Melbourne Busking Problem

[Jim]

I just got this in my email and thought I should post it. Anyone know any more about this? --Jim

From:
kyra traktor (streetfish@hotmail.com)
Thursday, October 30, 2003 at 22:22:25
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comments:
on oct 29 melbourne street performers were told there is a ban on busking in the bourke street mall this december. we are outraged at this abuse of public space and are protesting outside the melbourne town hall wednesday 5th of november at 12.00 then moving to the mall at 1.00 for performing, petitioning etc. if in melbourne please come ready to perform, if elsewhere please spread the word and write to melbourne council and tell them what you reckon. thankyou.

[Scot Free]

From what I remember Burke St. has been closed to circle shows for a number of years now.

[Peter Voice]

Scot's right. Circle shows have not been able to get permits for Bourke St. for some time now but music acts, statue shows and others were still able to use it. These acts will be severely affected and it will put pressure on other pitches.
The big business interests in the street have always pressured the council about banning buskers and the tram drivers have long had problems with the crowds a good show will generate. Subtle changes to the streetscape and furniture placements have now made it almost impossible to do a big show there now anyway but on hot summer night some acts can pull off huge shows after midnight at the Swanston St end (no trams or bylaws officers but plenty of drunks).
The Victoria market pitch has become unviable for many recently too. They have introduced a prohibitive permit fee of $120 per week.

On the good side, there are a couple of new pitches in Federation Square that work and Southbank looks as though it will carry at least one new pitch next year. There is also good reason to think that the Docklands will soon provide a couple of viable pitches (many paid gigs will be available soon too, methinks) so not all is bad news.

[ 11-04-2003: Message edited by: Peter Voice ]</p>

[Jim]

News article today...

Click Here (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7770087%255E2862,00.html)

[Jimbo]

this problem has been taking place all over the world, slowly bu surly buskers are going back to the original of street theatre. Gorila Theatre, there is no venue for us so we take the world in our hands and make a venue.

on the other hand some might start taking this in a totaly differant direction and say screw the street, i'm gonna get a stage show and get famous. thats the direction i'm heading in trying to get booked in vegas, and all over the world in theatres.

jimbo

[Peter Voice]

The protest today was wonderful, it was orderly but dynamic and productive.
Sean "Bike Boy", Bernadette (accordian player extrordinaire), Shane "Space Cowboy", Pat Bath, Gnarrnyarrah Waitari (Aboriginal dancer story teller and Black Elvis), Hamish (Happy Sideshow), Daniel "The Bellboy", Kyra and Anna (both brilliant statue acts rarely seen together), Lindsay Buckland (alternative musician) and Victor the Impromptu Drummer all turned up (me too) and we represented ourselves well

I think it is safe to say that 1000's signed the petition and the media turned up in droves. News programs on the 3 major commercial networks have gone with the story as of about 7.00pm. We now wait to see what happens next. We'll keep you posted.
(the tension builds and the audience holds it's breath).

[ 11-05-2003: Message edited by: Peter Voice ]</p>

[Peter Voice]

Yesterday (Fri) the Melb. City Council backed down on the Bourke St Mall busking ban.

Performers will still not be able to work between 11.30am and 2.00pm but this has been the case for many years. The council will be stationing a safety officer to try and keep audiences from spilling onto the tram tracks.

Well done to all involved.

[ 11-07-2003: Message edited by: Peter Voice ]</p>