I don't need to say what the song sounds like, Johnnie's description above does the job. There is a solid old school punk vibe here with the thumping chords. It sounds like Mr Mac is having a lot of fun with this song which translates into a very enjoyable song that is full of energy and is really catchy! tomatrax, SuperUser 09 Apr, 2009
Song : The Chant of Namatira Rating 5/5
A cross between Midnight Oil and Yothu Yindi is an apt description. This is Australian rock as it should sound, full of energy, passion and interesting atmospheric sounds.Technically flawless. clever and creative. This is one of those moments where everything w... More
When you travel, you see them everywhere: a guitarist strumming and crooning in the Paris Métro, a juggler in an Italian piazza, a human statue on a New York City corner. They are buskers, and these street performers are not necessarily locals; many are travelers looking to make a bit of extra money and prolong their journeys around the globe.
One of these is Johnnie Mac, a 40-year-old Australian singer-songwriter who, after some initial success playing with bands in Sydney in the late 1980s, decided to take his act to the streets of Europe. (“What are you doing that for?” he said his family asked him. “Are you mad?”) For years, he roamed the Continent, exploring the newly opening east and making it as far as Siberia and Mongolia.
Today, after decades of busking, he’s back in Australia, where he runs BuskerWorld.com, a Web site that offers advice to street performers of all types (and also sells his $47 eBook, “The Busker’s Bible”).
I recently spoke with him via Skype.
Q.How did you become a busker?
A.In the late ’80s, I had a real desire to take my music to Europe, but obviously I was not known over there, so I had to figure out, on a low wage, how can I actually travel around and survive? I didn’t want to do bar work, cafe work, or some horrible odd job. So I thought, I’m a musician — I can make it busking.
Q.Where did you begin?
A.My first day busking was in Amsterdam, because I had some friends there. I walked around town a bit, just to get the feel of the place, because a lot of people tend to just go where the big acts go. One of my first lessons was: I’ve got to find a spot here where I fit in and where I can make a good living. I quickly found a spot a little bit out of the main drag of Amsterdam — in the Muiderpoort Station — and my first day was pretty good. I enjoyed myself, I had good response from passersby, and I made about the equivalent of 20 euros in an hour or so.
Q.That’s not bad.
A.I didn’t think it was that much at the time, but then I heard what my friends were earning in cafes and bars, and they were like, “Oh, 20 euros — that’s not bad!” Within a few months, I’d turned that spot into 50 or 60 euros within a two-to-three-hour period, so suddenly they were going, “Well, how are you doing that? You must be selling pot or something.”
Q.What were you doing differently? Was it the songs? The location?
A.I was playing my own songs, or if I was playing covers I was playing covers by people who weren’t so well known —Australian bands, Nick Cave, people like that. But I was really entertaining myself when I performed, and the thing is I’d found regular passersby, and they seemed to grow to like some of the tunes. There is an argument that you won’t make money playing original songs because no one knows them, but I found the location was the key, and the timing of that location was another very important part. So you might do Thursday or Friday when people are getting paid and are in a better mood. There’s a whole range of psychology that comes into it.
Q.Is there an ideal busking instrument?
A.I learned a bit of piano for a while, and then I figured, yeah, that’s going to be hard carry on the back, so I think I’ll just stick to the guitar. The guitar is the quintessential instrument for buskers, really.
Q.Is that because the case doubles as a receptacle for money?
A.It’s quite a large vessel, so it can hold a lot of money — hint, hint. And it’s stable, so people can’t just pick it up and run away. And it slows people down. They know what it means when you’ve got it out there open.
Q.Did you ever run into any legal trouble?
A.The thing I quickly learned was that a lot of spots weren’t legal, but it was how you played the game and how you communicated with the law enforcer. If you had a license, you were okay, but it didn’t mean you couldn’t busk in other spots where people hadn’t busked before. So my way was to explore areas where people wouldn’t expect a busker, and that meant the law as well wouldn’t be expecting buskers. There wasn’t a lot of hype, there wasn’t a lot of trouble, but the local people got to know you.
Q.Did people give you nonmonetary gifts as well?
A.Absolutely, all the time. In Amsterdam, you can use your imagination! There was one time when I had some of my music stolen, and I told someone who was going past, and the next day they came with a whole lot of new music for me. I’d get mothers picking me up and taking me to dinner to meet their daughters. Amazing things happened. Just about every place I went to, I’d get offered gigs. Again, that meant more money because you didn’t have to pay meals, quite often you didn’t have to pay accommodation, and you might get a small amount for the gig — or you might get paid really well.
