and moody, just as the best blues should be. Currently touring the US and Canada.

The Purists

Jack White

http://jackwhiteiii.com/

Perhaps obvious, but not to be overlooked, the popular and prolific White has been finding ways to sneak the blues into every musical project, from the White Stripes punk-blues, to the Raconteurs psychedelic version, to his country-blues collabs with superstar Loretta Lynn (which helped revive Lynn’s career). Some of the musician’s earliest influences – Son House and Blind Willie McTell – are clear throughout the body of his work, but come through strongest on his own, unfiltered solo albums.

Dan Auerbach

http://www.nonesuch.com/artists/dan-auerbach

Another famous band refugee, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys fame (a band also featured on this list) is a blues powerhouse in contemporary music. After the large-scale success of the Black Keys over several years, Auerbach built his own studio in Akron, OH, to focus on his own pure expression of blues-influenced sounds. His debut solo album, Keep It Hid, was released by Nonesuch Records in 2009.

Gary Clark, Jr

http://www.garyclarkjr.com/gcjsosbs

Another Austinite to make it onto the list, the 31-year-old guitar player, singer, writer, and arranger has been widely lauded as one of the great blues artists of the new generation. After learning to play at age 12, Clark became a regular feature at Antone’s, Austin’s chief blues club, and from there went on to gain serious momentum on the international scene. Eric Clapton himself hand selected the musician for the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2010. His latest album, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, is now available on preorder.

The Rockers

The Black Keys

http://www.theblackkeys.com/

With no introduction needed, The Black Keys are perhaps one of the most influential blues-rock outfits on the scene today. Originally happy to self-produce their records in basements and the like, the duo’s sound emerged raw, taking the radio by storm and ushering in a new wave of interest in the genre. Influenced cited include Junior Kimbrough, Howlin’ Wolf, and Robert Johnson.

The Heavy

http://theheavy.co.uk/

Their first album was released in 2007 after members bonded over Jim Jarmusch films, and much like their artistic preferences, this garage-blues band’s sound is eclectic and sample-loving, with homages to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and others on key tracks like “Sixteen”.

The Irish

Hozier

http://hozier.com/

It’s not only found in the USA, you know. American blues sounds share quite a few similarities with Irish trad music, and the genre has long been loved across the sea. The music of darling-come-lately Hozier is a forceful example of how the blues are shaping sounds abroad. His first band at age 15 included blues persuasions, natural, perhaps, for the son of a Bray blues musician. The viral “Take Me To Church” has received international acclaim, and at 25 years old, he’s gaining momentum fast.

Davy Knowles

http://davy-knowles.squarespace.com/about/

The hotly-tipped 28-year old musician from the Isle of Man has been teaching himself to play the blues from a young age. His original blues-rock band Back Door Slam was formed in 2003, with sounds shaped by prior generation luminaries like Rory Gallgher and Eric Clapton. In 2014, Davy was selected to serve as the Isle of Man’s official Cultural Ambassador for “…Island of Culture 2014, the biggest cultural celebration in the country’s history.” His sound tends toward the pure end of the blues spectrum, a true tip of the hat to a special musical breed.

(*Note: The Isle of Man is not actually part of the Republic of Ireland, but is located in the Irish Sea, midway between Ireland and England. It is a self-governing Crown dependency.)

The Unsigned

Castle Creek

Castle Creek – The Blues/Rock You’ve Been Waiting For!

One of our favorites, we recently had the pleasure of hosting Castle Creek at this year’s youbloomDublin 2015 Music Festival & Conference. We also had the chance to talk with them a little about their musical background, which featured in youbloom: HEADROOM #4. These ambitious New Yorkers incorporate the blues into their unique sound with panache.

The Contemporary Barnshakers

J Roddy Walston & The Business

http://jroddywalstonandthebusiness.com/

Uh...sir? You're on in five? — Uh…sir? You’re on in five. Sir?

Originally from Tennessee, with live shows which “make James Brown look lazy” (Baltimore City Paper), these guys take the blues to the its most rowdy, scrappy, and danceable. Quite the sensation, they can currently be found touring all over the eastern United States.

Cage The Elephant

http://www.cagetheelephant.com/

A band from Kentucky whose first success was in England (hey, the Brits have a real fondness for the blues; just look at the Rolling Stones!), these four young guys toured for nearly five years off the back of their self-titled debut, released to critical acclaim.

The Bleeding Hearts

Goodnight, Texas

http://www.hiwearegoodnighttexashowareyou.com/about-us

Self-described as “American in every sense of the word”, Goodnight, Texas write songs reminiscent of a time when the blues were vital and necessary, and the back of a boxcar was the perfect place to sing them. Named after the geographic midpoint between members hometowns in San Francisco and North Carolina, they feature chugging, steady rhythms and plaintive, nostalgic lyrics which call to the dark, sentimentalism of your escapist daydreams.

