An interview with The Sonic Manipulator
In spite of being arguably one of Melbourne's most recognisable musicians, Claude Woodward has never had a hit CD, nor packed out a concert hall.
He's neither famous, nor rich, and the majority of his fans would struggle to recognise the lyrics from any of his songs.
Yet if you happened to ask the average Melburnian if they had seen a rapping, singing spaceman who performs regularly in the city's CBD, most would know exactly who you're talking about.
Under the pseudonym "The Sonic Manipulator", Woodward has developed a popular following over the last five years.
Covered from head to toe with metallic material and sporting a refurbished motorcycle helmet which has been painted silver, Woodward is well known as a busker and manages to consistently draw large crowds to his three weekly shows.
As a musician, however, he remains unsigned and unrecognised.
Musician and inventor
For the 1200 registered buskers within the city who determinedly and often unashamedly peddle their musical wares throughout the year, recognition is hard to come by.
And even for the lucky few such as Woodward, who manage to develop an act that is both well received and recognised, a living can be difficult to forge.
While being generally appreciated and adding undeniable charm to city centres around the world, most buskers will never be wealthy or even dream of facing the same levels of adulation as their on-stage peers.
So what motivates some of Melbourne's most talented street performers to play to a crowd who are, from the outset, too busy to stop and appreciate their musical abilities?
"Well I'm still hoping to make it big," says Woodward, who describes himself as "a musician and an inventor". "Just like I have been for the past 35 years," he adds with a wry smile.
When I meet Woodward outside his regular Sunday afternoon spot opposite Federation Square he has more of the looks of an aging rocker than the "intergalactic superstar" he describes himself as being.
In spite of no recognised training in electronics, Woodward opens a box crammed full of self-designed, hand-crafted devices all of which he explains in an enthusiastic gush of technical jargon.
And it's these elaborate, strange looking inventions such as "the Claudatron", the "rap rod " and the "radiolion" among others which have all helped to endear Woodward, originally from Perth, to the public of Melbourne.
Busking as a job
Woodward says he chose Melbourne after returning to Australia from the UK in 2003 and reading on the City of Melbourne's Council website that the CBD "welcomed buskers" and was keen to make them feel at home.
Having previously played classical jazz in London, he became the Sonic Manipulator more by accident than choice, having initially undertaken a six-week business course for the unemployed, which he describes as his "genesis".
"The course was brief and involved myself and my wife developing several business initiatives," Woodward said.
"One of them was busking as a regular job, which is what prompted me to give it a go, and the other was trying to develop and sell some of the ideas I'd had for instruments to mainstream companies," he added.
"In the meantime I also began working as a novelty act for a DJ whose girlfriend made me my first space suit without actually asking me whether I wanted it."
After this role came to an end Woodward kept the suit and combined it with the self-developed audio-machines he failed to sell off, and quickly became a hit at festivals and shows throughout the country.
He says that the name "Sonic Manipulator" came from his desire to modify electronic instruments to give them a less artificial and more "real" sound which could be varied as required.
"It doesn't matter if you've got an audience in a pub or on a corner somewhere," he says. "As long as you're playing to people, that's the fun part."
Woodward admits that when it comes to money he sometimes struggles with his inconsistent income, but says it's enough to make ends meet.
Describing a recent turnover of $26 in a day as exceptionally bad and saying that a good summer day would bring in approximately $150, he usually works four days a week for about 3 hours per day.
"It's a living, just like any other job," he says. "I'm not going to make a fortune, but I enjoy what I do and I think you have to," he adds.
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