In 2015, U2 did something unexpected to say the least, when they played a prank on passengers at a New York City subway station. Their subway ride turned out to be a ticket out of everyday monotony. And all it took was a few instruments, some well-known U2 songs and some battered old jackets.
What happened was this: members of the Irish rock band disguised as street musicians went down to the platform of the underground station and started playing well-known hits. There was also a video of the performance which showed people just smiling a little at first, but then more and more people noticed that the singer’s face looked familiar. By the end, a large audience had gathered around them, and by then it was obvious to many that the singer could sing the chorus so well because he was no other than Bono. Street music has always had a unique charm. Some street musicians describe their art as giving passers-by the gift of a few minutes of a concert experience.
The Street Music Festival has a been an integral part of Veszprém’s festival programme for 20 years, yet it stands out from the crowd. You shouldn’t expect huge stages here, as the whole city centre is transformed into one big stage. This is when street musicians from all over Europe come to Veszprém, and in their simple yet creative way (sometimes even barefoot) take to the streets and perform. Sometimes with guitars, sometimes with just an accordion. If we told you that Tamás Hevesi or Marci Likó from the successful Hungarian band Vad Fruttik also started out as street musicians, you can be sure that joyful music-making is also accompanied by true musical professionalism, and only Veszprém can deliver this cavalcade of world music in such a simple fashion on the streets.
