What are your irrational prejudices? I have some bonkers ones...

[Stub Mandrel]

My brother and his partner won a 'best newcomer' award in an Irish busking festival. 

[2pods]

There's a guy who "busks" in a local underpass who's guitar is well out of tune and doesn't sing.

He obviously can't play it, and just strums the open strings.

He uses his gig bag to collect money in, and has now kicked the bag into the centre of the underpass.

 

He's been doing this for the past four years and has stayed exactly the same 

 

Years ago, me and the singer of the then current band used to go busking on a Saturday with acoustics

Sometimes it was freezing and hard but Hifi Video recorders needed to be paid for 😁

[bnt]

^ that sounds like the guy Steven Wilson is singing about in Luminol, as he describes here.

 

Quote

He’s the kind of guy who is so set in his routine that even death wouldn’t stop him. So I had this vision that he would drop dead one day, but the next day he’d be back in the same spot, playing the same songs, just like he always did. This kind of idea that somebody could be a ghost in life, as well as a ghost in death, somebody who’s completely ignored even in their lifetime — it hardly makes a difference; and death doesn’t make a difference, either; it doesn’t break the routine.

 

I previously commented on my irrational dislike for "the street" as a place, and busking ("street music") falls under that heading: it doesn't do anything for me. This even extends to the kind of "Live Music" I see advertised outside pubs here in Dublin. Just "Live Music", no elaboration required. It's basically busking indoors: the same old songs, played with no feel, just blasted out in to the ears of drunk people. The last time I found myself in such a place, late on a Friday night, I lasted about 1/2h before I made my excuses and bolted for the door. 

[StickyDBRmf]

On 25/11/2025 at 07:56, bnt said:

^ that sounds like the guy Steven Wilson is singing about in Luminol, as he describes here.

 

 

I previously commented on my irrational dislike for "the street" as a place, and busking ("street music") falls under that heading: it doesn't do anything for me. This even extends to the kind of "Live Music" I see advertised outside pubs here in Dublin. Just "Live Music", no elaboration required. It's basically busking indoors: the same old songs, played with no feel, just blasted out in to the ears of drunk people. The last time I found myself in such a place, late on a Friday night, I lasted about 1/2h before I made my excuses and bolted for the door. 

"Sing us a song, you're Piano Man!"

OP: Wandering into a bar and hearing Billy "The Tool" Joel yammering away on the keys...

[SteveXFR]

Possibly not irrational but if I see a ukulele about to be played, Im getting out of audible range as quickly as possible. Nothing good has ever involved a ukulele whether its school concerts, buskers or huge bands like Train or Mumford & Sons. All completely unacceptable. 

[bnt]

So, not a fan of these folks, then? 
 

 

[RhythmJunky]

36 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Possibly not irrational but if I see a ukulele about to be played, Im getting out of audible range as quickly as possible. Nothing good has ever involved a ukulele whether its school concerts, buskers or huge bands like Train or Mumford & Sons. All completely unacceptable. 

 

Nothing irrational with that. 

 

In fairness I can enjoy other small, folkie stringed instruments as much as the next person. In moderation and in the right environment (ie typically an Irish bar with the Guinness flowing like water)

 

But not ukuleles, and absolutely, definitely, without any question whatsoever.

 

Not banjos. 

 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by RhythmJunky
Expanded on my irrational prejudices.

[SteveXFR]

Ukuleles just sound like those toy guitars your annoying sister in law would buy your young child for Christmas. I guess thats because they are just toy guitars for kids.

There's a ukulele orchestra at my kids school. It sounds even worse than their string quartet made up of three violins and two cellos (quartet means four doesn't it?) all with terrible intonation. 

[petecarlton]

14 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Possibly not irrational but if I see a ukulele about to be played, Im getting out of audible range as quickly as possible. Nothing good has ever involved a ukulele whether its school concerts, buskers or huge bands like Train or Mumford & Sons. All completely unacceptable. 

Similarly with recorders.  I once went to an orchestral gig to watch my partner playing her sax and the whole thing was spoiled by the support - a recorder ensemble.  Aaargh (though they did have a bass recorder which touched the floor!)  Too many memories of watching the children perform at school concerts.