BUSKING IN VICTORIA MEMORIES by Dave Harris

I started busking in Victoria in the summer of 1977. My first experience was with a friend named
Brian Jones (who played 12 string guitar and sang). I played lead guitar on an electric (Fender Jaguar)
through a portable tape recorder (it sounded pretty raunchy but I was a rocker so that was cool) and sang
harmony. We did Neil Young and various rock and country rock songs (rather poorly) and didnt make
much, playing in front of the Post Office (where Torrefazione Coffee Shop is on Government St.), but it
was a lot of fun and whet my appetite for more. At this time I remember seeing Fire Truck (a red neck
country rock trio consisting of Terry MacDonald banjo & guitar, Ron Stanley guitar and Mike
Proklovich - mandolin) playing at the old liquor store on lower Yates and in front of the Empress Hotel (on
the east side of Government St. strange, as no one else ever was allowed to play there!). Some of my
memories of this time are a bit hazy but I remember Murray (Drew) on banjo and a gentle fellow we called
Mississippi Dave (Glover) because he played a lot of Mississippi John Hurt (and quite well, I might add).
One Man Band Dan (from Galiano Island) was around at this time (maybe a year or two later?), on the
upper causeway (at the Captain Cook statue) doing his novelty show on accordion and assorted whistles
and bells. I also remember an old banjo player (named Jack?) with his list of songs at the corner of
Government and Fort St. Don Wilkie (guitar, vocals) and Paul Jackson (violin) played on Govt. St. near
View, mostly folk/rock and blues.
By the spring of 1978 I was a regular at my office (a shipping doorway for Eatons on the east side
of Government across from Spencers now Murchies). Often I played solo (Neil Young, folk/rock and a
bit of blues etc. on acoustic guitar and rack-harp), but also a little later with Dale Mitchell (an excellent
Celtic and ragtime/swing musician who played mostly mandolin, tenor banjo and guitar at that time) or Rod
Thomson (bluegrass mandolin) and occasionally Dan Wright (guitar & vocal). Many days I played from 10
or 11AM until 5PM (there were no restrictions on us) leading some people who had offices above
Government St to plead with me to move sometimes (which I did). Before the newer Eatons (now The
Bay) Centre (which has its pluses but also lots of minuses) was built, Eatons was made up of two older
buildings with a beautiful, big open courtyard that connected Broad St between them. There was an
overhead closed in walkway joining the two buildings. It was a great, quiet (and dry!) place to play, with
lots of room to stand around but not too much seating. Dale Mitchell played there a lot, as did several
others who I cant quite recall. Other regular spots I played included Douglas St. in front of Woolworths
(now Chapters), Douglas St. in front of Eatons and Government St. at Bastion Square (The Anchor as
we used to call it, because there was a big anchor there and a bench, both long gone). One memory that
stands out from this time is of an old timer (who walked by regularly) telling me I was the worst singer
hed ever heard. I was pretty bad (I always tried to sing songs too high for my voice, which made it crack)
but I got better through sheer will and practice.
Later that year my brother Peter moved to Victoria, took up the accordion and sometimes joined me.
We often played morning sets on Douglas St. Howie Siegel hired us as his 1st .musical act for his (then)
new restaurant - Pagliaccis. He set us up in the balcony for his lunch crowd, until he quickly realized that
our raunchy fiddle / accordion combo (uptempo and loud polkas, jigs and reels) was not the sophisticated
Klezmer / gypsy music he was looking for, and we were dispatched to the outside of the restaurant (back to
the street where we belonged!). Tennessee Mike Dulcey (guitar and from Virginia!), Texas Ray
Whitfield (fiddle and from Ontario!) and Chuck (banjo) played bluegrass and country around this time,
often at the Nootka Court liquor store (now defunct). We all played together occasionally and were also
joined by country singer Dave Evans (on guitar and washtub bass).
I also played with banjo player extraordinaire Iain McIntyre and Victoria institution Dale Brophy on
washtub bass as the Anonymous Street Band or Street Dirt Band around 78 /79, sometimes joined by Rod
Thomson or the superb Harry Williams (mandolin). We played in front of the Cultured Cow (on Broad near
View) for a small stipend, free yogurt and tips. Iain was the best musician I had worked with (still is one of
the best) and had a profound influence on me. Occasionally, some of the Folk Society members, including
Jim Hamm (guitar, bass), Dan Page (fiddle), Rick Van Kruegel or Pat Lawson (mandolin), Alan Law
(guitar), George Robinson (bass), Brian Doerksen (guitar) and others would make an appearance at Bastion
Square with Iain and sometimes Harry or Dale Brophy to play bluegrass. Some of these folks also busked
in the earlier 70s (before I came to Victoria) as Redwing and other groups. Occasionally a steel drummer,
who played really well (classical, especially Bach) would play by Sams Deli.
