Musician takes note of busking tradition (From The Northern Echo)

Musician takes note of busking tradition

4:03am Thursday 8th May 2008 in

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KEVIN Leadbitter is following the footsteps of his busking father - by keeping alive the tradition of the one man band.

The taxi driver can be found most Sundays playing for crowds of visitors in Whitby.

The 66-year-old's father, also called Kevin, played accordion on the streets of Manchester after leaving Teesside to look for work during the Great Depression of the Thirties.

On his return to the region, he played the piano in pubs.

Mr Leadbitter, from Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough, said: "I've always been surrounded by instruments and used to play the harmonica in country bands.

"I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father as a busker, but also do something different."

The father-of-four estimates that he has spent £1,000 on props and instruments since starting to perform about seven months ago.

He now plays the harmonica, drums, bells and tambourine - and has a repertoire of more than 100 songs.

Mr Leadbitter said: "I've tried to get back to a very traditional English way of playing.

"I try to get kids involved and have instruments that they can play.

"I really enjoy it and I think other people enjoy the basic type of entertainment."

It takes the musician more than half-an-hour to get ready to perform.

Mr Leadbitter says he always makes sure his show is a hit with passers-by. If you start playing and it's rubbish, people will walk away," he said.

"You have to be spot on and, even in the bad weather, you have to be professional.

"Even if there aren't many people there, you have to give a performance.

"People think it's easy, but it's not."

The effort required to play all the different instruments and the weight of the equip- ment means Mr Leadbitter can only play for two hours at a time.

The number of instruments also means it is impossible for him to go to the toilet when he starts.

The musician says he busks as a hobby and does not make much money.

"The main thing is the challenge," he said. "It's trying to get something out of something else.

"I will pick instruments up and try them. If something is not quite right, I'll try again the next time."