Buskers, Street Entertainers in York, North Yorkshire*

Places to find public entertainment

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Buskers, Street Entertainers

• that homeless guy he's mint
• I was talking to Trevor Rooney in York last month, on a trip from liverpool, he performed a magic trick for me. involving putting a lit cigarette through my jumper!! What a guy!
• Look out for the guy on a pushbike who comes round the corner from the station into Micklegate at about 0550 every morning and proceeds to check all the phone boxes for loose change all the way back from the Odeon cinema into town.
• im going to york on halloween. i hope TREVOR ROONEY will make a guest appearance??? he is THE best ghost walk guide with THE best reputation. i last saw him when i was only 12 years old and the memories will haunt me for the rest of my life!!! now i want him to scare my kids so if you could trevor, being there would be much appreciated by all who know you. we will be there on monday, shambles square, 7.00pm
• Anyone remember that guy from fame academy before he got a slight bit of fame (Alaister Griffin)? He started busking on the streets of york, sadly those days have gone and we jsut have blue/yellow men
• There's a bloke who plays piano outside Betty's who's pretty cool. His name's Karl Mullen and I've got a CD with one of his tunes on it (Chokin' Boogie).
• Random blues singer Random south african band who are actually alrite wen not being harassed by 7 yr old townies with their cheap bangers from Fest of fun.

• www.yorkloonies.com
• York seems to be the hub of the Guild of Street Performer Busker and Beggers. here's a list of the usual: the saxaphone guy - has to be the worst I ever heard, can't play a note. The mad man with the dogs - bad, the one legged harmonica player - more of a begger, there is a range of beggers with recorders and penny whistles - all annoying, 3 or 4 live statue people, none are convincing, the escape artist. On to the good stuff: the girl opera singer - amasing, the three amigos - trumpet players and very good looking, the blokes who play that old piano, guitar/singers on Petergate and Stonegate esp. the on with white hair, the xylaphone guys from Russia who arrive at Christmas.
• My friend swears blind that he once saw the man who plays the autoharp masturbating one of his dogs. I'll leave it to you whether you believe that or not
• Heartbeat candy and his evil dogs. And his amplifier. There's also a tramp who can sing like James Taylor.
• gravity control breakdancing crew are the best ull get. they regularly busk in the cene and are al 15/16 years old. Thy are the only crew in york and can beat the likes of bradford and leeds and rochdale at breaking.
• Rob Benton who lives in york is usually at the end of osbaldwick lane york, opposite hartleys, near the church, he's a die-hard BMX'er, and is usually willing to entertain you, if you have a fag to give him, but he does get pissed of easily.
• too bloody many skiffers, round there - it's like they're competing with Leeds, London and Bath for the premiership league of begging. that long haird giffer who used to groan all night in a shop door near betties for years, to name but one.