In 79 I met and started playing with the excellent recorder player Paul Creasey (hes recently
returned to Victoria and still busks occasionally at the James Bay Thriftys). We also teamed up with Dale
Mitchell (and Gail Bearman(?) on accordion and sometimes Ralph on fiddle). A close friend from Toronto,
Danny Jacobs had moved here to study classical violin and viola at UVIC and he would come out to busk

in 78 /79, solo or with me. Unfortunately he was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. The summer of
79 is probably my 1st time playing at the Captain Cook statue (across Govt St. from the Empress Hotel),
with a large conglomerate of musicians, often fronted by the charismatic (if musically limited) Tony Vee.
Other musicians that played with us that summer included: Iain McIntyre, Dale Brophy, Pete Harris, Rod
Thomson, Ray Whitfield, Tennessee Mike, Mike Kraft (banjo), Harry Williams, Rod Thomson, Brian
MacDonald (guitar), Ben Henry (drums), Jeremy Rogers (battery operated keyboard) and Jimmy Norris
(guitar, vocal). At times we were as large as 9 pieces, but we did surprisingly well financially and drew
large crowds. By that winter I played a lot with wild fiddler John Hopkins (who showed me some fiddle
tunes), sometimes with Pete or with Dale and Paul or Iain and occasionally with jazz vibraphonist Parker
Thomas. I was out to get all the experience and variety I could.
By the spring of 1980 Rod and Mike Kraft had a band (with Tom Coles, Mike Jackson - guitars)
called Special Delivery. Tom and Mike Jackson ended up leaving and Rod and Mike Kraft kept the name
and added me and Jimmy Sinclair on bass. That summer we played at the Statue again, to very
enthusiastic reception. The late Jim Saull (who also occasionally played his saw in the harbour) recorded us
on a portable cassette recorder, which I was lucky enough to get a copy of. Other buskers around 1980 / 81
included: jazz banjo player Randy Skinulus (who led a group called Dawgs In Space at Pagliaccis with
myself, Doug Thordarson fiddle and Clark Brendon bass), Terry Morrison (she now plays festivals and
concerts), Colin James (who played with me as a teenage whiz kid), Gord Fisch, the Clams (a bluegrass
group which included George McConkey-harp player extraordinaire and Bob Hamilton-banjo who went on
to form The Undertakin Daddies), Belanos (mostly at liquor stores) and Yuri (fiddle and banjo, often on a
unicycle).
I have one particularly fine memory from this time. One morning near Christmas, I was playing
fiddle in front of Eatons on Douglas St. when an elderly woman passed by and dropped me a $5 bill. I said
Thank you! and sawed away madly, thinking to myself Gonna be a good day! (I didnt get many fives
in those days!). Out of the corner of my eye I saw the woman stop at the Eatons entranceway. Then she
hurried back and dumped her change purse into my case. A roll of bills fell out, wrapped in an elastic band.
The outer bill was brown and I kept sawing away, somewhat in shock, thinking Whats brown? (Id never
seen a one hundred dollar bill before!). When I finally calmed down, I stopped and counted it. It was $562!
I spent the afternoon at The Oasis Caf (my favourite restaurant and hangout at the time) trying to take it in.
The next day I went to Vancouver and bought a new violin with the money.
By the early 80s Rod and Mike went on the road with John Hopkins and Jimmy and I often played
as a duo (at the upper causeway Tourist Info spot, the Capt. Cook statue or the lower causeway centre we
still werent sure it was a good spot! There were usually mostly drunks on the lower level at that time!),
with my then girlfriend Rhonda Broadfoot (as Blue Sky) or with Rod and Mike when they were around.
