STACK #213 July 2022

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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AUSSIE LEAPS FROM STREET TO STAGE

You’ve got fresh songs ready, picked out your high foot-traffic spot, and are amped to start your busking adventures. But how will your sweet sounds rise over the dull roar of the street? Here are four speaker options – from the basic-but-hardy to the blow-their-hair-back professional – to get you on your way to stardom. Words Bec Summer GET OUT AND BUSK IT!

Tash Sultana The kind of music Tash Sultana makes – anchored by atmospheric, layered electric guitar loops – lends itself to live performance. It’s no surprise then that she started her career busking in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, nor that despite her worldwide fame, her favourite way to make music is still all off-the-cuff, and in front of an IRL audience.

Sony SRS-XP500 X Series Bluetooth Portable Party Speaker Banish distortion to the dogs with Sony’s freshest member of the X-Series, whose new oblong design means you can turn it up to 11 and retain the crispest of sounds which will effortlessly capture the attention of your new fans. Integrated handles, long-lasting battery (up to 20 hours of playback with a mega-quick charge of ten minutes giving you 80 minutes playback) and a splash-proof shell mean this wireless gem is ready for all weather, whichever corner of Oz you’re busking in. Stream backing tracks from your Bluetooth-connected phone, or plug your guitar or mic directly in, and you’ll be collecting street-cash in seconds flat.

Human Nature You read that right. Back in 1989 when they were known as 4Trax, the fellas tried their hand at busking on the streets of Sydney. Soon they hopped the curb into some of the city’s nightspots, decided to send off some demos, and now they’re in Vegas. Easy as pie!

SOUNDBOKS SB3-1BB Wireless Speaker 3rd Gen

The Pierce Brothers Jack and Pat Pierce are busking veterans, but not because they haven’t made it – they were still playing Bourke Street Mall even after they were selling out shows at conventional venues. “Busking is one of the best ways to market yourself,” Pat has said. “[It’s] the most direct line you can have to your audience.”

Truly a heavy-hitter, the Soundboks delivers all the power that its meaty appearance suggests – without weighing a ton! The only wireless Bluetooth speaker with swappable batteries, this juggernaut can reach 126db (as loud as your average live show) with ease, and boasts wired connection options for XLR, ¼ inch and 1/8 inch signals in its Pro panel – so you’re sorted to plug in mics, mixers, and instruments. You won’t have to halt your show to charge, either; the battery lasts a whopping 40 hours at mid-volume, and five hours at full Glasto-level punch. Huge!

JBL Partybox 1000 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Party Speaker To wow your audience both aurally and visually, you can’t go past the impressive Partybox. Not only is its 1100-watt sound phenomenal, its integrated DJ pad allows you to create rhythms, melodies and loops on the fly without having to cart extra equipment to your chosen street spot – and its industry standard inputs allow easy plug-in of your mic or guitar. Meanwhile, the innovative Air Gesture Wristband allows to you change the enormous ambient visual display with a casual flick of your wrist. This one produces festival-quality sound and visuals, right off the shelf – a busker’s dream come true.

Tones & I Toni Watson’s busking beginnings are as famous as her first-ever hit, but what you may not know is how long she’d been doing it before music lawyer Jackson Walkden-Brown saw her playing on a street in Byron and gave her his card. The answer is: one night. Who knows – maybe you’re a Tones-in waiting?

28 JULY 2022

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