30 VANMAG.COM MAY 2017
City INFORMER
pay anywhere from $80
(a cou s t ic a c t s) t o $4 0 0
(groups) to register, then
performance slots are
assigned via lottery daily.
And after all that, if you
want an amplified pan flute
licence, you’d bet ter get in
line; numbers are strictly
limited, presumably to
avoid flute-related gang
warfare from overtaking
the island.Got a question for City Informer?
[email protected]WHETHER YOU’VE been
laid off from a Gastow n
start-up or are struggling
to afford your foreign-
buyers tax, busking is here
for you. It’s Vancouver’s
truest equal opportunity
employer: as long as you
can strum a guitar or
stand perfectly still while
covered in silver paint,
you are ready to lean in to
a new career in the arts.
Depending on the
weather, the location
and—minor detail—your
talent, take-home pay can
fluctuate wildly, though
online sources self-report
an hourly average of over
$20 on a good day. It would
likely be more if Vancouver
would just relent on its
nanny-state rules against
juggling chainsaws,
but that’s classic “No
Fun City” for you.
Luckily, you don’t
necessarily have to spend
money to make money.
Yes, to busk on most
sidewalks here you need
a street entertainment
permit, which will cost you
$39.90 for four months,
or $118.41 if you want to
commit to your keytar act
for a full year. But you can
also haunt certain public
spaces sans permit, like
outside the Vancouver Art
Gallery or library square
(not the Donnelly pub—I
cannot stress this enough).
If you’ve perfected
your steel-drum rendition
of “Take on Me” and are
looking for a more elite
venue, snag a yearlong
SkyTrain licence ($75) to
perform at one of eight
stations. The catch?They’re available by
audition only. Auditions
are held each November —
it’s a public transit version
of American Idol, only with
a criminal record check.
But even more
prestigious is earning
a spot on the Granville
Island busker roster. It’s
an exclusive list: the dark
arts (tarot card readers
and balloon artists) are
strictly forbidden, and
a twofold audition is
required. Accepted buskersWhat Does
It Take to
Become a
Professional
Busker?
BY Stacey McLachlan
ILLUSTRATION BY Byron Eggenschwiler
If you want an amplified flute
licence, you’d better get in line.