Other causeway buskers included Tennessee Mike, Ken Beatty (accordion), Tom (accordion) and Red
(Gerard Devine, an excellent juggler who over time conquered seven balls for thirty seconds or more at a
time!). By summer 82 the Special Delivery band consisted of Dave, Jimmy, Mike and Jeremy Rogers (Rod
had left town). We finally figured out it was smarter to play on the lower causeway, where it was quiet and
there was lots of seating. Rhonda would join us sometimes, as would Clark Brendon. I also started playing
liquor stores during this period (in the winter months) sometimes with Mike and Jimmy. When I played
solo I played a lot of Jimmy Reed blues mixed in with country / bluegrass, folk / rock songs and fiddle
tunes. I dont remember many new faces on the street scene in the early 80s but I still played my office
quite regularly. The summer of 83 found Special Delivery with its first of many tapes and sometimes
including Rhonda, Joe Figliola bass and guitar (now deceased) and Hal Todd drums (from Blue Sky). We
played to huge crowds (as did Red the Juggler) on the lower causeway. By the summer of 84, Rhonda and
I had split up and the lineup was pretty stable (me, Jimmy, Mike and Jeremy). We put out new tapes and
played most nights in the harbour. Around this time the BMX bikes were big with the teenagers and there
was a group of boys who would do a show before us (tricks, jumps etc). Their finale would have 20 boys
lying side by side and one boy doing the Evil Kneivel leap over them. Amazingly, no one ever got hurt!
This period also was highlighted by the bands silly antics and song rewrites-Under the Empress (Under
the Boardwalk), Take Me to Metchosin (Take Me Back to Tulsa), Round Larry aka Bowlin (Proud
Mary) and The Fumbling Stumblebums (Tumbling Tumbleweeds). The mid 80s continued with more
tapes and refining of the show. There was a lot of confusion about the bands name, as tapes were released
by Special Delivery, Blue Sky (with Rhonda), and two prominently displayed the name The
Shmoes (which we nicknamed ourselves).
Jerry and Tony (guitars) sang Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and reggae flavoured originals as
newcomers around this time. Later (early 90s), Tony left after a few years and was replaced by Fred
Robertson on guitar and harp (who was a regular on the harbour until 2004). The Musical Mountie, a coin

operated jukebox idea with a fellow (Peter?) inside playing banjo set up afternoons on the lower causeway
and apparently was quite irritating to some of the artists in the vicinity as he was quite loud (amplified).
Romanian violinist extraordinaire, Lache Cercel busked many evenings at the Tourist Info spot during this
period with guitar accompaniment. Buskin Chris Lejeune, an excellent and original one-man-band with
long necked banjo, rack mounted harp (and kazoo) and drums (on his back wired to his heels), passed
through town (from Germany) for several years (maybe 84 to 88) and played folk, rock and roll and good
originals (I made 2 tapes with him). He played mostly at Bastion Square and at the Statue. There was also
a clarinet player (name?) who played the Tourist Information on the upper causeway to taped classical
accompaniment.
A rift in the Special Delivery band created two offshoots around the summer of 88. Dan Clifford
came in on rhythm guitar and vocals with Mike and I, while Jimmys wife Barb joined Jim and Jeremy (or
Amundo as he was nicknamed) and occasionally Mark Bracken. By summer 1990 the old group reunited
for part of one last season. Other buskers from the late 80s also included old time fiddler Keith Malcolm,
Les Vaughan (who continued on intermittently, often with John Hopkins through the 90), Teo Mance (a
romantic ballad singer), Patrick (a French juggler), Bob Gordon, Maury, Frank Terpstra and Country Dave
Ryerson (still a fixture on the causeway). I can remember arriving at the causeway at 6or 6:30PM looking
over the wall and Dave looking up at us and saying the spots yours when you want it. Sure would be
nice if more buskers showed that kind of respect to those who went before them! The late 80s / early 90s
also had many acts using amplification. First we used battery operated amps, then we discovered a power
outlet up at the top of one of the light poles on the causeway. I used to shinny up the pole to plug us in. The
group I played with immediately after Special Delivery was almost wholly electric (PA system, drums,
electric bass, electric guitar with banjo, fiddle and acoustic guitar plugged in). This band was called
Barrelhouse (1990) with Clark Brendon (bass) and/or James (bass or drums) and/or Gary Thompson
(drums) and myself (playing mostly blues and swing jazz), followed by the new Special Delivery (1991)
with myself, Gary, Mike and Dan Fehr (bass). Teo Mance also used a generator for his PA. Frank Terpstra
played classical guitar through an amp and even Ken Beatty plugged in his accordion.