Q.If people want to become a busker, what should they do?
A.The first thing: They need to figure out what they want from busking. Do you want to create a rehearsal space for your performance? Or do you just want to make money so you can travel the world and have a good time? The next thing is to be confident with where you’re going to play. Part of that involves finding out about the legalities: checking with the authorities, finding out whether you need a permit or not, finding out whether there’s anybody you might be upsetting in that particular area — shop owners or market-holders. The timing aspect of your act is probably the third most important part — knowing when people are going to be there, and what kind of people: Are they commuters? Are they tourists? This can affect what sort of songs you might play. If they’re regular people, then they’ll get to know you, so you can get away with playing more originals.
Q.Is there one song every busker should learn?
A.It’s a really contentious issue. I’ve found that my own songs, and singing them with my passion, seem to be what a lot of people really responded to, and they were the songs that made me the most money. Maybe because I didn’t sing other covers that well. One of the biggest covers that I used to do was Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” Quite often people don’t know what you sing. They hear your style, and if they’re well grounded in music, they’ll ask, “You sound a bit like that, could you play this?” Some of the bigger ones to know are Beatles, Cat Stevens, those kinds of busking songs.
Q.What was the worst city to busk in?
A.I just never really warmed to London. There was always a bobby hanging around with a quick wit and a quick baton, and I just found the London Underground … It’s really a rabbit warren. Holes everywhere, and bobbies coming down all the time.
Q.Do you prefer to perform inside or outside?
A.It’s better to be inside. In Prague, I found a great spot at the southern end of the Charles Bridge with great acoustics. People actually couldn’t see me, but they could hear me from a main thoroughfare, and as a result they would search me out because they were looking for something to do. I did busk outside as well, but quite often in the snow. Being an Australian, I’m used to warm weather. It was pretty brutal. Going under arches where you’re protected from the weather was definitely a big advantage.
Q.Did the busking culture change as you moved east?
A.It changed dramatically. There was a real dilemma between: Is it begging or is it art? In places like Prague, I couldn’t go wrong. And I found that the buskers in the center of Prague and on the Charles Bridge would meet at the end of the day and have drinks. And those buskers would talk about, “Yeah, we made 20 euros today!” And I’d be sitting there thinking, “Oh, I’m not going to tell them how much I made.” Believe me. It sounds like you’re blowing your own trumpet, but I was making five times what those guys were making. Again, it was using localities, using timing, and singing from the heart — and connecting with tourists at a time when they were really looking for something to do.
Q.You even made it all the way to Siberia and Mongolia. Is busking a useful skill in Mongolia?
A.I was traveling by train through to Mongolia, and because my name’s McCarthy, the border guards were having a big joke, saying “Paul McCartney, play us a Beatles song.” They took my friend’s passport and my passport, and they wouldn’t let us through. They held the train there for eight hours, and the only reason they let us go is because I sang them a song. They had this Paul McCartney thing in their heads. I sang them the song, and then that was it. Normally what you would do is pay them a bribe, so again we didn’t have to spend any money there at the border.
Q.Why did you create BuskerWorld.com?
A.I created it because I was hounded by a lot of people that kept saying, “Man, you should write a book. Why aren’t you doing something with this?” I was goofing off, playing my music and having a good time doing that, so I kind of thought I don’t have time. But then as I got kids and got a bit older, I had more time at home and in front of the computer. I had the aim of writing 10 tips, and I kept going — I just didn’t stop. It ended up I got to 101, and I probably could’ve kept going!
Q.Are you still busking?
A.Well, yeah. I go out with my kids at times. Whenever I do tours and gigs, I’ll still go out and busk, because it’s the simplest way to perform your music.
A HAPPY MAN
TWEED SHIRE ECHO
For over a decade musician and environmentalist, Johnnie Mac has been living his dream. Combining his love of culture and country with his project Ganngjalah (pronounced ‘garn-jar-lar’) Cultural Gardens which is continually taking shape, together with his album – ‘The World Seems Happy’ which is now ready to launch.
Johnnie talks about his music and his garden project as if it were the same thing. The two concepts inter-twining and weaving.
His album echoes this beautiful delicate dance of story and place.
“It’s been a long time coming! I have a good life and why stuff it up with music industry rituals! But seriously though, I have wanted to get my music out there and get it out the right way. Unfortunately I developed the Jeff Buckley perfectionist syndrome! I’m a ‘she’ll be right’ kinda guy most of the time, but found I got very anal about which songs to record, etc. The artist designing the CD graphics rang me and said: ‘Do you have the dates wrong, or is this song 15 years old?’ I said ‘No it’s definitely correct, it’s just taken me that long to get it on disc – and be happy with it!”
