so fucked

[FuSoYa]

Below is a forward from a Subway performer *friend of a friend* regarding the
new rules effective 12/1/03. Please help out if you can, this "ban"
would really be a shame.

=================

ALERT! As some of you know....I have been supplementing my living by
subway performing...well...good ol' MBTA has changed the rules as of
Dec. 1st!! Below are some of the new guidelines...they make it
impossible for some to play at all, and make if very very difficult for
others to make it worth the time. Please show your support any way you
can and please attend the public meeting!

As expected the new guidelines sent out by the MBTA seriously restricts

and many instances bans subway performances.

A total ban on all amplification and electric instruments including
keyboards.

A total ban on horn instruments and drums

A total ban on people who do not have a permanent address or are
traveling artists.

There is even a dress code

I will be contacting the ACLU tomorrow to review this document.

We should schedule a public meeting and set up a petition drive and
media campaign. We will have to act very quickly to stop this
outrageous policy.

My letter to the MBTA and their response is posted on the web site. The
policy was developed in secret because of 9/11 they said....

http://communityartsadvocates.org/saahistorysubway.html is the web page

on Subway performance issues and history.


Stephen H. Baird
Street Arts and Buskers Advocates
Community Arts Advocates, Inc.
PO Box 112
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-522-3407
mail@communityartsadvocates.org
http://communityartsadvocates.org

Street Arts and Buskers Advocates: Celebrating self-expression as a
basic human right essential for the healthy growth of youth,
individuals and communities.


The web page is up at

http://communityartsadvocates.org/saa-mbta-subway.html it has the
petition (pdf, jpg and text) which is already out on the street. Also
has copy of the Guidelines (pdf, text). Plus court case against MBTA
and letters.

OPEN PUBLIC MEETING -- Wednesday, November 19, 2003 from 3 to 4:30 PM
at Middle East Restaurant, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA
Thanks!

Joseph Sater for the space.

 

[xfer]

that's fucked up.

i just renewed my ACLU membership on Friday. perhaps the money will be put to good use!

 

[avi]

LAME.

in related news, Umeå Sweden just passed a law restricting a 100db limit on live music. All the clubs have mics hooked up to meters and everything to test for lawbreakers.

 

[xfer]

good ol' Europe!

 

[avi]

the msg I got from Sweden over IM this morning:

"Manowar will never play Umeå"

 

[mindspell]

Not good. In both cases.

 

[minxnim]

omg that's so depressing about the subway musicians. my guess is, it won't stick

 

[FuSoYa]

I don't even get why.

 

[FuSoYa]

Basically this gets rid of every street musician I can think of in this town except for this one crackhead with dreads who hardly even touches his guitar.. he basically stands there and holds it and when he DOES happen to pluck a string it's the most cacophonous thing you'll ever hear except for maybe the screams of the quintuple mouths of a Greg doppleganger cast inrto a pit of flame.. actually no this guy is worse.

 

[minxnim]

neither do i. i suppose just because like one out of every 20 bejillion musicians down there is annoying. but mostly it's really beautiful

i dont think the ACLU will let it go.

 

[minxnim]

but then again if i get caught for graffiti i'll be getting an estimated $54,000 fine this time so who the f knows....

 

[xfer]

the reason being given is "you can't hear the loudspeaker announcements". fuck, i can't hear 'em anyway, due to a mixture of staticy speakers and mumbling, urban-accented announcers.

 

[FuSoYa]

You know, about a month ago there was a really friendly young guy playing his (electric) guitar and singing (into a mic). A loudspeaker announcement came on and you could hear it.. but even still, he incorporated the words of the announcement into his song and repeated them over and over again. It was regarding the entire outbound orange line being disabled. He sang into the mic that the train was disabled and that there was just an annoucement about it. For five minutes. For all the new people continuously coming into the station.


Fuck MBTA.

 

[FuSoYa]

MBTA: "Fuck that guy"

 

[TheNewChupe]

most of the ones i heard in chicago L stations were unamplified, so they'd probably be okay. some were really decent, others were grating.

but this is pretty nasty. even steve brodsky from cave in said he used to do some busking in boston.

also: define "traveling artists". would that include people on tour?

 

[lizard]

"traveling artists" is probably a euphemism for "homeless"

 

[lizard]

this is all part of a trend that's been happening nationwide...the homeless and panhandlers have become, in the eyes of some, a nuisance and an eyesore, and by banning stuff like street performers, some of whom are homeless, they are trying to put a dent in those numbers.

I've read a number of articles of different cities trying to crack down on stuff like this that the more highbrow consider to be a detriment to their cities.

 

[xfer]

no, it's Cockney rhyming slang for "grovelling smartass"