• hmm, the yellow man is good, and the homless people arent, if you see them kick them
• There r none
• cant stand them
• Mr. mime can be found in Stonegate, Davy gate and near the minster ( not all @ once OBVIOUSLY) , he is v.cool. also the York Dungeon folk like to go walkabout every no and again
• stonegate, you will sometimes find mr. mime ( very cool guy)
• Although not technically a street entertainer this homeless drunk is a must see for all visitors to the city. Huge beard, bad tempered and Scottish, if you're gaze meets his you will almost certainly be asked;"DO YUZ GO TA UNI-VERRRS-ITY" Definatley worth an all day search. Often spotted in Parliment street.
• Mickey Newman from Wath-Upon-Dearne is starting to make frequent journies up the A1 to busk in York. He's a legend in his home town, check it out
• run away from the one man band with a dog. he is evil.
• Sometimes there are some classical performers outside M+S - they r about 20 odd and are cute.
• I think York actually surpasses Edinburgh in the whiteying and cant quite believe what im seeing stoned saturday afternoon walk stakes. The zombies, the mixed race dude at christmas time singing like serious carols and looking tooo dignified, yellow man is annoying and always gets you when youre trying to get to work "f*** off i live here you yellow t**t" ...once wandered aimlessly into museum gardens and found myself admist a bewildering scene of madly dressed folk dancing (this happens more often than u might think) ... Chris Helme John Squires folky whipping boy used to do his bob dylan thing outside of woolies once upon a time... a really tall and quite attractive woman in a black coat stands next to fountains and shouts really loudly about how we are all DAMNED... watch the Tang Hall boyzngirlz sort her out in a theological arguement of great depth... a cool old dude (about 4ft high n always wearing a big coat even in summer and a flat cap) used to stand next to TSB ATM and shout "PRAY" "PRAY" "PRAY" all day ..then he would give people newspapers ..cute... sometimes you get student cellists and violinists busking loudly and proffesionally and taking money they dont really need from the mouths of shivering 17 year old alcoholics who cant get it together to learn anything other than twinkle twinkle little star on a tin whistle... a dude who used to sell big issue was always game for a laugh he used to shout at folk from across the road "dont buy new shoes!!! buy big issues!"
• The old man quoting the bible(tm), I've told you already. Its still free!
• Occasionally you may see the yellow man. Yellow by name and unbelievably yellow by nature. Not sure what his purpose is in life, (just being yellow I think, and standing incredibly still untill he feels that some unsuspecting granny walking past requires a heart attack.)Although I think recently he's turned blue!!
• Quiet a lot, but unintimidating.
• Guy with the barking dog at the end of Stonegate (Its better than it sounds!), the sax player outside HMV down Coney street seems to have disappeared, maybe he actually stoped and listened to how bad he was. By-the way, did he always stop other passers by and get them to go and buy his evening press for him? The band Huge always seem to be playing in the street too.
• Tons of homeless people - except they're not. They can see you coming a mile off. Give them a fake tenner so they get nicked when they try to blow it on booze.
• My wife and I went on one of Looney Rooney's Ghost Walks about four years ago. At that time he was on the point of going to Boston (USA, not Lincs) to start up something similar there. I don't think he's back yet, which is a shame as he is incredibly entertaining.
• The guy who does the witch. Scary.
• There's a man with a dog and a tent that's always good value for money. The saxophone player outside the old church opposite HMV can vary in quality. Zombies used to be good, but then one left, the masks fell apart and there nothing more than a plastic bag on a stick now - v.disappointing.
• Buskers, street entertainers - if you want to get involved in York Carnival - York's biggest street event - on 2 July call the Carnival Hotline on 01904 552013
• amazing growing zombies that hoot, and the bloke who sings opera badly outside m&s are worth looking out for
• The funniest sight you ever have to see is the God Squad who frequent the fountains... Oh yes.
• This is the best city for weird and wonderful buskers. My personal favourites spotted in York - the Balloonatics (balloon modelling), a strange woman who did nothing but whip herself and scream, and a bloke who pretends he's a robot.
• Try and avoid those "entertainers" who are simply beggars playing "Three Blind Mice" on a penny-whistle continually for SIX hours a day.
• While visiting York [one of those awful Yank tourists] I came across a fellow in the Shambles playing a fiddle and bouncing this devil doll attached to his knee. It was very clever and amusing.
• Trevor Rooney is a York icon (is he still there?). His Ghostly Tour of York is excellent (he's a natural entertainer). Hope he's still doing OK.
• Best city in the country for buskers. Regulars include the jugglers and circus acts in King's Square. Failing that take a wander down Stonegate and/or Parliament Street for music, song, dance and theatre.
• There's this man who dresses up in a big black sheet, and scares passers by whilst playing tunes and dancing. You really have to see him to understand and appreciate him.
• Watch out for the autoharp guy. If you hear something that sounds like two banshees, fifteen half starved cats and 40 feet of razor wire being churned around in a cement mixer then you are much too close! Do not under any circumstances buy a tape it only encourages him.
• The would-be operatic bass who sings outside M&S hasn't got a clue. The Andean pan-pipe ensemble now seem to turn up every week. Occasionally there's an amusing outfit dressed in tails playing old standards. The street entertainer who regularly plays Kings Square of a weekend is dire: his act hasn't changed for years but he still doesn't know how to ride a unicycle

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