Delta Spirit

http://deltaspirit.net/

A feature on the American music scene since 2005, Delta Spirit have a lot of work under their belt. History From Below, the follow-up to their warmly reviewed debut EP, featured collabs with blues lover Bo Koster of My Morning Jacket, as well as bass player & producer Elijah Thomson. Their latest release was 2014’s Into The Wide, and they are currently on tour in the northeastern United States.

What do you think? Know a modern blues band people should be grooving to? Let us know in the comments below.

The Top 5 Ways to Build a Better DIY Music Scene According to “Salad Days”

26-Jul-2015 By Shannon Duvall

It’s not so much the unpaid gigs. That you can handle – for now, at least.

It’s more the lack of sustained recognition; the very real blood, sweat and tears channeled into creating and sharing your music, only to receive enthusiastic responses in fits and starts. Those silent pockets of time between gigs make you want to put your mic stand through the computer screen.

The struggle is real. Photo of The Faith by Jim Saah.

You know your music is good, your audience knows it’s good, but how on earth do you get – and keep – the kind of momentum you need to make this what you do for a living?

It’s no secret that a lot of people in your local music scene are distracted. Last year’s music report by information measurement bastion Nielsen showed that, despite access to unlimited sources of new music online, the radio is still the source of the majority of new music discovered by Americans.

It’s as if fans still want the industry to do the legwork for them, telling them who’s worth listening to and going to see live. And research shows little likelihood of this trend slowing.

It’s a result of what has been dubbed “the tyranny of choice”. Simply put, with so many options out there, it’s easier and less risky for listeners to follow and spend money on artists who they perceive to have already proven their popularity. And all a record label has to do to make you perceive an artist in this way is to spend millions of dollars on PR and marketing campaigns, along with relentless radio play – money and resources up-and-coming musicians simply don’t have.

The truth hurts. Minor Threat. Photo by Jim Saah.

Still, music scenes survive – even thrive – on their own, far from the bank accounts of corporate music institutions. Often, it’s these scenes, organically grown and self-sustaining, that catch the attention of label scouts, leading to the discovery of a wealth of musical talent. Think CBGB-era New York, or the grunge scene of 1990’s Seattle, which exploded into a pop culture force majeure.

Salad Days, A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC, is a documentary chronicling one of the most influential DIY music scenes in American history.

It’s a rousing, thorough journey through the hearts and minds of musicians in 1980’s Washington, DC, who, without support from major – or sometimes even minor – labels, set out to take control of their own exposure, making and distributing their own records, creating their own record labels, putting on their own gigs in any spaces they could, and self-promoting by way of independently made ‘zines, posters, and mail order setups.

Without directly preaching, the film has a lot to say about how you can (and really should!) build, strengthen, and work to sustain the music scene in your own town.

Embrace everyone. The next generation of music heroes are going to be inspired by what’s going on right now, so you want them in your audience.

Consider the power of all-ages shows.

These can be held in outdoor spaces or school gyms, auditoriums, or rec centers. If you’re playing at a bar or in an establishment which serves alcohol, talk with the owner or booking manager beforehand to find out what they’re willing to allow. Often, the solution to letting underage fans into bars and clubs is as simple as marking their hands with visible X’s, so that bar staff know not to serve them alcohol.

Play music because you want to. After this, your reasons for strumming that guitar or writing those lyrics are your own. There are no rules, and no forms to fill out. Every reason for playing is a valid one, even if all you want to do it is to try it out for the laugh. If you have a message, by all means, share it. If you don’t, don’t feel pressure to come up with one for the sake of it. Don’t let anyone stop you or make you feel like you should explain yourself. Just show up and play.

I don't know what it is but I like it. Photo by Jim Saah. — I don’t know what it is but I like it. Photo by Jim Saah.

Play music for each other (and support others who do) because it’s inherently human. Western culture has somehow managed to appropriate music as the specialty profession of a select few, which, in other parts of the world, is crazy, because in most other societies, making music is something everyone does. Don’t fall for the hype. You’ve got a right to play. Encouraging others to do the same leads to a super creative DIY music scene you’ll be proud to call your own.

Hook each other up. Maintaining a strong, convicted community is the only way this works. Whatever your skill or skill level, get involved.

Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson of Minor Threat, hard at work in the front porch/Dischord Records office.

