We are bardic group playing in historical costumes mainly Irish Traditional and Middle Ages music. Travelling all around the world we try to earn our bread (and the costs of petrol ) by playing our music. Next week we are going to travel to Normandy and Bretagne in France. We would like to ask you if you have any experience, good advice or recommendation for us. Is it allowed to busk in France? Do you know about places where you have to pay for some permit? Or is it even forbidden in some cities?
Thank you very much for your help! We would also like to hear about your busking experience from our country - the Czech Republic. Have you ever played here? Did you find easy to earn some money? And especially... Did you enjoy your time here?
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
Sorry Elwen, I have no experience of the Czech Republic but I also play a little "Middle Ages Music" in historic costume with my wife, as well as Irish Trad., so I am curious to know more about your group & your music, costumes etc.
Do you have a website?
I have been to 'Bretagne in France' & played music there in the street, but any Busking we did was actually organised by the local council & they paid us.
The first time I spent six weeks there but that was 25 years ago & I'm sure much has changed, anyway I was full of wine most of the time & now, sadly, remember very little, except that it is a truly wonderful place & I'm sure you'll all have a great time there.
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I was in France part of last week. I saw a couple people busking while I was in Colmar in the Alsace region. What I saw looked very organized, but I did not see an open display of permits. You can go head and do it and see what happens, or you can ask the authorities from the towns/cities you will be in.
The place that I looked the best for busking that I was in was Salzburg, Austria I saw many buskers all of which were quite good.
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I was busking in the centre of Prague a few years ago with a couple of friends, and it was going fine until two policemen came along and closed us down. They kept repeating what sounded like the words: 'No plinky plinky!' I've always been curious as to whether this actually meant something in Czech or whether it was an indication of their general dislike of string instruments...
And on further reflection, I also remember us setting up right in front of the ready made crowd that gathers on the hour every hour outside the famous clock in the centre there. We'd do a quick fifteen minute set and then a friend would bottle the crowd before they dispersed. How's that for cheek?
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I can strongly second breizhouki - I spent a few weeks in north western France, and the busking was great. I had the best luck in Quimper (Bretagne). There's a large tourist population that comes out from Paris to view la vrai provence, and in the area pietons (the pedestrian market), I made 25 - 30 euro an hour - more'n enough for room and board anywhere in France but Paris. I didn't have a permit, and was never bothered.
Catch sessions in Bretagne, too - there are some great ones!
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
yeah, the place is totally different in the summer with all the tourists, it's mad.
Is there a "moral" age limit to busking in your opinion?
Oh and coming to brittany and not going to at least 1 fest noz is being bold! ;)
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I've had mixed experiences busking in France. In general, I have found no problem busking in the smaller towns, although, the public reaction, if any, was not always particularly good. In some towns and cities, police authorisation is required to play in the town-centre (usually the only places wirth busking), which takes about a week to process - no use to a travelling musician who is trying to live off busking. The most lucrative busking I did was at weekly markets - but there were a few where I was not allowed to play. Sometimes you are as well just to chance it, as the traders often welcome a bit of music, regardless of whether it is officially allowed. No matter what the rules are, you are always at the mercy of human nature. Very often, there are one or two policemen who will always hassle buskers, while the rest will turn a blind eye.
I can only speak from the experience of a lone instrumentalist in plain clothes - things may be different (either better or worse) for a group in costume. But, in general, as long as you're always calm and courteous, nobody can do anything worse than tell you to go away.
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
Late in '79 I set out to busk my way from Munich back to the UK via Brittany. In the German and German-Swiss towns I very soon found that busking was very tightly regulated if allowed at all; plainclothes police-
men would pop up in front of one with disconcerting frequency, to show their authorisation and stop the act. (One in Basle looked just like a hippy - we BOTH laughed at my surprise when he got out his card, but there was no arguing!) In the Francosphere things were very definitely more laid back. In Geneva I played some days in the rail station before being turfed out by an irate official who at least wore a uniform (there, I also saw a guy hauling a big trout out of the Rhone on a handline off the town's main bridge: he wouldn't have got by with this in Munich...)
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
...Continued from above: I got to Rennes and spent some days busking there without let or hindrance. I met some nice people and musos, as I'd also done in Germany and Switzerland. But I was consumed with curiosity to move on from the lordly town centre of Rennes and venture into deepest Brittany, a mythic place of which I knew absolutely nothing - although, it being November, I strongly suspected it would be in hibernation like anywhere else. I went on to St. Malo and thought, "If things pan out here, I'll go on down the coast". They didn't. In pouring rain in a deserted town, I found a shop with an awning out, and got under it to play. The two shopgirls pretty promptly wound up the awning. I took the hint, said bye bye Brittany, and took the boat to Portsmouth.
Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
We are bardic group playing in historical costumes mainly Irish Traditional and Middle Ages music. Travelling all around the world we try to earn our bread (and the costs of petrol
) by playing our music. Next week we are going to travel to Normandy and Bretagne in France. We would like to ask you if you have any experience, good advice or recommendation for us. Is it allowed to busk in France? Do you know about places where you have to pay for some permit? Or is it even forbidden in some cities?