1992 found me (electric guitar, fiddle, foot-operated snare and bass drums) with Sherman Sheldon electric guitar, Mike Nitchie - electric bass and highhat cymbals and sometimes Doug Cox on Dobro. Mike
N. and I also played Douglas St. with little battery amps and foot drums at this time. Other buskers at this
time included Cory (guitar) and Tom (drums) playing many hours of more modern rock music on the
causeway north corner. (Cory came out occasionally for early afternoon shifts through the 90s / early
2000s and was often joined by a different Tom on harmony and lead guitar). Somewhere in this time the
then young (maybe 6 year olds) Moffat boys (Yes, those Moffats!) saw us on the harbour, said Dad, we
want to do that, and played in the harbour and their career started there! Two young girls from California
(they came every summer to visit their grandmother), Emunah and Savlan Hauser, played with us many
nights as featured guests for several years (from the late 80s to the early 90s, to the point where a lot of
people thought I was their dad!). In recent years they and their younger brother, Zev, have all played on
Victoria streets as solo fiddlers. I have neglected to mention all of the classical musicians and conservatory
students who came out occasionally.
May 1994 featured the first (and only) annual Victoria Buskers Festival. I was included with my
then musical partner Mark Enfield (country blues guitar and singer extraordinaire). The only other musical
acts were a great glass harmonica player (glasses of water filled to different levels and played by rubbing
the rims with damp fingertips!), an operatic singer and The Arrogant Worms (a musical comedy theatre
act). Red was included but opted out and was replaced by J&B Juggling (with Jason, who still busks as part
of The Raggedys with Phyllis). Alex Elixir (who has been around these past few summers and busked even
back to 1983), Flying Bob Debris, The Checkerboard Guy and several other high powered acts were
included. Unfortunately, poor weather and a way over blown budget killed any chance of future festivals.
Also, at this time, issues involving licencing, volume (amps), artists on the causeway and other issues led to
several heated meetings at City Hall and eventually the licensing of buskers. I personally got rather
frustrated with all of the new rules and general burnout led to me hardly busking for the next two summers
(I was also working at Swans 3 nights a week, as well as several other places). Foolishly, I missed the 94
Commonwealth Games. However, I used the time to continue to work up my one man band act with foot
operated drums, steel body guitar, harp and fiddle. My repertoire by this time was mostly old country blues,
with some original songs.
During the period that I was hardly busking, quite a few new faces cropped up. Angela Basombrio
had been leading her jazz group, The Outsiders for several years (often busking at night at the foot of
Market Square) and now she was doing a duo with drummer, Peter Richards at Bastion Square, Murchies
or the causeway. Marty Field became a fixture at Murchies / Munros Books (which had become the

premiere Govt St. busking spot due to central location, excellent seating and ambience). His repertoire
included rock & roll favourites and especially the world according to Springsteen (or Encyclopedia
Brucetannica as hes sometimes called). By the late 90s he became firmly entrenched on the north corner
(Rock and Roll corner was a recent nickname) of the causeway, often accompanied by bassist Leigh
Grisewood. Young Julian Vitek wowed us all with his classical technique on the violin and his willingness
to be a part of the scene. He sat in with Marty on occasion and has since gone on to be a symphony violinist
in his early twenties.
The Celtic based group Shillelagh had also appeared and quickly established themselves as a
dominant and dynamic force on weekends at Murchies and on the causeway at night. Their ever growing
mixture of Irish pub songs, originals (3 CDs), Americana and rock & roll drew big crowds and quickly
made them favourites (they still are). The last few years theyve claimed to be breaking up (one summer
they played as offshoots Nicely, Nicely and Cranston) but they seem to resurface come July. The latest
group consists of founding members Josh Neelands (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Brian Skinner (guitar,
bodhran, vocals), John Crellin (drums, vocals), Jasper DeGroot (accordion, harmony vocals), Nathan Gage
(bass, harmony vocals) and more recent member Aaron Ellingson (fiddle, harmony vocals). Graham
Hargrove and Nick Coulter pushed their marimbas around on weekends in the summers through the mid to
late 90s. Their classical and Latin repertoire, flawless technique and professional demeanor made them
the darlings of the classical music patrons. I should mention that there have been countless classical,
conservatory students and the like (many of them excellent) left out of this piece for lack of knowledge,
memory etc. The folk / rock & roll world often doesn't coincide with the classical world easily.
Big, jovial Jay Garnett appeared from Nova Scotia around 96 and became something of a father
figure to many of the young guitar players and street people. He added warmth and tradition to the
Murchies scene with his repertoire of East Coast songs, country and originals. I often accompanied him
and we recorded two tapes of his material. Hes since returned east. Clay George (whos still around and
playing, with a new CD), added his fine voice, guitar talents and Dylan / country blues / folk repertoire to
the mix sometimes in the company of Jason Donaldson, fiddler Caleb Kelly and Leigh Grisewood. Scot,
Jim Brannigan, The Singing Bird accompanied his traditional Celtic songs with tenor guitar on the lower
causeway with his beautiful voice and endearing brogue. He was around in the late nineties before moving
east and starting a touring music career. Other guitar players from the Jay Garnett era include: Wade Cosby,
John Carroll, Jim Meighen, Vic Alexander (still plays his quiet country repertoire at the Oak Bay Liquor
Store), Shag and G Willy.
