r/Glasgow Tools

Title	Help me resolve my Glasgow busker mystery from over a decade ago.
Author	judicious19
Body	Hello people of r/Glasgow! I was thinking about this today for some reason and thought I might stop puzzling and see if anyone here can actually help. I am from Canada. Glasgow was my first ever European destination, and I flew over there in August 2008 with my brother. I can’t remember the exact location, but I believe we were somewhere downtown on a small pedestrian street and stopped to watch a busker’s performance, midafternoon. The performer was a lanky Australian who did some magic tricks and told jokes and a sizeable circular crowd gathered around him as he worked everyone up. His “final act” was an escape bit where he got himself tied up in all manner of things from which he was to escape. I believe this included ropes, chains with padlocks, and plastic wrap and tape to top it off. He looked like a mummy. A volunteer from the audience had to put the locks and plastic wrap and chains on. I can’t remember if he used more than one volunteer. By this point we had been watching for 15-20 minutes and were kind of invested. It would have been impressive to see him escape. So as he prepared to get out, he did the classic busker routine of asking the crowd to cheer to show support. The first cheer wasn’t loud enough, and he asked us to do it again. It was louder but not deafening. I mean this crowd wasn’t the supporters section at a football match, it was just a good 25’-diameter closed circle of people. After the second “insufficient” cheer he asked us again and kind of scolded us for not being louder, and said he’ll ask one more time, counts to 3 and we all cheer. It was a fine cheer, wouldn’t raise the dead, but whatever. Adequate in my books. The busker just stopped there, acted really let down and scolded us again, saying if people aren’t enthused about it then he’ll stop the show. And he did. Just flat out ended it, got the same volunteer to unwrap him and unlock the padlocks, untied the ropes. Then he just said that he’s sorry some of us weren’t into it and if anyone still wishes to support him or grab a pint with him, he would be grateful. Some people throw him a few pounds or a 5-note. But nowhere near what he would likely have gotten had he succeeded. I don’t mean to suggest this is unique to Glasgow. But I do wonder if any of you have encountered this fellow or any similar acts by buskers. The most logical explanation is that something went wrong and he couldn’t get out and had to blame the crowd as a scapegoat. Alternately, perhaps the whole thing is an elaborate con and he can never get out of the chains, but relies on the donations he nevertheless gets for his efforts. I think it’s either one of these but would welcome your own thoughts and observations. Thanks!
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/gt0vdl/help_me_resolve_my_glasgow_busker_mystery_from/
Created	Fri 29th May 2020 9:41pm
Status	normal (Removed by [])

Hello people of r/Glasgow! I was thinking about this today for some reason and thought I might stop puzzling and see if anyone here can actually help. I am from Canada. Glasgow was my first ever European destination, and I flew over there in August 2008 with my brother.

I can’t remember the exact location, but I believe we were somewhere downtown on a small pedestrian street and stopped to watch a busker’s performance, midafternoon. The performer was a lanky Australian who did some magic tricks and told jokes and a sizeable circular crowd gathered around him as he worked everyone up.

His “final act” was an escape bit where he got himself tied up in all manner of things from which he was to escape. I believe this included ropes, chains with padlocks, and plastic wrap and tape to top it off. He looked like a mummy. A volunteer from the audience had to put the locks and plastic wrap and chains on. I can’t remember if he used more than one volunteer.

By this point we had been watching for 15-20 minutes and were kind of invested. It would have been impressive to see him escape.

So as he prepared to get out, he did the classic busker routine of asking the crowd to cheer to show support. The first cheer wasn’t loud enough, and he asked us to do it again. It was louder but not deafening. I mean this crowd wasn’t the supporters section at a football match, it was just a good 25’-diameter closed circle of people. After the second “insufficient” cheer he asked us again and kind of scolded us for not being louder, and said he’ll ask one more time, counts to 3 and we all cheer. It was a fine cheer, wouldn’t raise the dead, but whatever. Adequate in my books.

The busker just stopped there, acted really let down and scolded us again, saying if people aren’t enthused about it then he’ll stop the show. And he did. Just flat out ended it, got the same volunteer to unwrap him and unlock the padlocks, untied the ropes. Then he just said that he’s sorry some of us weren’t into it and if anyone still wishes to support him or grab a pint with him, he would be grateful. Some people throw him a few pounds or a 5-note. But nowhere near what he would likely have gotten had he succeeded.

I don’t mean to suggest this is unique to Glasgow. But I do wonder if any of you have encountered this fellow or any similar acts by buskers.

The most logical explanation is that something went wrong and he couldn’t get out and had to blame the crowd as a scapegoat. Alternately, perhaps the whole thing is an elaborate con and he can never get out of the chains, but relies on the donations he nevertheless gets for his efforts. I think it’s either one of these but would welcome your own thoughts and observations.

Thanks!