Offer up any resources you might have. Got a car? Offer to drive bands to and from gigs. An empty space can be a spot for bands to play shows or hold practices. Have access to a printer or photocopier? Help make posters, album covers, and ‘zines.

Share your talents and skills. Everyone has something they can contribute. Write reviews. Take photos and let the zine guy use them. Draw some sweet cover art or cut and paste a rad collage for a poster. If you’re good at talking to people, offer to answer phones for small labels. Give bands crazy haircuts. The options are literally endless.

And, hey, while you’re at it, promote equality. Everyone should have a shot and a say.

Get off your butt. At the end of the day, none of the talent and support matters without a motivated, no-nonsense approach to getting things done.

A strong DIY music community is one where bands and fans come together, show up to each others’ gigs and events, and stay active. That means not waiting around for something to happen. No one will release your record? Do it yourself. Remember that just by doing stuff, you’re contributing to the history and substance of the DIY scene in your time and place, as well as the formation of new, exciting music to come.
And don’t wait for tomorrow. Mark Andersen (founder of Positive Force, an activist group that was instrumental in organizing music and social events within the DC scene) agrees. “(The time) is always now,” he insists. “So go. Make it real. NOW.”

Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat has a moment. Photo by Jim Saah. — Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat soaks in the moment. Photo by Jim Saah.

Save the right to perform: #saveirishbusking

15-Feb-2015 By Ciara Sheahan

Dublin is famous for it’s busking tradition. Tourists love it, locals appreciate it .

Busking provides a free platform for bands and artists carving their craft of performance.

The list of famous buskers on Grafton Street includes names like Bono, Kodaline, Passenger, Sinead O’ Connor, Paddy Casey, Damien Rice, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Riptide Movement, Keywest and Mundy. Aside from just singers, Dublin city streets and open spaces are populated by dancers, jugglers, acrobats, poets and comedians. From St. Stephen’s Green through Temple Bar to Henry Street, numerous artists and groups perform daily enhancing the artistic ambience of the city.

However, there is a dark cloud looming over the expression of art within the city. The dark cloud consists of protest from residents of Temple Bar who don’t want anyone playing after 11pm, (even at the weekends) anywhere near their homes. Apparently business owners have complained about buskers being too loud outside their shops, which to be fair might be the case if it’s one guy with a crappy accordion squeezing out the same dirges all day. And several councillors who seem to think that busking is still back in the 60’s with one guitar, one voice and a golden plec.

As streetscapes become more populated, busier and noisier so the humble busker has had to compete by using amplifiers. Amps however are the devils hearing aid, according to the mysterious minority protesters. The anti-amp brigade wanted a complete ban on amps throughout the city. Especially residents of Temple Bar who don’t want them within three metres of their homes. It’s ok by the way for the sirens, traffic, disco bars and general city centre noise, but not for two guys singing Wonderwall at 1am on a Saturday night.

Keywest are a Dublin based band who have built a massive fan base, due to years of successful busking on Dublin’s streets. They have mounted their own campaign to draw attention to the ridiculous nature of the new by-laws. Here’s the letter they submitted to Dublin City Council.

Dear Councillors,
My name is Andy Kavanagh & I’m a member of Keywest. Lets talk about Street Performing. It is no longer just busking. No longer just a Banjo and a rebel song. It’s a varied and vibrant artistic community.

Before I start I want to be clear as I think we’ve begun on the wrong foot. I believe in control on street performance. On more than one occasion I’ve met with assistant city manager Brendan Kenny and the Lord mayor Christy Burke and discussed my position. I even had a part to play in bringing these regulations to the table. Now it’s time to make them reasonable and workable.

Seems rational right? Well according to Councillor Mannix Flynn, “the amplifier in street performance and busking is like a virus. It kills creativity and wards off other artistic individuals.”

WOW It’s this attitude in people that had Galileo in fear of his life.

If I’m interpreting this correctly, banging an acoustic guitar loudly and wailing Oasis songs out at the top of ones voice is real talent and therefore preferable to an acoustic guitar plucked expertly in the stylings of the incredibly talented and now world famous Dublin buskers Rodrigo y Gabriela! Surely not.

A old banjo player wailing rebel songs is more desirable to the public majority over the soft sweet voices and plucked guitars of buskers turned superstars Ed Sheeran and Passenger.You’d have bagpipe over a Violin that is beautifully enhanced by backing music. No longer can the people of Dublin or the Tourists that visit us enjoy a magician that performs a captivating show, a circus act that delights with its mastery of acrobatics or a Dance act demonstrating perfect synchronicity and skill.

