Had that Chris Draja from the Yardbirds in the front of me Violin case today. Put a bit of cash in and took some snaps. Nice bloke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jVAW7sIzI8

Had a bit of a busk outside Waterstones today in Notting Hill Gate. Previously I used to stand by the wall and face my amp out towards the other side of the street. Last time and this time I put my amp on a raised tree bed wall facing towards the shop. First time I did it there was a bloke re-arranging the window display who gave me a nice smile. I had a look in the window this time and there were a few music books there, problees nothing to do with me, but it's nice to day dream.

Lots of people were sat around reading books when I arrived. One left when I started up, but the rest remained. I didn't make much money. Should have taken that as a hint, but carried on playing because rush hour was approaching, when everyone gets a bit more lively and prone to having a bit of a jig. Then two young men wearing office clothing with a distinct nod to 'Wall Street' came up to me and said they were from the office block just behind Waterstones. (Really scruffy office block that looks unoccupied.) The one with the steps and the funny squiggly sculpture outside it. They were very polite apart from a brief moment they needed at the beginning of our exchange for closure on the irritation of hearing 'Ryans Polka' 5 times whilst trying to do a bit of work. We agreed that it was better when I had my amp pointed at Nandos. I used to busk it acoustically and make more money, so I'll do that from now on. They put two quid in though. I was going to say 'It's £10 per 100 metres I move away from your office.' but decided against it.

I

When I am dictator of the Grand Democratic Republic of London there will be small speakers stationed all over the city. People will have to pay taxes into open violin cases attached to the treasury through an intricate underground railway type thing or I will fiddle through these speakers louder and louder and the only tune I will play will be Morrisons Jig. 

Ryans' Polka.

The only song that made me any money today was Ryans' Polka. I've got it on my loop peddle with a bouncy rock drum beat underneath. Bit of digital delay and we're away. Must have played it for an hour solid at one point. If you have an audience that's only going to see about 40 seconds of you, you have to impress to make cash. A good 20% of people who walk past me hear me at my worst. Either when I've lost the thread or I'm still warming up, or I'm a bit miffed at someones' body language. Or I'm just playing crap. Bloke in an Arsenal shirt walked by today and skipped to click his heels together. I thought he was miming a flying kick because he caught me off guard, so I scowled at him, then decided Ryans' Polka must be driving me a bit crazy. I tried Morrisons' Jig. 15 minutes worth and not a solitary penny. 3 minutes of Passaglia in 4/4 and £3, but it made my brain hurt. Back to Ryans' Polka.......

Marble Arch was a bit strange today. I did 4 hours in Tottenham Court Road from 12, so got there at 4. There I was fiddling away, doing better than expected because I was a bit tired, and this bloke comes up to me waving a religious leaflet in a manner that suggested I might want to take it. I carried in fiddling in a nonchalant manner. 'Do you want this in you case?' 'I don't care mate.' He looked a bit put aback. 'I don't believe in God.' And he was all. 'But can I put it in your case?' 'No.'

The Devil plays the best music was my attitude. So I carried on fiddling for a bit, but was making no money and I was getting more tired and I started to think maybe God did exist and now he was pissed off. Just out of the corner of my mind. Then a young Scandinavian woman came and listened for a bit, then came over and said 'I like your music, would you like this cash?' holding out two handfulls of coppers ' 'No thanks, they wouldn't fit in my case.' She wasn't trying to buy my soul for the Devil, but you can't be too careful

I've made a cloud of sound on my sound cloud. You'd like my cloud. It's sound.

https://soundcloud.com/matt-grabham/on-the-count-of-three-say

My Lady Carey's Dump.

Dompe, but I prefer dump. It's a good one to busk on the fiddle.

Here it is on the harpsichord....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJvucBDevyw

I just do the right hand on the fiddle. But with both my left and right hand. It doesn't work during rush hour.