On the causeway in the mid 90s, Bill Miller began wheeling his piano to first, the foot of
Government at Wharf across from Sams Deli and later, to the back of the Wax Museum, playing old
favourites and ethnic tunes from around the world to tourists waiting for the Coho Ferry. Bob Gordon also
played the far end of the causeway sometimes with his son Jordan (who later busked by himself). Various
Peruvian groups came and went at the Tourist Info spot through the 90s often under the names Alcapalca
and Quillapas, playing South American music on traditional instruments. Some are still here, mostly
playing at the various markets. John Rigby played wild frantic classical violin at Murchies from the 90s
until his death around 2003. John had quite a musical history going back to his classical prodigy days in the
60s and 70s, his years in Holy Smoke(?) on rock guitar, until poor health caught up to him and he passed
in 2003(?).
The aforementioned Country Dave Ryerson has been a solid presence on the causeway since
89 playing guitar (and recently harp) on a wide ranging collection of songs loosely called country but
including much rock & roll , folk and originals. He was partnered up with Dobroist Larry Stevens for a
couple of years and one season with Larry and Tjac as The Wandering Boys. I often accompany him and
we recorded a CD in 2002. Occasionally, The Clover Point Drifters (including former buskers Alan Law,
George Robinson, Mike Kraft and Larry Stevens) will join Dave for a night of bluegrass and country bliss.
Jaime Nolan has been a likeable summertime regular on guitar and harp, since 1995, mostly on the
causeway in the afternoons. His repertoire includes Neil Young, Dylan, Blue Rodeo, oldies and originals.
Sylvain Peron appeared in the late 90s as one of the very few white faced mimes Ive seen on Victoria
streets (my brother, Pete came out in white face and played accordion on occasion in the early 80s). His
routines were as big a hit with adults as with kids for several years at Murchies or on the causeway.
Freddie Bear also appeared sometime in the mid 90s with his old time country repertoire, playing
everywhere from Murchies, Rogers Chocolates, causeway by the Wax Museum to causeway by the Gift
Shop. The Urbane Sophisticates (an eclectic trio of Nick Bristowe guitar, vocals, Nicole violin and Dale
Brophy washtub bass) appeared sporadically along Govt St. through the mid to late 90s. Delroy AKA
The Prince played trumpet along Govt. St for most of the 90s, dont see him much anymore.

The late 90s was a time when everybody and his brother tried busking (at one point, I believe
in 1999, there were about 600 licences!). The last couple of years are seeing the trend go back to more
reasonable numbers (like 350 450 a year). Celtic music was big on the street (its always been popular
here) in the late nineties, as epitomized by Shillelagh but with many others around as well, in particular
fiddle players (many under local phenom Dan Lapps tutelage), notably The Carson Kids, Ivonne and
Kalissa Hernandez, and a group led by Tania Elizabeth (with Adam Dobres guitar and Mike tap
dancing!). Derek Duffy (guitar, vocal), Ken Hall (flute, guitar), Dan Weisenberger (mandolin) and others
played Govt St. before joining The Song of Ireland musical theatre show. The Bill Hilly Band (now The
Bills) could hardly be called strictly Celtic, but they played a wide array of ethnic styles with flair and
expertise for a couple of summers (around 99) before going on to the Festival circuit. Their lineup has
changed a bit but still features founding members, Victoria jazz guitar luminary Marc Atkinson (on
mandolin) and Chris Frye (rhythm guitar). Skruj McDuhk (now The Duhks and featuring the
aforementioned Tania Elizabeth) passed through town in successive summers and busked between Festival
appearances. The later period group included Jeremy Walsh (guitar) and Oliver Swain (bass) who was also
an original member of The Bill Hilly Band, both of whom call Victoria home and busked here recently with
a fine fiddler named Val. I am of course neglecting the steady stream of bagpipers that hold court in their
spot at the south-east upper corner of the causeway, led by 10 year vet Glen McLay (when office hours are
over at the Parliament Buildings). Again, like the classical players, not much interaction. Around the turn of
the century a group of young lasses lead by Jen Ritter (ex-member of Cranston), calling themselves Billy
Goats Gruff (more recently shortened to The Gruff) followed in Shillelaghs footsteps with a similar
repertoire and same locations. Lately they havent busked as much and seem to be breaking out on the
festival circuit. Jen Ritters mother Sandra has also been semi-regular on the causeway over by the Wax
Museum since the late 90s on harp.
