devonshire street tunnel

2006-08-04T19:52:00.000+10:00

Morning

A few more new murals. Looks like a series celebrating some great sporting moments.

Bananas $2.00
The little blighters were up to $2.50 last week

2006-07-30T19:03:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

The first batch of new murals is up. Can't say I'm all that impressed, the styles are a bit dated. They might grow on me I guess.

Anyway, here's the pick of them so far.

2006-07-20T17:52:00.000+10:00

Feeling sentimental about the missing murals, I sent a brief thank you email to the Public Art Squad. I got very interesting replies from two of the original artists.

David Humphries:

"Two of the murals were a collaboration with Aboriginal artist Banduk Marika, who won the prestigious Telstra National Aboriginal Award. Her mural depicts a sacred place, Yalangbara, a beach and water source place in Arnham land where her ancestors landed."

Rodney Monk described his efforts to preserve the murals:

"I approached City Rail/RailCorp in a number of ways, at a number of levels and on a number of times from 1986 to last year regarding re-painting some of the existing and the development of new murals for the tunnel. It was a fruitless task and eventually I discovered that City Rail did not value these artworks, commissioned by them and created in the mid 1980's via a professional art group dynamic enough to restore them and develop new ones.

As I understand it the payment to (youth) artist for the new works is to be an mp3 player. Lets hope that the works are good."

Some other Sydney landmarks painted by Rodney:

2006-07-18T17:47:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

A blanker than usual experience walking through the tunnel this week. The murals are gone – painted over with a dirty yellow, hopefully temporary.

Some new murals coming soon? Well it won't be the winners of the 150 Years of NSW Rail mural competition. I hope RailCorp is sensible enough to use professional artists rather than enthusiastic high school students. Unfortunately, one of these options is expensive and the other is free.

As one bunch of Public Art Squad murals sets up camp in the memory, another rises from the ashes of time ...

These murals on Pilgrim House, corner of Pitt and Park Streets, had been painted over since 2001. The Squad's campaign to restore them must have succeeded – back in pristine condition.

2006-07-15T19:08:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

This poor kid was quite alarmed by an ear-splitting performance of "Nessun Dorma".

2006-07-04T19:32:00.000+10:00

Morning

Pert, pretty, pious and a darned fine ventriloquist, Geraldine Ragan was the quintessential Miss America.

2006-06-24T22:36:00.000+10:00

Morning

After a period of traumatic personnel changes, Kronos Quartet debut with their new lineup.

2006-05-16T20:33:00.000+10:00

The Fruit Baron has been banana barren for a fortnight. In the last days, the price rose to $1.20. Then one day they were selling tiny spotty ones for 50c. Next day they were gone.

My corner store has horribly unripe ones for $10.95 a kilo; about $2 each. They’ve pasted up a couple of Daily Tele articles that predict bananas will be $14 a kilo soon. There was a letter in the Herald calling bananas the “caviar of fruit”.

Metamucil has launched a marketing blitz, with a range of delicious new flavours. Coincidence or flagrant, shameless opportunism ...?

2006-04-10T18:15:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Che Guevara selling a selection of novelty bongs.

2006-04-06T18:31:00.000+10:00

Morning

Singer-songwriter specialist cuts off "Better Days" and starts gesturing to someone 15 metres down the tunnel. SSS emphatically points him towards the other end of the tunnel. As I walk past the other guy he's standing uncertainly, holding a stool, with a music stand poking out of his backpack. After a pause he makes his decision and sets the stool down where he is.

Bananas 80c

2006-04-04T16:00:00.000+10:00

A notice at the western end of the tunnel on Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, someone had written on it "This is awesome!" By Monday afternoon, it was gone.

btw, and jfthoi, a Rainbow Bee Eaters mural in Croydon:

Bananas $1.00

2006-03-31T23:40:00.000+11:00

Morning

Mikhail Baryshnikov's extraordinary pas de deux with a Tiffany dog lamp.

Bananas $1.20

2006-03-23T21:46:00.000+11:00

Morning

Bananas have jumped to $1 since Cyclone Larry flattened the crop in north Queensland.

