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Oxjam Buskathon
neil posted in Photos, Neil on October 21st, 2006

This October Oxfam have organised a month of live music to raise money called Oxjam. As part of this, there is a 24hr buskathon just off Princes St. All artists are performing for free and all proceeds to charity. It kicked off with the Edinburgh Samba school who had Lisa Drysdale out front charming the crowd. Very funky and plenty loud.

Stealer kicked off around 6pm and were a lot of fun unplugged. Bonus points to the bassist for playing the banjo and the drummer for having bells on his shoe!

The crowd they deserved never did turn up and rain drove the following act under the tenting. I left at 8ish with the organisers playing acoustic guitar and drums watching the rain fall outside. By 1am they called it a night and left a dreary empty square (and the 2-3am drunken clubbers) until 10am the next morning. October is’nt the ideal time
for a full night run!

10am on sunday they picked up again. The event ended at 1 o’clock, sadly without the traditional castle gunshot. Persona-B, who had spent 10 hours in a car from Wales, finished the busking along with the Edinburgh University Drum Society.

The bands were great, the weather was mixed but the crowds came and went. It is tough trying to get buskers out late in a shopping district on a saturday night, it is harder still to get the people there to appreciate them. Nevertheless I’m looking forward to next year.
Photos are here.