I have conversation with a green haired woman about the variety of freaks I meet on the street on a daily basis. She recommends I write a book. And I did! Not from her advice, but I was already keeping a street diary that entire year. You can get that book on pdf for a $10 PayPal donation.
Are you enjoying my daily live concerts? Please support the channel.
Patreon support/Online guitar lessons: https://www.patreon.com/Shatnershairpiece
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Busking and youtube facts:
1) Street playing is not all fun and games and dancing kids. Did this for 5 years. I regularly faced not only verbal abuse, but physical assault as I worked a few blocks from downtown eastside Vancouver. I'm surrounded by addicts, drunks, and people who should be in mental homes.
2) I'm unemployed. I lost all busking work 2020 (it was banned) I had a very bad year and then had a serious brain aneurism in April 2021 where I almost died.
3) If you liked the performance, please think about supporting me on patreon/paypal tip/bandcamp as DONATION is the only way I survive.
4) I'm writing my own songs for 20 years. Check out my bandcamp page for 2000 original instrumentals.
5) It's a lot of unpaid work to post these videos all the time so please try to help me keep the channel going. Many thanks to those that have supported me! It means a lot!
6) I get asked this 100 times a day so here's the answer: I play on the street and not in a band because all the clubs closed years ago due to disinterest, high rents, no profitability. I used to lead many bands from 2006 to 2018. That's all gone. It's also a lot more hassle, and less money, to run a band than play by myself.
7) I get asked this 100 times a day. "Why don't you try a better spot?" THIS is the best spot. How do I know? I've tried all of them. This spot is even better than Granville Island which is all tourists. Vancouver does not have many spots to play. Maybe 3-4 downtown. I have to go where traffic is heaviest or you make no money. Playing on beaches and parks or near homes, condos, apt buildings, is forbidden. This is the main transit hub of trains/seabus and also walkway for the convention center as well as heavily touristed gastown.
8) I'm playing a Parker fly guitar, limited '4 seasons' edition 'Autumn', from 2008. Only 25 exist of this model. Very light at 5 lbs, very versatile tones with piezo pickups, carbon fibre body, stainless steel frets never wear out. Company is out of business. My pedals are zen drive (no longer made), wah. The amp is a Traynor travel mate 50 watt running on lithium battery. Also no longer made. I sometimes use a Pog 2 and a pitch fork.
9) I don't use picks. Tone variety and personality much better without one. All sounds come from fingers, thumb, and upstrokes. In spite of no pick I am still able to play fairly fast using hammer ons, pull offs, slides, left hand legato. This also allows me to play octaves easily.
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