Here's a word of the day for you:
busking--performing in public places for tips.
After my
last post and seeing a tourist video taping Rubbish-Bin-Guitar-Man (see below) during another trip into the city center today, I decided it's time to describe a bit more of day-to-day Cambridge by describing a few of the more memorable acts on Cambridge's streets.
In addition to the acts I describe below, I've seen bands, jugglers, fiddlers, card tricks and acrobats on typical weekends and, at the end of term, the University's performing groups often take to the streets to advertise upcoming shows.
I've linked to short video clips on YouTube where I've found them. Be forewarned: the videos are terrible quality, but they do give a flavor of the acts!
- Rubbish-Bin-Guitar-Man - While the music isn't all that great, this street musician has a gimmick that brings in the crowds: he plays the guitar from inside of a rubbish bin! When I was looking for a video of him on YouTube, I found some discussions of how the bin is contributing to the acoustics of his playing.
- Sonic Manipulator - This street musician is a memorable sight. He dresses in a shiny silver costume (complete with a helmet with antennae) and sings songs about outer space accompanied by musical instruments he has built himself, like an instrument that has different radio stations on depending on the keys depressed. You can find videos of him describing his self-designed kit on YouTube.
(This video is better quality, but much longer! Part I--linked--has him setting up.)
- The Silver Mime - There are several mimes in Cambridge, but this one has a unique costume (formal wear covered with 1" balls, then painted silver) and--the few times I've seen him in person--a great rapport with the crowds. You can catch a 2-second glimpse of him starting at 0:13 in the promotional video for a busking festival to be held this July in Cambridge.
- Singing Dog and One Man Band - Yet another street musician with a twist, this busker sings old classics with his dog chiming in at key moments. He also looks distinctive; he's always set up like a beach bum with a huge sun umbrella, a big floppy hat and beach chairs!
