Buskers have hailed one Irish city in particular for being the best and most accommodating in the country for street performances.
Busking has always been a big part of Irish culture; in virtually any city centre in any county in the country, chances are that you will see at least a few buskers performing along the main streets.
In recent years, especially in the Republic of Ireland, buskers have been continuously frustrated by the ever-growing amount of strict regulation hampering their ability to perform and earn a living doing what they love.
But a city in the north of the country has been labelled the best place in the country to perform.
Belfast – a great city to be a busker in
Busker Deano White, who regularly performs as a busker in Belfast, hailed it as the best city to perform on the street in Ireland.
Deano has been solo busking in Belfast for five years and as part of a rock band for one year. “Belfast is probably the best city in the whole island for busking, as long as you have manners and are considerate to other people”, he explained.
Highway 56 comprises brothers Fergus and Cormac. They are relatively new to busking but share Deano’s view and believe that the reason Belfast delivers such a positive experience for buskers is thanks to the city’s lack of restrictions concerning busking.
Both groups of buskers tend to play regularly, on average, between two and three hours at a time. Deano mainly busks in either Cornmarket or Donegall Place, whereas brothers act Fergus and Cormac tend to play primarily in Castle Lane.
Lack of regulations in Northern Ireland – in stark contrast to the Republic of Ireland
Overall, as things stand currently, Northern Ireland appears to be a better place for buskers to perform than the Republic of Ireland.
This is largely due to the very stark contrast when comparing the number of regulations in the towns and cities of the Republic of Ireland currently to the few in the towns and cities of Northern Ireland. The lack of restrictions have allowed performers like Jelvis Pelvis to thrive.
The lack of overall restrictions in the towns and cities in Northern Ireland makes them a much more desirable prospect for buskers who say that it gives them much more creative freedom concerning how they wish to perform and express themselves artistically.
The importance of busking – street music adds to local culture
Beyond the city’s more lax regulations, Deano and Cormac were both quick to point out the human element that makes busking in Belfast so special.
“There’s a very good culture in Belfast for buskers. Obviously, if somebody’s there, you have to move on. If you’ve come in with all your stuff and you can’t play, that’s just the way it is,” said Deano.
Cormac added that most people welcomed and supported them. “We’ve had nothing but a pleasant experience as opposed to bad ones,” he said.
Both sets of buskers were in complete agreement that they feared that if more substantial restrictions were put in place, it would harm their busking. Cormac stated, “Music is freedom”.
Deano elaborated on this point, saying, “We need street music for bands to survive. We need street music for music to actually stick around, to be honest; otherwise, loads of people are never even going to start [playing music]”.
