Forums > Social Discussion > To you English poi-ers...
Login/Join to Participateveteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
I've been contemplating going out onto the city streets and poi-ing to see if I can get some cash (you know...busking), but I've heard you need a license for this, do I? And if I do how much trouble would I get into for doing it without one?
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!! 
Fool
2,020 posts
Location: Cornwall, UK
Depends on where you live. Supposedly, all Cities (towns with a Cathedral) allow street performers without a license, but it pays to go to the local council and ask the Environmental Health peeps whether a licence is needed. They're normally quite friendly.
"I believe the cost of life is Death and we will all pay that in full. Everything else should be a gift. We paid the cover charge of life, we were born."
Bill Hicks, February 1988
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England
On a side note - a cathedral doesn't gaurantee city-ship - not all cities have catherdrals, and not all cathedral towns are cities.
Random bit of trivia over, just check with the local council - sometime you need a license, who's prices vary from free to silly-high. There might also be varying health & safety restrictions which you need to adhere too, and some have limits to noise levels and space.
The worst that can happen? Ultimately jail (if you refuse to move) - but more likely a fine, or just being asked/told to move on.
Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
I thought not all cities had cathedrals but a having a cathedral automatically qualifies you to be a city?
What Cathedrals aren't in UK cities D?Trivia question aside......
Like Durbs said nothing major will happen any worse than getting told to move on. Just be careful of space and passing folk who don't notice it going on (yes it happens all the time like you wouldn't beleive) and whacking them in the head.
Let's relight this forum 
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England
Well, Guildford for one - Nice big cathedral (As seen in The Omen) but no City-ship. It missed out to Milton Keynes last year - grrrrr.
Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England
** Note to self - stop being boring **
Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom
you too can be like durbs...
extra uselessness: apparently the old system was that a hamlet just has houses, a village has a church, a town has a town hall and cities have cathedrals.
but that was back when smocks were still cool.
"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
hey smocks are still cool oop North
Let's relight this forum
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
Im so glad my topic turned into a riveting conversation about cathedrals (was being sarcastic)
Cheers for help guys
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
Beach bum
162 posts
Location: Singapore
Watch out for little kids running around (or staying too close) and crazy people walking up to you asking for a light...
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
-Franklin P. Jones
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
I'll keep that in mind, cheers. But even tho Bug said "smocks are cool oop north", I doubt Salisbury City Council will allow flaming pois even they do allow day pois, but I'll find out.
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
they can only say no if you ask
Let's relight this forum
64 posts
Location: West Midlands, UK
just because I can and it's funny.....
I saw a busker playing guitar in York last week had a sign on his case said...
I am NOT homeless
I am NOT hungry
I am NOT on drugs
I am NOT depressed
I AM A FULL TIME STREET MUSICIAN
Thankyou
Look at me twirl my pretty rainbow poi in my rainbowhat with my rainbow earings and my rainbow top etc.....
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
Don't suppose you asked him what the deal on busking licenses is?
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,964 posts
Location: Southampton - Possibly..., United Kingdom
Hey Hey Flame Boy
We were up in the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral about 3 weeks or so ago spinning - all those priesty type people wearing dresses came out and watched, they seemed pretty impressed by the whole thing so - go there
"...We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing......."
Keeper of the Spitfire
2,317 posts
Location: Calgary Canada
flame boy- you planning on busking with fire?
If not, then no big deal.
If so, then I'm sure there was a post around a while ago that you may find useful. I remember Pele posted some interesting stuff on it.
Good luck with the busking.
Lets steal a spaceship and head for the sun, and shoot the stars with a lemonade ray gun.
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA
Written by: coleman
[extra uselessness: apparently the old system was that a hamlet just has houses, a village has a church, a town has a town hall and cities have cathedrals.
but that was back when smocks were still cool.
I'm pretty sure that a cathedral gets rid of 4 unhappy citizens. Whereas a coleseum only gets rid of two. Or you can tweak your tax rate towards more luxury tax.
Oh like I'm the only geek who gets that.
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
I have to say NYC I don't get it at all.
Strugz: Do you know if there's going to be another meet like that? I'd like to meet some fellow poi-ers I don't have to travel miles and miles to see.
Mand: Yeah I would definately busk with fire if I can, I just don't see a city council being down with that, what with normal people walking around. Have you busked with fire, if so, anywhere near Salisbury?
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
Keeper of the Spitfire
2,317 posts
Location: Calgary Canada
Flame boy, no I haven't busked in the street with fire.
As I said, the thread that was around was really good... I'll see if I can dig it out for you.
Pele talked about lots of stuff including drawing in a crowd, how to address the audience, safety, etc.
I'd suggest that if you do put it to your city council, you need to have answers ready for questions about safety and 'crowd control' (eg. how are you going to stop the average person out shopping walking straight into you?)
Good luck with it.
Lets steal a spaceship and head for the sun, and shoot the stars with a lemonade ray gun.
Keeper of the Spitfire
2,317 posts
Location: Calgary Canada
Ok flame boy, I dug out that thread for you.
If I were more technologically minded, I'd know how to make a link to it. But I don't.
So...
Type in 'busking' in search.
In the results go to 'how to busk'.
About half way down the first page is an excellent post from Pele about this.
Enjoy.
Lets steal a spaceship and head for the sun, and shoot the stars with a lemonade ray gun.
Member
3 posts
Location: Canada
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England
A) What are the spankings for?
B) They're very annoying - please make them go away
Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
Wow devon, what an interesting contribution to the conversation. I'm with durbs, they mess the proportoins of the screen
Cheers mand, that's really cool (unlike devon!)
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Not to do with busking, but we spoke to some police about street poiing and they said that as long as we weren't obstructing traffic and they didn't recieve complaints about us then we could do whatever we like.
I'm from a pretty small town, and we rarely get people busking. But the ones we got just went and did it.
The council here have probably never heard of a busking license!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
nyc=geek
Oh hang on I think i admitted that I understood that
member
117 posts
Location: salisbury wiltshire, United Kingdom
i dont think u can busk with fire and any form of busking usually needs a sort of license. I have only busked with poi once and it was pitifull response. But good luck to ya
Hold my breath when you are near
so i don't have to breath you in
look away before i start to endorse
your eyes full of hate and remorse
in to the eye of another
be the silence that screams
60 posts
Went busking once, very enjoyable experience. Just got told to move, so we did... to a new location n started jamin again. musical buskin btw.
I took my harp ta party, but no body asked me to play, so I took harp home again
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
Cheers n_a_g I did some busking in Salisbury and noone cared, we managed to raise a whopping £1.02!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't people generous!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Ha ha, oh well.
Something you should try - get a group together and contact the council about doing a display on bonfire night. We have, and we're getting £120 for a 20 minute set!
Minimum coreography, our lighting and music and a captive audience. Nice!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
veteran
1,508 posts
Location: Out, United Kingdom
that sounds tres cool, I'll have look into that 
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! My giant stick broke!!! In two!!! My stick broke in two!!!
508 posts
Location: manchester, uk
yay a civilisation fan! well in nyc!
It's smashing to be back x
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