I wonder if Claudio can play ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ using his animal block and bicycle horn. The video is of this Italian musical mastermind performing on the streets of Lisbon.
Whiskey before breakfast
•April 4, 2011 • 1 Comment
Written By Sumy Sadurni
So you might or might not remember my post on Irish music by the canal. The reason why I have not posted anything in these past three days is because I have tried to track down again the mandolin player who impressed me so much last time.
Finally, on Saturday, the sun came out. This is a sign- there will definitely be people in the canal. As I make my way through the crowded space, past teenies, families and punks, I hear the mandolin. I found him again!
I approached him and sat next to him and his audience, listening to him play and sing the beloved drinking Irish songs- to me this is the moment I realise, summer is coming!
When he stopped playing and the conversations started flowing, I was surprised to hear that I had been totally wrong about him….
His name is Whiskey Mick- he plays the mandolin and is not in fact from Ireland, but England. He plays concerts and gigs with his band: THE POPES! And to suprise me even further: The Popes was actually started by hero and legend SHANE MCGOWAN!
Now if you don’t know who Shane McGowan is, I suggest you take a break from this website and go research him now. “He still does some gigs with us now and then”, Whiskey Mick explains.
The Popes: Whiskey Mick is the one with the hat
He joined in 2006 and the album “Outlaw Heaven” came out in 2009.
Whiskey Mick had a gig in Illford to go to, so he stayed for half an hour more talking about the music he plays: “They don’t make them [the songs] like they used to”, and giving us more music to enjoy.
Whiskey Mick also plays in “Whiskey Before Breakfast”, specializing in traditional Irish songs.
Whiskey for Breakfast poster
Technology Changes The Dynamics Of Music Journalism – Morning with Ben Gilbert
•April 4, 2011 • 8 Comments
Written by Veatriki Stephanou & Sneha Antony
Ben Gilbert, music journalist for Yahoo! Music UK, said in a talk to journalism students at the University of Westminster Monday morning, that online journalism is the most exciting platform available for music journalists today.
He went on to say that the Internet has dramatically changed the dynamics of the music industry from the perspective of music consumption, production, promotion and journalism. In comparison to previous decades, now with the introduction of the Internet and social networking media, anyone is able to write, produce and circulate music and music information practically free of charge to a worldwide audience.
In addition, the relationship between the artists and the audience have become more interactive. Now we can get an in-depth experience of the life of our favourite stars from what they wear to what they eat thanks to celebrities updating their status on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.
Ben Gilbert is optimistic about the changes the Internet has made on the trend of music journalism. Gilbert talked about Henry Jenkin’s ‘Convergence Culture’ theory, which is the collision of old and new media, stating that the impact of convergence on music press requires that traditional forms of media have to adapt to compete with online magazines and blogs in order to survive.
In the midst of all the uncertainty and change, the one constant remains that while music journalism has never been more competitive, the benefits still exist. New possibilities are endless for aspiring journalists. There are limitless platforms available through blogging and social media that allow students to expand their creativity in reporting and has widened their readership untamed by corporate conventions and advertising revenue.
On the other hand, information overload has resulted in what Ben Gilbert described as the loss of the “mystique of the musician”. Knowing every small aspect of a musicians life, getting to see inside their homes and day to day routines, “devalues the magic of the musician” he said.
Another issue facing producers and musicians is the problem of piracy and illegal downloads which has been killing the revenue stream in the industry.
Creativity, imagination or “mystique” might be lost with the advent of the Internet and technology but Gilbert says “the force of progress is unstoppable and exciting.”
He maintains that whether the current trend is a good thing or a bad thing for musicians, music producers and music journalists ultimately boils down to the opinions of the consumer generation of the time.
Ben Gilbert, who set his heart on journalism at the young age of 10, has been working in the industry for the past 15 years. His experiences with journalism include covering regional and national news. He has reported online for nearly 11 years and has interviewed a spectrum of musicians from Marilyn Manson to Beyonce.
It was a morning without music, but Ben Gilbert really struck a chord with journalism students at the University of Westminster.
Q&A with music journalist Ben Gilbert
•April 4, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By Anastasia Norman and Sumy Sadurni
Ben Gilbert at University of Westminster
We got the opportunity to chat with Ben Gilbert, a music journalist who’s worked for newspapers, magazines and online, recently mostly for Yahoo!’s music blogs. We wanted to ask him how street performers fit into the music industry, however, interviewing a journalist is harder than we thought! He flipped the interview around and started firing questions at us…
Dropofthehat: Hi, we’re writing a blog in the style of regular music magazines with all the norms such as profiles, reviews etc… but we’re only using buskers as our content.
Ben Gilbert: (Laughs) So do you go around finding them? Where are the best spots to find them?
D: Well, mostly in Oxford Circus underground station and Southbank. Sometimes it’s hard to get interviews with the ones on the underground as they only have a certain amount of time to make money because of their license.
B: Oh, I didn’t know that. I really do admire TFL’s efforts to give the opportunity for buskers to perform instead of just getting moved along.