Swan Walker has been bringing his fine Bob Marley reggae repertoire to the lower causeway
since 98. Starting on guitar, hes since added steel drums (and some calypso and soul songs) and more
recently a bass drum to his show to give him a fairly full and driving sound. He also has 2 CDs of his
original songs and steel drum music. Playing mostly night times, he is quite popular, especially with the
female populace! K. C. Kelly brings a long career in music (he released several fine albums in the late 70s
and 80s as Huckle) to his street show of instrumentals, blues, rock & roll and originals. A fine singer and
a superb slide guitarist, he plays regularly (when hes in town) at Murchies, the lower causeway and at
various markets on his beat up steel body guitar. Anthony Baker has been fairly regular since the late 90s,
mostly on the south end of the causeway, playing rock and roll hits on accordion. Diane Primeau, the one
woman band, played her South American repertoire in a unique way (guitar, foot operated conga drum, rack
mounted pan flutes) for a couple of seasons around 2000, mostly at Rogers Chocolates. Graham Anderson
was a fixture at Murchies through the late 90s, with his dog Max. He passed in 2003(?)
There have been many (more and more each year, it seems) jugglers (I use the term very
loosely to cover many circle acts that juggle, balance, do magic, fire eating, escape artists etc.) over the
years. Red had the place to himself for his first few years (early to late 80s), then Patrick arrived but after
quite a few years of fighting he gave up. In the 90s other jugglers discovered Victoria (I suspect the
Buskers Festival helped a lot). We (the musician buskers) agreed to give the jugglers the south centre
lower causeway location to keep conflicts to a minimum. More recent additions have included Charlie
Brown (mid 90s), Angus (magician off and on from mid 90s), Bob (Leo Stickmun late 90s to early
2000s), Akron McKenzie (late 90s to present), Dr. Jay (late 90s), Aaron Gregg (late 90s to present), Eli
(recent), Darcy Cole (late 90s on), Akrons younger brothers Piper & Shaman (recent), Alex Elixir, Joel
(recent), Sharon (recent), Johnny Flash (recent) Aarons brother, Jason (recent) and more. I must admit to a
less complete knowledge of all of the routines, as there is a bit of a division between a lot of the musicians
and the jugglers. One cant dispute their popularity, however, as they outdraw everyone else by miles and
block off the walkway completely!
Statues have become very popular in recent years. The first I can recall was Golden Girl, Tina
in the late 90s. There was The Statue of Liberty one summer, then Silver, Jeff (for several summers at
the south east lower corner of the causeway), and more recently Plaster Man and now Squeaky and
Silver Lady. More recently acts have tried combining statue with music. Roland Grittani (who busked for
several years at Market Square) covered up (white face and full costume) and plays beautiful French style
accordion upon donation, at the Tourist Info spot as Pierre St. Pierre. Jason and Phyllis took it one step
further and became a coin operated song and dance routine with great robotic movement and slide guitar or
banjo by Jason and sweeping (a broom) and tap dancing by Phyllis (recently calling themselves The
Raggedys, and dressed in appropriate Raggedy Ann clothes). Hilarie Ann Higgins started her Mermaid
statue act in 2002 with light accordion accompaniment.

Another group of buskers I havent covered yet is the various marimba bands. The best known is
probably Marimba Mazuva, a large group of marimba players. I should note that these are homemade
marimbas of various sizes with a simple major scale, not like those used by Graham Hargrove and Nick
Coulter (who used a professional full chromatic scale instrument). Most of us buskers have had fits trying
to deal with these groups (especially Mazuva) as they are outrageously loud (you can hear them for
blocks!) and unwilling to compromise with the rest of us. Mazuva started coming out around 97(?) and
more recently others have picked up on it. One collective who have fit in a bit better is Thump!, (also
included the Wasabi Collective in their earliest incarnation) now a duo of Derek and Jennifer Book on
homemade marimbas and foot operated drums. They both started as guitarists (Derek goes back to the mid
90s), which probably accounts for their willingness to cooperate (they can relate).
