Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
Business

Musician to attempt longest busking session world record at Tamworth Country Music Festival

First he set a world record for the longest guitar-playing session at 125 hours in 2018, then he attempted another world record last year to give a 25-hour guitar lesson.  

Now, Wollongong musician Scotty Burford has travelled to the home of country music in Australia to attempt the world's longest busking session.

Mr Burford opened the guitar case on Peel Street at the Tamworth Country Music Festival at 9am this morning and finish at 11:30am tomorrow.

"I'm basically relying on willpower for this one," he said.

"I'm thinking I'll be ok because I don't have to play guitar the whole time, I just have to be busking.

"I've worked out a very long song list for myself so I can keep track of everything without having to think too much.

"But one of my mates will jump up and play a song and I'll sing and play tambourine with him."

Having played at the festival in the past, Mr Burford has other friends who have volunteered to come and play alongside him when they are not playing their own gigs.

'I don't mind being a bit of an idiot'

While most musicians are relieved to finish at the end of a long gig, Mr Burford relishes the challenge of a marathon performance.

"I've been given permission by the council to go for as long as I want," he said.

"Everyone else has to stop at a certain time and I'm going all through the night."

Festival organisers have positioned Mr Burford near Peel Street's main stage and next to the pub, which will bode well for drawing a crowd.

"I don't mind being a bit of an idiot and loud mouth on the mic," he said.

"As people walk by, I'll be calling out between songs and telling people what I'm about."

The busking challenge will raise money for Ronald McDonald House in Sydney, where the musician regularly plays for families using the service.

He is also raising money for Movember.

"That comes from a mate of mine who [died by suicide] when we weren't much more than kids and it's never left me, so everything I've done for mental health has been because of that," Mr Burford said.

How long will he busk for?

The time to beat to claim the Guinness World Record is 26 hours, which Mr Burford intends to break by 30 minutes.

"Given I went five days [for the longest guitar-playing session], 26 hours might seem like it's not too bad, but the other one was five years ago so I was younger and fitter then," he said.

"I heard Tamworth last night was 37 degrees [Celsius] at 6pm, so that might be a challenge too."

The guitarist said he was feeling physically prepared ahead of the attempt.

"My hands are in good shape overall because I've been doing a lot of gigs, but I can even just sing if I want to."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.