And the expert Street Performers that travel the world every year can no longer consider Ireland a place to show off their skills.
All of the above mentioned acts require amps. Amps allow talented people to reach out to audiences. You may have a problem with Keywest but what did all of those talented people do. You have insinuated we don’t respect business’s. That’s simply not true.
We leave business cards in every store so they can text if they feel our volume control or crowd control is not up to scratch. We pop in after the first set to check if everything is ok.
We have never ignored a request to lower the volume or move on. Never!
We ask our crowds to stand at the halfway point on the street and we finish sets after 4 songs to disperse the crowd. We do 4- 5 sets lasting two hours in total. We don’t repeat songs even once in a day and we don’t play in the same place more than twice a week or ever at night. What more do you want ? We have written statements from managers in over 30 stores on Grafton Street supporting Keywest in particular.
No Mannix the real enemy here is a lack of talent and lack of respect, not amplifiers.
You’ve referenced going back to the days of Bono and Glen Hansard busking without amps. That is a day gone by I’m afraid just like Morse code and telegrams. The reality is very different. With no amps you will have a swarm of oasis songs, accordions, brass instruments, bongos and bagpipes.
There was a time people travelled in horse and carts until the birth of the car and upon it’s groundbreaking arrival it presented a whole new set of problems but in the interest of human progress we adapt and create new systems to integrate the newer more modern ideas. We don’t just abandon what we don’t yet understand and go backwards.
You may not like Keywest but many Irish people do.

We are now 52,000 people strong on Facebook because of busking. Ireland’s new arrivals on Aer Lingus and Arab Emirates flights are pointed in our direction through a landing tourist information video. Youtube views of Keywest performing on Grafton street amount to over 10 million views. Most importantly the voting Dublin public decided we were “Dublins Best Street Performers 2014” with 60% of the vote.
Like many buskers we’ve done our fair share to promote Irish tourism.

I’ve performed all over the world. The rules vary but by and large they are aiming at the same thing. Dublin is Ireland’s capital city and I believe we should be trying to come in line and break new ground on the international standard. I’m addressing you as a very proud Dubliner. I live on Ormond Quay opposite Temple Bar and I enjoy all the city has to offer. I am not at all hesitant when I say, to me, Dublin is the perfect blend of everything and one of the greatest cities in the world to call home.

I am organising this campaign to bring light onto a topic that has been shrouded in darkness when it comes to the Irish public. Keywest are no longer a regular sight on Dublin streets but as busking has now given me a voice I intend to use it to save the free spirit that makes Dublin so great. This campaign is not in the interest of self preservation it is on principle.
I believe in respecting everyone. I believe we can implement controls that improve the quality of buskers and the quality of life for business and residents. I believe in compromise. A ban on amps is not a compromise. A decibel level of 80 decibels is exceeded by just talking on Grafton St so I don’t believe that is fair either.

I’d rather not expend my efforts in a campaign against councillors but on a campaign with councillors that enhances living in or visiting this fair city.

Andy Kavanagh,
Proud Dubliner and Street Performer

In spite of Andy’s spirited and impressive campaign against the impending bye laws, earlier this week Dublin City Council voted to ban all busking after 11pm. A complete ban on busking outside the GPO and in O’Connell Street (wonder if that counts for choirs raising money for charities at Christmas?), no busking on Temple Bar Square, a limit of 80 decibels (street noise level) and a lower level of 75 decibels in Temple Bar. Buskers have to pay for a permit of €30 to busk or €90 extra if you have an amp. The Keywest campaigners haven’t given up yet. They’re determined to #SaveIrishBusking:

Glen Hansard, legendary Dublin busker and Oscar winner said: “As a busker, one thing that does not work is self-consciousness. A busker needs to be working. A busker needs to shed all ego and get down to work. Play your songs, play them well, earn your money, and don’t get in people’s way.”

Surely we as a community cannot let the interests of a few over sensitive ears in a prime city centre location undermine the very fabric of our artistic society. Watch, post, retweet and contribute to #saveirishbusking.

A Californian in Dublin: Travels of a Busker

I left the shop with my guitar and walked through the beautiful St. Stephen’s Green Park. I thought I had seen a lot of green in England but Ireland is engulfed with nature!

No one turned their heads to listen, but that was something I was used to; not everyone has time to listen. The world is changing, people are continuously on the move.

One thing I noticed while I was in Ireland is that the people are very caring and they appreciate good music!

On the night of the 20th, I missed my bus back to Blessington so I had to stay in Dublin with nothing but my guitar.

It was like I was lucky the whole time I was there.

British Festival Hygiene: Top Tips

Don’t Worry, Buddy Guy. The Blues Ain’t Dead.

The Top 5 Ways to Build a Better DIY Music Scene According to “Salad Days”

Save the right to perform: #saveirishbusking

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