Every year a few buskers drop off and some new ones fill up the ranks. Since 2000, there have
been lots of new faces. Chris Trygg moved here from Vancouver and started busking around 2001, at first
mostly on Govt. St. and then the causeway, showcasing a fine (and Loud!) voice and his repertoire of
mostly 70s rock classics. (I often joined him). Aaron Watson, a fine singer and multi-instrumentalist has
been a most welcome addition, mostly at Murchies. Aaron has a wide repertoire of old jazz, folk, blues and
instrumentals, performed on guitar, saw, button accordion and foot operated shakers. Andy Kreischer
arrived here from Austria by way of Australia around 2000, and has become a fixture all over the Govt.
strip and the causeway, playing drums and digeridoo. Trevor Holmes has been singing his mix of more
modern rock, especially U2 on the lower causeway for a couple of seasons. Steve Lestrange is another
recent face at Torrefazione Coffee Shop and the causeway doing old rock and roll and country rock. Even
newer is Steve Craig, an occasional face at Murchies on guitar, digeridoo and harp. John Middleton, also
new, is a fine singer / guitarist who plays the causeway in the summers, sometimes joined by fiddler,
Dougall MacLean. Glenn Orr and his dog Roadie were fixtures along Govt St. since 2000, until Roadie
passed. Glenn still comes out, often on Douglas St. Mike plays blues at Murchies or occasionally in front
of the cigar store at Pandora and Wharf St. Belanos arrived back in town in 2002 and has picked up where
he left off in the early 80s busking, now on the causeway. A fine addition to the scene the last couple of
years has been Serene Irene (Bird), who plays beautiful piano and vocals by the Hot Dog Stand. Other
fairly recent regulars (last few years) include Randy Screech (with his Darth Vader mask and fiddle), Ted
(sax), Metro (hammer dulcimer), Ian Morris (street chalk artist), Karen Hough (French horn), the Classical
Trio, Shanty Dan (a fine voiced sea shanty performer, I joined him on occasion), and Ted Tanner (guitar,
harp and foot operated Djembe, amplified at the foot of Bastion square, where youre still allowed to be
amplified).
I have been lucky to be the subject of a TV documentary Crowded At The Bottom (one of
my song titles) in 2000, which may have helped raise Victorias profile as a busking city(?) and certainly
mine! My One-Man-Band act continues to grow, with the addition of a fotdella (foot operated acoustic
bass, invented by renowned street entertainer and One-Man-Band, Jesse Fuller of San Francisco Bay
Blues fame), built for me by fellow busker, Glenn Orr. My show now includes: 2 steel body guitars (in
different tunings), 12 string guitar, Dobro mandolin, 2 fiddles, various harps, 6 string banjo, foot operated
drums (high hat, suitcase bass and various horns, bells and blocks) and the fotdella. People stare in disbelief
as I push it all down the causeway on a hand-truck (lots of bungee cords!) or as Im setting up. My
repertoire, which is getting quite large (well over 500 songs), includes lots of blues of many styles,
originals, some folk, rock and roll, country and bluegrass. Ive released countless tapes and CDs over the
past 22 years, some of the recent ones being reviewed internationally.
Ask most longtime buskers why they keep doing it and a common response will be that they
love that way of interacting with the public. Kids, especially make it very special, doing little dances,
looking in wonderment, asking questions etc. Older folks also can be very appreciative, especially if ones
repertoire is older. And just playing to a wide cross-section of people as opposed to the bars where it is
usually mostly a certain demographic. And of course theres the money! While no one is getting rich, it is a
viable way to supplement ones income or even in some cases to eke out an existence. Also, there is the
experience of performing for people and the practice at ones craft. Sure, there are downsides the job
insecurity, weather, bad drunks or rowdies, the segment of the population that views buskers as bums etc.
but all in all the good outweighs the bad, for me anyway!
This piece will never be finished as long as I keep busking, but thats okay. I love it still. We are
experiencing changes again in licensing restrictions. The causeway has been turned over to the Greater
Victoria Harbour Authority as of the beginning of 2005 and it looks like major changes in how things will
be done there and in the future (Will we even be there in a few years time?). Time will tell. Stay Tuned!

