While glancing over a ‘top tip’ guide about busking, my eye was quickly drawn to the penultimate bullet point stating: ‘be female’.
I’ve got that covered, I thought. I started to ponder if my overall success as a busker had anything (or everything) to do with my gender, and whether I was subconsciously aware of this; exaggerating my femininity to enhance my income.
I don’t feel very girly when I stand alone on a busy street in London, my hands grubby from setting up my kit and my hair completely under the authority of the wind.
I don’t feel like a lady when I lug my heavy equipment down graffiti tunnels and battle the underground steps one by one to the tune of metallic thuds and scrapings.
But I suppose, I have picked out the prettiest options in the category of ‘practical’; safely retaining my identity with a pink backpack, henna patterned guitar and flowery trousers.
I am a girl. That I am sure of. And I think my gender makes a difference to the way I interact with my audience. While I think it is true that women street performers make more money than men, I think we are also prone to more trouble. The attention we attract as girls brings in more punters, but also something that almost rhymes with punters.
Charlotte Campbell