Afternoon

In the Pearl Tea shop under Railway Square they're playing the 70's instrumental "Popcorn" over the speakers. A 5 year old kid stands in the corner waving her arms in some sort of robot spasm dance.

2006-03-10T18:19:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

An arthritic rockabilly singer does some painful looking hip swivels.
"When George and Laura do the bop on the lawn
They're rockin' in the White House all night long"

2006-03-06T18:44:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

2006-02-28T19:58:00.000+11:00

Morning

A valve amplifier playing Bert Jansch's "Needle of Death" at a lightnin' fast 220 bpm.

2006-02-24T19:41:00.000+11:00

Morning

Professor Kettlewell's robot on its way to an unprovoked, gratuitously cruel, merciless, unrestrainedly excessive, capricious and unjust orgy of wanton carnage in the tunnel.

2006-02-23T18:57:00.000+11:00

Morning

Bananas 60c

Afternoon

A piano and upright bass duo play Fats Waller's "You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew". They've set up much too close to a woodwind, guitar and vocal trio playing arrangements of liturgical plainchant by Hildegard of Bingen. Unfortunately the combination often creates accidental augmented 4th harmonies, also known as diabolus in musica or "The Devil's Interval", which terrify passing commuters.

2006-02-17T18:07:00.000+11:00

Morning

"Three Furies for Solo Tuba", performed by a carrot.

2006-02-14T22:35:00.000+11:00

Morning

Bananas 80c

Paul Bremer, ex-head of the Iraq provisional government, was interviewed by Fran on Radio National this morning. I'm pretty sure he said "Australia is one of our most stench-arse supporters."

2006-02-13T18:12:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

King Neptune and his Switched-on Seaweeders perform some Gilbert & Sullivan light opera numbers from HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance.

2005-12-19T20:51:00.000+11:00

Morning

Outside the station ticket office a young woman covered in red and green foam reindeer antlers is singing "Winter Wonderland" and doing a dance routine. The station staff look bemused.

"That's what I like about me. I don't do Christmas."

2005-12-16T16:49:00.000+11:00

Morning

Islander guy walking through the tunnel with a guitar in one hand and milk crate in the other. Walks past an accordionist playing a Christmas carol.
Guitarist: "Do you mind if I play just up here?" Points down the tunnel.
Accordionist stops playing for a moment: "Oh yeah... Earshot, that's the main thing." Picks up the carol from where he left off.

Afternoon

On my way home the guitarist's still playing, and he's superb, great R'n'B voice and subtle strumming style.

2005-12-15T20:02:00.000+11:00

Morning

"Take it Easy" - woman with a very nice country voice. Man drops some coins but they miss the guitar case and roll along the tiles, with him in pursuit. She says "That's alright. Thanks darling."

2005-12-01T19:43:00.000+11:00

Morning

"Sail Away" - singer songwriter specialist on a Neil Young jag. A woman starts talking to him, and calls over her husband/boyfriend/brother/other to introduce him. H/B/B/O apologises to SSS - "She's always doing stupid shit like this". SSS laughs and slaps him on the back. Couple walk away, him haranguing her, her looking utterly forlorn.

Bananas 90c

2005-11-24T22:04:00.000+11:00

Morning

"Comes a Time" - the singer-songwriter specialist.

Bananas 70c

2005-11-17T17:35:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

Bananas 60c

"Mr Jones" - white guy playing acoustic guitar. Even though he's not singing it very well, it's clear this song was written to be busked.

"He was texting me all night from the game. The last one at 3:30 said 'Billy Ocean is on the radio'. Who makes jokes about Billy Ocean?!?"

2005-11-11T17:54:00.000+11:00

Morning

The sitar player:

Young aboriginal man on didgeridoo.

Chinese man on the banjo-ish instrument.

Bananas 70c

Afternoon

Lots of acoustic guitarists, including a man with a blue guitar who doesn't appear to be able to play, he's strumming randomly and saying hello to us all.

A Japanese guy has a sign in front reading

"My name is Daisuke
I think music crosses the borders
Please listen to my music"

On a closer look, the stickers have different messages on them. One ominously says:

Taking
Down
Transits

2005-11-09T21:49:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

"Desperate Ain't Lonely" - acoustic guitar & harmonica. Nice to hear someone playing a recent song (it's by Whiskeytown).

