firbeck 859 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I was in town yesterday and witnessed the rare sight of a street musician, quite frankly something we don't see very often down here. He looked to be of Mediterranean origin and played a piano accordion, really brilliantly actually, I don't know how he managed it in the cold and wet of yesterday, I found it quite uplifting on a crappy day, I hope the police were sympathetic. It made me think about some of the buskers around Nottingham, some bad, some good, but I can't recall any of them particularly well, it was something you got used to. From memory, the popular spots were under the subways below Maid Marion Way, either on route to Mount Street bus station in the evening or Friar Lane subway during the day, any where else and they tended to get moved on very quickly. I tend to remember a load of spotty youths in the 70's all trying to play 'Stairway to Heaven' on guitars that couldn't cope, but having caps full of cash, I'm thinking of going for it myself one day. Were there any particular Nottingham busking characters that any of you remember, I suspect that I need my memory jogging here. Cambridge is the best place to see buskers, you get students presenting really amazing string quartets and jazz bands, they are well appreciated and the police turn a blind eye, but then they tend to donate most of the takings to charities. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rob237 89 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Recall, from 15-20 years ago, a sizeable South American (Peruvian/Chilean?) Pan Pipe band which used to busk regularly outside of Marks & Spencer, and attract huge appreciative audiences to their haunting music. Complete in genuine - poncho style - costumes...always assumed the ensemble were composed of Latin-American students from Nottingham University, or somewhere similar... Cheers Robt P. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I'm not 100% sure Rob but I think they were actually Peruvian and travelled to various parts of the country , doing a show here on day then , say, D*rby the next before moving on to Stoke etc becoming quite famous in the process They were parodied in "The Fast Show" by Paul Whitehouse et al. Others to follow (Got to go out , I'm being dragged by the scruff of the neck as we speak !!)) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Another excellent busking musician is Sam Lindo who I am sure will be familiar to some who visit the city centre. Always worth a stop and listen to if you enjoy a bit of blues. The BBC ran a little feature on him: Sam Lindo, the busking blues man http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/features/2003/09/notts_faces_sam_lindo.shtml Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rob237 89 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 ...but I think they were actually Peruvian and travelled to various parts of the country... Could well be so... I saw them perhaps three times on various Nottingham visits, so assumed they were local. Certainly good enough to attract a big crowd, perhaps several hundred strong, wherever they played! Cheers Robt P. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I'm searching around for a clip of the Peruvian buskers on Youtube There was a fellow who used to stand by the bank (Barclays??) at the bottom of St James' Street playing the banjo , good looking bloke always winking at the girls , he used to still be doing it during the 'boozing' time too!! I think he used to stand outside Marks and Spencers during the day, he also released a single IMMSC And of course who can forget "Xylophone Man" ?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Found a bit of them but there's bound to be loads more on youtube http://www.youtube.c...h?v=66MarlzxfW8 Scroll to 4 minutes 43 seconds. Links to Xylophone man http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Robinson_(Xylophone_Man) http://www.leftlion.co.uk/articles.cfm?id=80 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,871 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I have seen a pan pipe band in Nottingham, Mansfield and Blackpool,it could be the same one. The Busker who used to play the banjo outside C&A was called Alan and he lived in Long Eaton. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hippo girl 1,995 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 thats right Den, Alan Prowse..whatever happened to him ?...last seen on Wellington street in Long Eaton... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beavis 0 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Saw this guy busking outside marks and sparks, he was amazing, also toured with New Model Army. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I got quite a shock watching that (Hadn't read the title of the video first ) as Chester is my local City!! and watching it was like a nice stroll around. Only fault I found (And god I'm being pedantic!!!) is that the write up said the Chester Rows, (The shops on two levels) were Victorian built , when in reality some of them date back to the 1300s!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted January 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 You've all got good memories, I dont remember any of these people, what sort of era are we talking about. The 'Peruvians' used to make regular appearances in Cambridge, they must have made a fortune after their 'Fast Show' parody. There were a couple of buskers who became famous in the 60's, one of them had a hit single called 'Rosie', but I can't remember his name, then there was Duster Bennett, who was involved with the original Fleetwood Mac and released some singles on Blue Horizon records that are up in the loft somewhere. I remember seeing him at the Uni, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been practising outside the Council House that day to boost his fee. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 Hi Firbeck. I read elsewhere that you are a former compositor like myself? The Rosie singer was the 'King of the Buskers', Don Patridge of one-man-band fame. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted January 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 Hi Firbeck. I read elsewhere that you are a former compositor like myself? No, that was my dad, spent his entire working career at Walter Black and Co finishing up at Hill and Tyler, he just missed out on the computer revolution before he retired in 1982, he wished he'd been born a bit later as he was fascinated by the modern technology, I couldn't get him off the internet when he used to come and stay. Don Partridge, that was the one, apparently still around, I've a feeling I may have seen him at the Uni as well, poor Duster Bennett was killed in a road accident in 1976 while on tour, he was only 30. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 Another former busker who "made it" was Ralph McTell of "Streets of London" fame. I saw him several times - the most notable at "The Rainbow" in London! No Nottm. connection though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 No, that was my dad, spent his entire working career at Walter Black and Co finishing up at Hill and Tyler, he just missed out on the computer revolution before he retired in 1982, Ah sorry, my mistake. The period around 1980-82 was certainly a pivotal one in the print trade with the new computerised methods of origination rapidly replacing hot metal. As an apprentice just leaving college it almost felt like overnight wholesale change. Back on topic. I rarely have cause to walk that way these days but wasnt the Broadmarsh underpass beneath Collins Street always a favoured pitch for buskers in Nottingham? Not necessarily the most salubrious environment to operate in but nevertheless a dry and (relatively) warm spot! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Buskers street entertainment think I'll put it here (and it's is in Nottingham) Hows he do that ? (he was still) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 I think I've worked it out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scriv 168 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Don Partridge, that was the one, apparently still around, Duetting with Duster Bennett now, sadly. Don Partridge Obituary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 RIP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYkPfZJJBxg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma. 1,533 Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Nottingham Street Busker - Alan Powe - Outside C & A circa 1986 on the left and Alan still playing his banjo in Australia around 2008 on the right 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 My office was above Listergate during the later eighties, the buskers were my background music. The banjo player was one of my favourites, he was always very bright and breezy. I'd sometimes drop a quid in his case and he'd always stop his singing and thank anyone who donated. His pitch was also shared by the saxophone bloke, who was ok for a bit but after a while got on your wick. In contrast he always seemed a bit miserable. There was a young lad who played a keyboard, very well, and also crooned, not very well. He appealed to the old dears who always seemed to hang around him. Occasionally there was an electric violinist who was brilliant. Obviously the most iconic was xylophone man, bless him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted January 24, 2022 Report Share Posted January 24, 2022 Interesting read Nottingham one man band Alan Powe https://thegibraltarmagazine.com/one-man-and-his-banjo/ 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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