D: What is the relevance of live performances to the modern music industry?
B: I definitely think live performance is crucial to the future of musicians, especially when it comes to money. Record companies don’t have enough money nowadays to give away record deals. People aren’t buying records as much.
D: Some of the buskers we have met up with have made up to £80 an hour. Would it be worth their while to get a record deal?
B: Oh wow, are they really making that much money? I’m in the wrong industry! (Laughs)
Well, there are very few examples where a busker has crossed over. Anyone who is prepared to play music sitting on the street is obviously dedicated. If they have talent they may make it up the food chain, but at the moment busking is at the bottom. However, there’s no reason why talented musicians shouldn’t have the opportunity to get picked up.
Are the buskers performing their own music or covers? Which ones make more money?
D: There’s really a mixed bag and the ones who perform the best will make the most money, no matter what song they’re playing. Personally, I think the ones who do their own thing are more interesting than the ones playing Oasis covers…
B: I think it was Q magazine that did an article a few years ago where they sent different artists around to play about 10 different cover songs to see which one made the most money. I think it was an Oasis song that made the most.
D: Do you know of any buskers that got a lot of media attention?
B: Do you remember the Stone Roses? Guitarist John Squire left to form the Seahorses. They didn’t last long but the singer in the band was originally a busker and the press never got over that.
D: What could put buskers in a positive light?
B: If the Libertines were out busking it would be cool, but there’s a stigma surrounding busking. There needs to some rock’n'roll credibility. The Libertines were renowned for putting on “guerrilla gigs” in Hyde Park and in homes, so that is slightly different than playing in the London Underground.
D: Nowadays, does it take YouTube to make a star?
B: Yes, it’s a good vehicle.
D: Would you ever review a busker?
B: No, because you’re doing that for us.
Famous but on the Streets
•April 4, 2011 • 1 Comment
Written By Anastasia Norman
The Clash busked in the middle of Edinburgh prior to a gig in the early eighties. They also played on the streets in Portsmouth as part of the Cut the Crap tour, post-Jones. The tour was entirely busking in public spaces around the UK. They played acoustic versions of their hits and popular cover tunes.
Sting and Bob Geldof busked at Tottenham Court Road station for Q magazine. Bet they made a few bob!
‘Seasick Steve’ Plays For The Homeless
•April 3, 2011 • 4 Comments
Written By Sneha Antony
Famous American blues musician and former busker, Steven Gene Wold a.k.a Seasick Steve, will be headlining at this year’s Streets of London Concerts for Homelessness at Camden Electric Ballroom on May 26th, 2011.
Steven Wold who made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland’s TV Show: ’Annual Hootenanny‘ in 2006, has worked with musicians such as Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Modest Mouse.
This concert will be a great opportunity for fans to get a sneak peek listen to songs off of his new album “You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks” scheduled for release on May 30th.
Steven Wold is in full support of the Streets of London Concerts for Homeless initiative because he has had first-hand experience with the difficulties of roughing it on the streets.
In a BBC Four documentary titled ‘Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home’, Wold said “Hobos are people who move around looking for work, tramps are people who move around but don’t look for work, and bums are people who don’t move and don’t work. I’ve been all three”
In his youth, Steven Wold hopped freight trains and spent nights on the streets, both in America and in Europe, as he struggled financially. And at one point, whilst he was living in Paris, Steven Wold made his living busking (mostly on the metro).
Streets of London is an initiative that raises awareness about homelessness and raises funds for front-line services with great live music. The show in May will be the second concert held by Streets of London. All proceeds from the night will go to The Connection at St Martin’s, a day centre near Trafalgar Square that provides specialist support to more than 200 homeless people each day.
Tickets are £26 and are now available on Live Nation and Streets of London Concerts for Homelessness have a Facebook page as well.
Go on & Help Steven Wold support a great cause for the homeless in our city!
Share your Busker Finds on Audioboo.fm
•April 3, 2011 • Leave a Comment
Written By Anastasia Norman
“Because sound is social,” is the tag line for the new talk of the net: Audioboo.
Audioboo is a mobile and web platform that allows people to record and publish sound clips for anyone to hear. The audio clips, or “boos,” can be up to five minutes long and be shared online as mini podcasts. The site allows users to share, comment, and send messages to and follow other users.
Audioboo is aiming to be the sound version of YouTube, but there are fears that the majority of sound clips are going to be banal Twitter type updates. There have been many disturbing boos on the toilet.
Audioboo is being supported by celebrities and the media’s use of it to report the G20 and cuts protests. Chris Moyles made the platform mainstream when he started sharing boos on Radio 1.
Audioboo has finally taken sound out of the hands of the specialists and made a portal for user generated audio clips.
I have found many clips of buskers performing all over the world. Audioboo has allowed social networking for street performers everywhere.
The app is only available for iPhone, so rest assured as soon as I get my upgrade, I will be posting great clips of busking gems on the dropofthehat Audioboo profile.