"Join the fight to destroy the Howard government's industrial relations legislation." Man with an incredibly loud, penetrating voice. The rally is on November 15th, meeting at Belmore Park at 8:30am.

2005-11-08T19:50:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

Someone has put stickers along the tunnel wall reading

Thrashing
Dem
Trains

Bananas 80c

2005-11-02T17:40:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

"Last Night I had the Strangest Dream" - the blind woman with a beautiful clear folk voice.

Bananas 60c

2005-11-01T18:27:00.000+11:00

Afternoon

"How Deep is Your Love" - a very good approximation of Barry Gibb's breathy singing style. Also, an interesting strum'n'slap guitar technique.

Chinese guy on the transverse flute, with that distinctive tone.

Bananas 70c

2005-10-25T17:46:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Chinese woman playing a cello on a spike. She's sitting on two milk crates with her legs dangling, and she looks tiny.

Bananas $1.00

2005-10-21T17:40:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

White guy with shaggy hair playing a varnished light-coloured didgeridoo.

Benji (thebeatboxer).

Folkie strummer with long blonde hair. "Hey there baby, don't say maybe, won't you try my home cooked recipe."

2005-10-20T19:42:00.000+10:00

Morning

Alto saxophonist. Beautifully amplified by the clear acoustics of the tunnel.

"Baby I Love Your Way" - DVD guy.

Bananas 80c

2005-10-18T20:10:00.000+10:00

Morning

"Losing My Religion" - the peroxided hair guy.

The sitar player with big glasses.

Afternoon

Hippie couple, both with long blonde hair. Him strumming, her singing Judy Collins-style.

2005-10-17T18:49:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

"We're All Alone" - acoustic guitar duo, lead player amplified.

2005-10-14T19:38:00.000+10:00

Morning

"Whiter Shade of Pale" - peroxided man, whistles the famous organ part. He sings in a kind of low-key Australian male rock voice, Steve Kilbey / Tim Freedman style.

Afternoon

Two regulars together - the human beatbox with the reggae guitarist. Very funky combination.

Electric jazz guitarist, mellow Wes Montgomery groove.

Bananas $1.00

2005-10-10T19:49:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 90c

Young white guy in a cap with a dope leaf on it playing a tango on the accordion.

"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" - the blind woman with a remarkable, clear voice.

Afternoon

Japanese pair, one on bongos, the other on didgeridoo.

2005-10-07T18:20:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Human beatbox sitting on the tiles, emitting his usual funky beats. Schoolkid walking past starts rapping along, while his homies bust a few moves.

2005-10-05T17:57:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas have hit the psychologically significant dollar mark. This could spell the end of the Howard government.

Could it be that the long predicted banana shortage is beginning to bite? The other day I found an article about this in a New Scientist lying around the Ponds Lunchroom (which, incidentally, used to be called the Breakout Room, until someone delicately raised the worrying skin care connotations).

Apparently banana yields in many parts of the world have been diminishing for decades, and it could disappear entirely within 10 years. The problem is that the edible banana plant is sterile – it's been propagated from cuttings since prehistory. The genetic uniformity that's resulted from a lack of sexual reproduction makes it highly vulnerable to pests and diseases. Fungal diseases have destroyed plantations in poor countries in Africa and South America, and are only controlled in the developed world by massive fungicide spraying. One fungus, Panama disease, isn't controllable by spraying and is rapidly spreading. Researchers are frantically hand-pollinating commercial varieties with wild fertile inedible bananas, trying to create new disease resistant varieties. The only successful hybrid they’ve created to date has hit market resistance for tasting more like an apple than a banana.

So maybe the crisis in the banana market is causing prices to skyrocket. On the other hand, I guess they could just be out of season.

Afternoon

"Holding Back the Years" - nylon string acoustic guitar, man in mid 30s with very neat beard.

2005-09-30T17:06:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 80c

2005-09-29T17:32:00.000+10:00

Morning

"Beautiful in My Eyes" - a singer-songwriter specialist. I've also heard him playing Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell & (I think) John Denver, and now Joshua Kadison.

Afternoon

"The Last Time" - man with curly greying hair, playing guitar and harmonica. Stops after a verse & chorus to chat with someone.