So, to continue (its now spring 2006), the GVHAs (Greater Victoria Harbour Authority) takeover
of the harbour has mostly been fairly smooth. Increases in the license to $180 + GST and insurance cut a
few former buskers out of the harbour. We formed a society with the artists to give us more clout as a
bargaining power and to get insurance (liability) for a reasonable rate. We also negotiated a cap on the
number of licensees (which helped a lot) to 24 and a seniority system (for picking spots). The causeway
buskers in 2005 in order of seniority were: Dave Harris, Country Dave, Marty Field, Jaime Nolan, Freddie
Bear, Swan Walker, KC Kelly, Anthony Baker, Peter Richards, Thump!, Chris Trygg, Plasterman, Andy
Kreischer, Karen Hough, Trevor Holmes, Hilarie Ann Higgins, Mark, Silver Lady, The Classical Trio,
Graham Sullivan, The Humphries (family band), Acrobatica, and a couple more who seldom came. Of this
group several are gone as we start 2006 (KC Kelly, Peter, Trevor, Class Trio, Silver Lady and Acrobatica),
so everyone in the lower half moved up several places. We have a bunch of new people coming in, and a
couple of former people returning (Irene Bird and Metro to name a couple). The new system is working
quite well, with a few dissidents who dont like the seniority system (as we can see, though, several people
from last year moved up quite a number of spots, so it is definitely a workable system). I couldnt be
happier myself, obviously, with the recognition of my lengthy(!) service. I used to wait between 6 (daily)
and 12 hours (on long weekends) for my night spot in the north centre. Now I can have a life again, away
from the harbour! I do miss sitting in with the other buskers (which I did regularly while I waited for my
slot) but I did get down to play with Country Dave, Marty and Chris Trygg a few times last year and I also
got to play in the day sometimes, either at Murchies or in an open spot on the causeway. (Chris and I even
took his show indoors, mostly at the Irish Times, as Vincent Black Lightning).
The street scene seems to be in decline lately. Murchies was taken over most of last summer by the
(difficult to talk to) chalk artist, Ian Morris. He couldnt seem to see that it wasnt fair for him to stay there
all day, while the rest of us had to move. I tried to suggest that he find himself a nice permanent spot that no
one else wanted, like in from of Old Morris Tobacconists. The new Irish Times Pub at Bastion Sq. and Govt
St. piped out modern Celtic music, effectively killing another previously prime busking spot. A few people
still play at Torrefazione Coffee Shop (now Starbucks) and Rogers Chocolates but I sense a major decline
in the number and talent of buskers. Aaron Watson is still regular at Murchies, Shillelagh made a most
welcome return last summer and there were a few students and classical musicians but generally less. I
bought a video camera (long overdue!) and filmed many buskers over 2004 and 5 (releasing DVDs of each
year) so there is a bit of a record of the current state. I plan to make one every year from now on. It will be
interesting to see who the next crop of buskers are!
Spring 2007- well, I wish I could say that the future looks good but it actually is much more up in the air
for me again. Joseph and the GVHA have made more changes in our contract, the biggest one being every
busker will have the option on one of the 7 or 9 oclock shifts in the centre (where I play) or the north
corner (where Swan plays). This means a worst case scenario of one night spot per week in my traditional
location (Thanks for the respect Joseph!) and the rest of time I can scramble about. The idea seems to be
that this will encourage more new buskers. My feeling is this some sort of payback for standing up for
members of my group and particularly artist Ian Cooper. Anyway, this will be my last year as busker rep as
I think it is costing me more than Im gaining. Auditions just took place for new buskers so well see who
joins the group soon. Other changes the removal of the Rights of Renewal clause meaning next year the
GVHA could tell any or all of us were done. Nice! Also, harsher regulations concerning playing more than
2 hours (we were never supposed to play more but it was generally okay as long as no-one was bothered by
it). It seems that the system coming in will favour part-timers and new buskers more than those of us that
have built it up and are trying to make a living. If I sound bitter I really am! More later!
Fall 2007 well the seasons winding up and my worst fears proved mostly groundless, this year anyway. I
got most of my night spots and as it was a poor year, a lot of the buskers bailed as the summer progressed
leaving lots of openings. I never left the causeway to busk uptown and managed to play between 4 and 8(!)
hours most days. The street scene seems to be in very serious decline (maybe partly from the off year). A
few new faces joined our causeway group. The order as of end of 2007 was: Me, Country Dave, Marty,
Jaime, Freddie, Swan, Anthony, Thump, Karen, Plasterman, Andy, Chris, Hilarie, Mark, Kathryn
Humphries, Metro, Bennetts Brothers (new last year), Acrobatica, Claire (new statue), Mark McFarlan
(new, but played here a few years back) and a couple of others who stopped coming. On Govt St. Aaron
was regular, and Screech, Black Mike on occasion and a few new faces. Starbucks piped out music, killing
yet another spot on the Govt St strip. Roland, Peter Richards and a few others were regulars at Tourist Info.
All in all, way off from previous years! More next season.