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FOR BUSINESSES, PEDESTRIANS and musicians fed up with some buskers garnishing their output with lurid karaoke-style accompaniment, help could be at hand.
Dublin City Councillors are voting on proposals to ban backing tracks for street performers across the city, as part of new proposals to amend the street performance by-laws introduced last year.
The proposals, seen by TheJournal.ie, have also extended the area of Temple Bar in which amplification has been banned.
Buskers on Grafton Street will now need to end their performance on the hour-mark, similar to other cities, if the proposals are approved at tonight’s council meeting.
New buskers will have a two-week probationary period, while permits for activities such as caricature painting, hair-braiding, and temporary tattoos cannot now be obtained under the by-laws
Public performances remain prohibited outside the GPO and in parts of Temple Bar, although it has been proposed that acoustic performance will be allowed on East Essex Street.
Amplification
Amplification, wind instruments and percussion instruments are all verboten in Temple Bar, however, in an area extended from Essex Street East as far as Anglesea Street.
Their use will still be permitted around the city, subject to decibel limits.
A “detailed consideration” of the prohibition of amplification at certain locations is due to take place later this year.
Over on Grafton Street, the proposals ban dance acts, circle acts and large bands between Nassau Street and the junction of St Stephen’s Green and South King Street, although these acts will be allowed at the St Stephen’s Green end of the street.
Vincent Norton. acting assistant chief executive at Dublin City Council, who authored the review, said:
A constant quandary in this issue is the many divergent views on street performance and the difficulty in achieving reasonable consensus or balance between those who enjoy the animation and vibrancy of street performance and those who view it as an annoyance and an irritant.
More than 470 performance permits and 250 amplification permits have been issued since the by-laws were introduced in February 2015.
Graft on, buskers - graft on
Last year, Dublin City Council restricted buskers to two hours, but it is now being proposed that the time be cut to just one hour on Grafton Street – with all performances now beginning and ending on the hour-mark.
On pedestrianised streets which allow access to deliveries (such as Grafton Street), buskers would now also not be allowed to play before 11am, rather than the previous 9am starting point.
The new proposals would ban backing tracks in their entirety, addressing the biggest concern of businesses, residents and bona fide buskers alike: that some street performers are just playing along to quasi-karaoke tracks.
The proposals also instruct street performers who sing or play music to ensure they have a sufficient repertoire of tunes to play without repetition for at least 30 minutes.
The sale of CDs and other merchandise, meanwhile, are to be considered as part of a review of Dublin City Council’s casual trading by-laws.
If approved by City Council, the revised street performers by-laws will come into effect on 1 August 2016.
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It’s not really a quiz though is it.
That’s a bloody cockroach ?? Also the money is funny-4/10 disaster .
The front of a 10 euro.
Thanks David-must look at one the next time I get change in the shop,
8/10 that was easy
If it was so easy how did you get 2 wrong?
Doubted myself with the first question thought it couldn’t be that easy it was a steak that it was a trick question and thought it was ice cream instead of pancakes is that ok sir?
The money one looks like I thought it was….tablecloth!!! If it were 50′s I’d ave got it…maybe!
@Eileen Down: Tenners are like loose change to you then, eh?
Damn cockroach
Yes, I blame it for my score too. (throws out yoghurt).
7 out of 10 after a skin full of prosecco. Very proud of myself.
Fir the first time ever I get to be incredibly smug and say
10/10
10/10Top Dog. Is there any jobs out there you need this qualification for?
Writer for The Journal.
8 outta 10. I’m a clever cat. My highest score yet.
6/10, great. Damn that cockroach. What money is pink?
€10 note
Ah, thanks, Dave.
What pancake looks like a rotten carrot!!
La cucharacha, la cucharacha… de da de da da da…
€500 note. Have never seen a real one tho just pics…
@Fiona Fitzgerald:
The pink pound.
Learned the words to that cucaracha song when I was living in Spain, no joke it translates as;
The cockroach, the cockroach,
Now he can’t walk,
Because he’s missing, because he doesn’t have,
His two back legs!!
Ha!!
9/10 teabag got me
Pawsitively brilliant :)) I’m so happy :))
Hossy do some real journalism instead of copy and paste or poxy click bait, is that possible at “The Journal”
Surely we can do better than this lads for a quiz. C’mon it’s like you are not even trying
9. damn cockroach got me.
I’m fintastic at 6/10 bloody cockroch & money snookered me big time :-)
10/10 all were easy.
have your say