Whats important is that the songs are still very relevant and the issues are still timely. I’m hoping my stories and songs will have a big impact and reach as many people as possible with this album.”
“One of the songs on the album came out of the Ganngjalah Cultural Gardens project that I’ve been working on with the some of the traditional custodians for eight years. We have a bush tucker experience that we call the Tukka Trail. Participants are guided on a walking trail, where they discover bush foods, medicines and may even be lucky enough to see a rare native animal. We tell stories about the history of the place and Bundjalung elder - Uncle Kevin Slabb tells us about the Aboriginal people who once wandered the land. Participants love listening to the stories, hearing the Bundjalung songs, watching their cultural dances and then feast on a delicious Aussie bush cuisine smorgasbord. Our visitors learn about the natural treasures that can be found in the Australian environment and how they can also implement similar environmental action in their own backyard. Ganngjalah located at Mt Burrell, close to the Sphinx Rock café… which is where we are doing the CD launch.”
I asked Johnnie what inspires him, what it is that ignites such a verbose passion.
“It’s my love of Australia, that’s the most important aspect and it comes out in my songs, but without that cultural cringe. It’s about Australia’s environment, Australia’s people, indigenous and non-indigenous. It’s that flavour that inspires me to work and teach and also sing.”
The music is thick with messages, delivered with conviction and as Triple J presenter Robbie Buck says: “It’s a passionate and provocative Aussie blend of the Violent Femmes and Billy Bragg. Powerful and inspiring messages with great melodies and a vibrant streak of angst.”
It’s true. And it cuts to the bone. One of the songs in The Chant of Namatjira.
“It’s about Albert Namatjira and his life. This song reflects on how we relate to indigenous people. Many people are interested when they are famous, yet afraid of indigenous people when they aren’t famous or fall from the limelight. I believe that we need to establish relationships with the indigenous community and this is the main key to the success of the gardens. We have spent 8 years building our relationships with the Bundjalung people. Business always comes 2nd.”
It’s the perception of Australia and our identity that Johnnie is keen on changing.
“I remember when I travelled and I was singing some of these songs and a local European said “You don’t have much culture in Australia.” I said “Actually, we have 40-100,000 years of culture” . It’s comments like this that make me wonder how many people only relate to ‘white’ Australia . I sang ‘The Chant of Namatjira’ in Western Australia in a pub recently – you could have heard a pin drop when I introduced it and talked about our relationship with indigenous people. At the end of the song someone yelled out ‘What’s a Namatjira?” It was perfect because then I could explain to a room full of people! So many people don’t know this story and the tragic ending. And it’s such a shame that the majority of people are still not interested learning how to understand our indigenous people and their culture. This is why I sing and this is why I’ve established Ganngjalah.
One of the Bundjalung fellas I work together with at Ganngjalah will be singing with me – Kyle Slabb. He’ll be playing percussive instruments and chanting and singing. The message he shares is that non indigenous and indigenous people have to do things together and build things together and that’s the only way we’ll get the longevity in the relationships. Kyle and his family will also do a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony before the band starts.
After years of recording, Johnnie has managed to get the band together.
“The difficulty I have, is getting the musicians together in the one spot! There are five, well established, very busy musicians in the band. Sham on backing vocals, Kyle on indigenous flavours, Bill Jacobi on bass and Malcolm Clark is the drummer from the Sleepy Jackson. Getting everyone together at the same time in the same place is the challenge. Scheduling them in to record the album added to the reasons why this album took so long. Interestingly, getting Kyle in was the hardest even though he was local. We recorded at Bushtrax Studios in Nimbin and because he had to cross cultural boundaries, issues came up. He attempted to get to the studio a few time and got headaches, felt nauseous and just couldn’t go any further. Once we both asked permission from the traditional custodians, it all came together very easily.
Johnnie Mac and band play at Sphinx Rock Cafe, Kyogle Road, Mt Burrell on Fri 19 December.
SINGER WITH A MESSAGE
BUSSELTON MARGARET RIVER TIMES
SYDNEY performer Johnnie Mac plays guitar and didgeridoo and sings about a roaming lifestyle that has seen him travel throughout Europe and Asia.
Johnnie first performed in front of a big audience during an environmental festival in southern Siberia.