Brass duo, sax & trombone, playing something minimalist. Repeated 8 note phrase on the saxophone.

I've started dropping cards with the blog's URL with the buskers as I walk past. If any of you visit, add a comment to the posts - correct details I get wrong, add anything I miss, mention things about performing that day or busking experiences in general. The performer's perspective instead of just my spectator observations each day.

2005-09-28T20:58:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Aboriginal man and his daughter, with dot paintings spread out on a blanket. "Yeah, I heard the other guy is a bit pricey," he says to a prospective buyer. Wonder if they're talking about Urrunga, the usual dot painter who sets up in this spot?

Young woman flautist, playing something Bach-like.

"About a Boy" - anglo man on a blue acoustic guitar with an aboriginal flag sticker.

4 yr old girl on bus: "There's more than 17 people standing up! If there's more than 17 people the bus will break!"

2005-09-26T19:39:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 90c

Acoustic guitarist with a music stand. He's not very familiar with the song, pauses to find the chords.

Young guy singing by himself, punches his palm, does some uncertain dance steps. His windscreen cleaner is on the floor next to him, and he's using his bucket as the collection tin. Fallback option on a rainy morning.

"He stepped outside the whole Tax Act!"

2005-09-12T20:48:00.000+10:00

The annual Ponds corporate games retreat starts this week, so I won't be walking through the tunnel for a while. Should be back in a fortnight, unless there’s some sort of terrible paintball incident.

I found a website about the Public Art Squad, who painted the old murals in the tunnel (their site says it was 1987, but some of the murals are dated 1986). Turns out they're a professional outfit who've had plenty of private and public commissions over the years. It's worth flicking through the site, they've done lots of interesting work.

Here's a photo from the site of one of their DST murals, now long gone, which I vividly remember:

2005-09-08T17:54:00.000+10:00

Morning

"It's All Over Now Baby Blue" - the SE asian guitarist.

Afternoon

I’m walking through earlier than usual, at around 1:30. There’s a woman singing two lines over & over, one of which is "introducing systems of childhood sexual slavery". It’s very confronting - can see discomfort on the face of everyone passing.

2005-09-06T20:04:00.000+10:00

Morning

The guitar & didge player:

Bananas 80c

Afternoon

White guy with long dark hair in a ponytail playing a guitar with a resonator, very nice sound. "Get on the rollercoaster ... Get on the helter skelter ..."

Another ponytailed guitarist, perfunctory singing and playing. Stops mid-song to tune.

2005-09-05T18:14:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Someone playing flute in the tunnels of Central. I can't see them but can hear the echoing flute.

"With or Without You" - young Mediterranean guy on guitar, powerful voice.

Marketing hucksters of some sort under Railway Square. "How you doin', the man in black," they hail the guy in front of me. He ignores them.

Bananas 90c

2005-08-29T18:54:00.000+10:00

Bananas 80c

2005-08-26T19:45:00.000+10:00

Morning

The young blind woman with beautiful voice, also playing an autoharp.

"London Bridge is Falling Down" - harmonica player.

"Jamaica Farewell" - the DVD selling guitarist.

Afternoon

Young male violinist in sporty clothes, switching rapidly from Beethoven's 5th to "What Shall We do with the Drunken Sailor?" to an Irish jig, possibly in response to being hassled by a man in an Akubra hat.

Young woman guitarist, eyes closed, singing with Sinead O'Connor intensity.

Electric guitarist with amp poking out of the top of his backpack.

2005-08-24T20:18:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 90c

The didgeridoo & guitar player. I've realised he faces the wall so he can hold the didge in place between the floor & wall.

Afternoon

Young violinist playing the Godfather theme.

Harmonica and foot bells man.

2005-08-23T17:49:00.000+10:00

Morning

Middle aged anglo man playing "Mull of Kintyre" on the harmonica. Beautifully played: the 'lonesome prairie' sound, with plenty of vibrato.

One of my favorites, the puppeteer:

Afternoon

Another harmonica player, with bells attached to his stomping right foot.

The young Chinese solo singer. I usually like her voice but she sounds a bit strident today.

