During my 15-minute conversation with Eric Gudmunsen, three people go out of their way to stop and chat to the Dundee busker.
If you’ve seen him around, bursting into choruses of ‘Baby Shark’ when little ones pass, or bantering with shoppers, you’ll know why.
“I love to make folk smile, and I get killed with kindness here,” says Eric, 63.
“Sometimes literally. I have been stopped mid-urination in the Overgate toilets to be paid a compliment on my music!”
One lady is already there when I arrive at the Dundee shopping centre, where Eric is set up in his usual busking spot under the streetlamp, with his guitar, harmonica and folding chair.
A case with a smattering of coins sits at his feet, and he’s playing a suitably sombre rendition of Danny Boy.
When he finishes, the lady – who evidently requested the song – thanks him, saying someone close to her “would have loved that”.
They share a few kind words, and she departs.
A few minutes later, a man comes up to Eric, who has put down his guitar for a moment.
“I love hearing you sing, pal,” the man says. “Especially my favourite one – Caledonia.”
Eric beams and tells him that he’ll play that one next.
And not 2 minutes later, another kind man appears with a Baynes ham and cheese roll, and hands it to the musician, thanking him for “cheering the city centre up”.
“I love [busking], I feel I was born to do this,” Eric says happily.
“But I do miss being on the stage.”
How did Eric the busker spend years in the Canary Islands?
A professional entertainer for most of his working life, Eric has shared stages with the likes of Shane MacGowan, Christy Moore and the Wolfe Tones.
He grew up in Dundee but only returned to his hometown in 2022 after 20 years living in Killarney, Ireland
He also spent seven years “earning my cojones” by doing stand-up every night at his own comedy club in Lanzarote.
“That was where I learned my chops, because I could just get up there and do four or five hours of jokes a night,” reveals Eric.
“It’s where I got the nerve to joke with people and playfully insult them.”
Indeed, passers-by outside Boots in the city centre may be used to Eric’s teasing.
“I’d never actually try to insult folk,” Eric says. “As far as I’m concerned, when I’m out here, it’s all good, clean fun.”
But now Eric’s adding some slightly naughtier, less clean fun to his repertoire with two upcoming Folk’n’Jokes live shows in Dundee.
“My show is a mix of folk songs and jokes. And some of the songs are rude, and some of the jokes are choice!” laughs the TikTok-famous performer, who is working with Dundee comedy outfit Icebreaker to put on these shows.
“It’s sort of Eric the Busker: Unchained.”
‘Proper jokes, with proper punchlines’
The show, he explains, will be “good stories and proper jokes, with proper punchlines”, mixing political and observational humour, rather than relying crowd work.
“I like comedians like Stewart Lee, or Bill Burr,” he says. “Kevin Bridges has a slant I can listen to, as well.”
And the music will be a mix of well-kent folk songs and originals from the independent artist.
“I did a show in Edinburgh at the Fringe a couple of years ago, and I remember I played a song I’d written that was quite sad.
“A lady used to come and stand right here and listen to me busking, and she’d died, so I’d written this song for her. And there was this American guy in that audience absolutely sobbing his heart out.
“Then 90 seconds later, I had him laughing his arse off. That’s what it’s about.”
Why does Eric not like playing pubs?
Rather than do weekly rounds of the local pub circuit, independent artist Eric says he’d rather spend his days busking and do “five or six shows a year” if he can.
“In pubs, you’re the second form of entertainment; the first is alcohol,” he observes.
“I remember once, I was playing a pub over in Ireland, and who walked in but Stewart Lee?
“I’d written a song inspired by something he’d written in The Guardian, so I asked him if I could play it for him. There was only about five folk in the place, and he sat down with his drink to listen.
“Well of course, the resident drunk sat next to him and started bending Stewart’s ear about some nonsense. He got up and left before the end of the song.”
Could shows be Dundee busker Eric’s big break come late?
For Eric, the initial goal is to sell out 100 seats in his home city come Easter, at his Little Theatre gig.
And if that goes well? Perth, Forfar, or as far as it takes him.
“I’ve been looking for a break my whole life, and it kind of never came,” Eric shrugs good-naturedly.
“I’m happy where I am, but if it comes late, I’m happy as well!
“I’m not going looking for fame and fortune. But if it comes looking for me, I wouldn’t turn it away.”
- Eric Gudmunsen plays The Park Bar, Dundee, for St Patrick’s Day on March 15 and The Little Theatre, Dundee, for Easter on April 19 2025.
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