He was there as part of Biakl Cultural Express, a group of scientists and performers who were trying to raise awareness of Biakl Lake, which holds a fifth of the earth’s fresh water.
Johnnie said world environmental issues were not the only things he shared through his music.
His songs are stories about the characters he has lived with in times when he had no money.
The songs express how tragic events or failed relationships can be accepted as human experience and are peppered with humour instead of sombre tones.
Although his music is classed as folk and about people, Johnnie Mac is not the sedate Bob Dylan type folk singer.
His thrashy acoustic guitar and powerful vocals reflect the environment of Australia, its peoples and the social challenges they face.
His songs reflect his knowledge of Aboriginal culture through his work in collating information about bush medicines and his performance expresses the positive aspect of sharing and developing Australia’s many cultures.
The storyteller-singer will perform at the Dunsborough Tavern on Friday night, June 5 and Cafe Laguna on Sunday, June 7, from 1pm.
EVENING OF DIDGE, GUITAR AND VOICE
MARGARET RIVER MAIL
PLAYING didgeridoo is a feat in itself, but doing it while playing guitar and alternatively singing is even more impressive.
Musician, horticulturalist and bush foods expert Johnnie Mac will tour the Cape to Cape region this weekend in his first visit to the area for about 10 years.
He will play at Dunsborough Tavern this Friday, June 5; at Cafe Laguna at Yallingup at 1pm on Sunday, June 7 and on Sunday night at The Coconut Club restaurant at Bannamah near Dunsborough.
He did some gigs in Perth last year, but was last in Margaret River through seed collection work for the Sydney Botanical Gardens.
Wattleseed icecream is his favourite recipe - a dairy and sugar free blend of bananas, dates, wattle seeds and sultanas.
Johnnie performed solo for about eight years but has played in bands in Sydney and overseas since the late 1980s. He currently plays in Sydney band Lixivius - which produces diverse sounds from heavy rock to percussion and didgeridoo.
Johnnie said his solo performances were a chance to play the songs he writes about his life’s journey, which has included working with Aboriginal communities and overseas travels busking and surviving in eastern Europe in places such as Siberia, Mongolia and Transylvania.
“My songs are inspired by the life I have lived, Aboriginal communities, street life and drugs, indigenous people’s concerns both in Australia and overseas, our culture’s fears of people who are different and the need to resolve issues such as male dominance and male violence.
“I take an earthy approach to my songs, which can be personally revealing and embarrassing and even explicit and I can play quite aggressively sometimes.”
JOHNNIE MAC TAKES VIBES IN HIS STRIDE
SOUTH WEST TIMES
Johnnie Mac is the changing face of folk music in the 90’s.
The singer-songwriter has a steadfast pride in taking acoustic vibes to a new level after spinning around the world allowing a plethora of new experiences to shape his music.
And while Bunbury does not seem as mystical as some of the places he has been, the gig at the Prince Of Wales Hotel tonight will still remain part of the journey.
The trip so far has included places as vast as Siberia, The Gobi Desert, Transylvania, Hungary, Prague, Ireland and Spain and they have all had a story to tell.
But so has he.
Johnnie Mac is best described as an acoustic poet and a storyteller who has combined his tuneful life with a focus on environmental horticulture.
“The two have opened a lot of doors to places I would never have expected to go” Johnnie told Good Life. “It seemed that I was in the right places at the right times and also had the opportunity to be involved in some interesting environmental projects. It’s been great to be able to go into a lot of different places and combine both skills.”
Johnnie is hooked into a rock band in Sydney, but loves to get on the road acoustically to road test other styles and express his personal tastes further.
But he is far from a conventional acoustic musician and loves to thrash his guitar into a frenzy, which is most likely a product of his penchant for busking around the world.
“A lot of the stuff I do is folk related, but I tend to hammer my guitar more than most - it’s probably from playing out on the streets and trying to be heard,” he said.
“I take the piss a bit and things can get quite humorous at times. The music has more of an acoustic punk feel and its a bit more aggressive than most.”
Johnnie's not afraid to speak his mind and once found a strong reaction to that when he let rip in front of 5000 people at a cultural festival in Siberia. Free speech was not a regular value at the time, but he found the people rushing to join his spontaneous parade. Again it was simply another part of the journey.
Johnnie Mac hopes to get deeper into the recording side of his music with his band and solo in the near future as he believes he has a host of songs with plenty of potential.
* The unique Tracey Redhead - who supported Monique Brumby in Bunbury will also perform with Johnnie at the Prince of Wales gig.
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