2005-08-22T19:26:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Finally spotted the erhu player playing his other instrument, the banjo-shaped one, and it sounds like a... um... banjo.

Bananas 70c

2005-08-21T14:28:00.000+10:00

Here are my favorites of the Devonshire Street Tunnel murals. All three of these were painted in 1986, I think, and despite a bit of graffiti have lasted pretty well.

The crop of '86 murals was remarkably good, though most have been replaced over the years with inferior, less imaginative ones. Apparently all the current murals will soon be replaced by a new look Devonshire Street Tunnel mural series on "150 years of rail transport in NSW". Hmm.

While I'm at it, here's a couple of pics of another commuter hot-spot, the Domain Moving Walkway:

2005-08-19T19:44:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Electric jazz guitarist, with a small retro looking amp.

The human beatbox. Friend sits beside him nodding in time.

2005-08-18T21:55:00.000+10:00

Morning

Young blind woman with incredibly beautiful clear voice, singing "The Water is Wide" I think.

"You're too serious! You're too straight! Loosen up brothers, you're allowed to smile!" Aboriginal man with long grey-flecked beard and big grin, calling out to the passing commuters.

2005-08-15T17:38:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Man sitting on a crate holding but not playing a pair of bongos. Man standing next to him trying to scrape a No Smoking sticker from the wall tiles.

"Memories" - young woman, a cappella.

Guy in Ben Harper-style beard & beanie singing a reggae song, nylon string guitar.

2005-08-11T21:42:00.000+10:00

Morning

Peroxided dude. I don't know the song, but it includes the line "my darling beyond the sun".

Erhu player.

"Big Yellow Taxi" - the SE asian guitarist.

Afternoon

Young & nervous looking pair: Chinese woman with wavering but very pretty voice, accompanied by anglo guy fingerpicking guitar, studying the lyric sheets.

2005-08-10T17:46:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Blues guitar & harmonica. Nylon string acoustic with flash paint job.

Another nylon string player, slightly out of tune. Player stares intensely at the stream of people.

Charcoal drawings of skull-like beasts, some with half eaten legs sticking out of their mouths.

The Irish fiddler again.

Every day the Scientologists are set up directly under Railway Square, offering free stress tests. Table covered with copies of "Dianetics". Always plenty of stress-test takers.

2005-08-09T19:45:00.000+10:00

Morning

"I Shot the Sheriff" - stick thin young white guy, peroxided hair, barre-chording on acoustic guitar.

Chinese man with puppet on strings. The doll in traditional face paint and silk clothes, flute in one hand and waving with the other, bobbing up and down in his stand to keyboard-sweetened flute music.

Bananas 70c

2005-08-08T20:08:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 60c

2005-08-05T18:32:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 70c

Middle aged Aboriginal man sits facing the wall, alternates loudly strumming 3 or 4 chords on 12-string acoustic guitar with playing a didgeridoo and hitting sticks.

"The Tide is High" - the DVD guy. Cheery "Good morning" to a passing commuter.

Afternoon

Young woman on the fiddle, playing Irish music.

Police having earnest discussion with young man with a clarinet sticking out of his backpack.

2005-08-04T20:26:00.000+10:00

Morning

Bananas 60c

"All Along the Watchtower" - south-east asian guy with guitar & harmonica. Harmonica solos are very faithful to the Dylan original.

Afternoon

Doleful acoustic pair, one at either end of the tunnel. Woman in floppy blue cap sitting on the tiles, Alanis-style howl. Young man singing in an inaudible mumble.

2005-07-27T19:44:00.000+10:00

Morning

"I Can See Clearly Now" sung by black guy with a powerful voice on acoustic guitar, selling music DVDs on the side.

2005-07-26T18:17:00.000+10:00

Afternoon

Young guy with big glasses playing the sitar, with flowers on his amp.

2005-07-25T20:06:00.000+10:00

Morning

Chinese man playing the erhu - traditional stringed instrument - with an interesting looking banjo-shaped instrument beside him.

Afternoon

'Urunga' working on his mini dot paintings, and selling them.

The human beatbox, one man funk machine, throwing in a few "aoww"s and "bzzzzt"s.

Bananas 70c

"The George Foreman Grill looks cool. I've got George the Juicer..."