Thank you very much for your help! We would also like to hear about your busking experience from our country - the Czech Republic. Have you ever played here? Did you find easy to earn some money? And especially... Did you enjoy your time here?
# Posted on July 23rd 2006 by Elwen
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
Sorry Elwen, I have no experience of the Czech Republic but I also play a little "Middle Ages Music" in historic costume with my wife, as well as Irish Trad., so I am curious to know more about your group & your music, costumes etc.
Do you have a website?
I have been to 'Bretagne in France' & played music there in the street, but any Busking we did was actually organised by the local council & they paid us.
The first time I spent six weeks there but that was 25 years ago & I'm sure much has changed, anyway I was full of wine most of the time & now, sadly, remember very little, except that it is a truly wonderful place & I'm sure you'll all have a great time there.
# Posted on July 23rd 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I was in France part of last week. I saw a couple people busking while I was in Colmar in the Alsace region. What I saw looked very organized, but I did not see an open display of permits. You can go head and do it and see what happens, or you can ask the authorities from the towns/cities you will be in.
The place that I looked the best for busking that I was in was Salzburg, Austria I saw many buskers all of which were quite good.
I have never been to the Czech Republic.
# Posted on July 23rd 2006 by Why Bother?
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I was busking in the centre of Prague a few years ago with a couple of friends, and it was going fine until two policemen came along and closed us down. They kept repeating what sounded like the words: 'No plinky plinky!' I've always been curious as to whether this actually meant something in Czech or whether it was an indication of their general dislike of string instruments...
And on further reflection, I also remember us setting up right in front of the ready made crowd that gathers on the hour every hour outside the famous clock in the centre there. We'd do a quick fifteen minute set and then a friend would bottle the crowd before they dispersed. How's that for cheek?
# Posted on July 23rd 2006 by Doodle
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
Busking is ok in brittany, my little sister manages to get 25-30€ in a few hours in a touristic place over here. Get a few breton tunes aswell!!
# Posted on July 23rd 2006 by breizhouki
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I can strongly second breizhouki - I spent a few weeks in north western France, and the busking was great. I had the best luck in Quimper (Bretagne). There's a large tourist population that comes out from Paris to view la vrai provence, and in the area pietons (the pedestrian market), I made 25 - 30 euro an hour - more'n enough for room and board anywhere in France but Paris. I didn't have a permit, and was never bothered.
Catch sessions in Bretagne, too - there are some great ones!
# Posted on July 24th 2006 by skellington
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
yeah, the place is totally different in the summer with all the tourists, it's mad.
Is there a "moral" age limit to busking in your opinion?
Oh and coming to brittany and not going to at least 1 fest noz is being bold! ;)
# Posted on July 24th 2006 by breizhouki
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
I've had mixed experiences busking in France. In general, I have found no problem busking in the smaller towns, although, the public reaction, if any, was not always particularly good. In some towns and cities, police authorisation is required to play in the town-centre (usually the only places wirth busking), which takes about a week to process - no use to a travelling musician who is trying to live off busking. The most lucrative busking I did was at weekly markets - but there were a few where I was not allowed to play. Sometimes you are as well just to chance it, as the traders often welcome a bit of music, regardless of whether it is officially allowed. No matter what the rules are, you are always at the mercy of human nature. Very often, there are one or two policemen who will always hassle buskers, while the rest will turn a blind eye.
I can only speak from the experience of a lone instrumentalist in plain clothes - things may be different (either better or worse) for a group in costume. But, in general, as long as you're always calm and courteous, nobody can do anything worse than tell you to go away.
# Posted on July 26th 2006 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
Late in '79 I set out to busk my way from Munich back to the UK via Brittany. In the German and German-Swiss towns I very soon found that busking was very tightly regulated if allowed at all; plainclothes police-
men would pop up in front of one with disconcerting frequency, to show their authorisation and stop the act. (One in Basle looked just like a hippy - we BOTH laughed at my surprise when he got out his card, but there was no arguing!) In the Francosphere things were very definitely more laid back. In Geneva I played some days in the rail station before being turfed out by an irate official who at least wore a uniform (there, I also saw a guy hauling a big trout out of the Rhone on a handline off the town's main bridge: he wouldn't have got by with this in Munich...)
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by nicholas
Re: Busking in France - Busking in the Czech Republic
...Continued from above: I got to Rennes and spent some days busking there without let or hindrance. I met some nice people and musos, as I'd also done in Germany and Switzerland. But I was consumed with curiosity to move on from the lordly town centre of Rennes and venture into deepest Brittany, a mythic place of which I knew absolutely nothing - although, it being November, I strongly suspected it would be in hibernation like anywhere else. I went on to St. Malo and thought, "If things pan out here, I'll go on down the coast". They didn't. In pouring rain in a deserted town, I found a shop with an awning out, and got under it to play. The two shopgirls pretty promptly wound up the awning. I took the hint, said bye bye Brittany, and took the boat to Portsmouth.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by nicholas