There’s something about spontaneous street performances done right that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. American busker Matthew Pretty delivered a classic performance when he roped in four strangers off the street to hold pots and pans for him to solo on and went viral in the process. The talented drummer, who is also known as The Bucket Boy, asked three kids from the audience to hold up pans for him, while a man from the crowd completed the kit by holding up a cymbal.
Pretty kept up a dance beat on a plastic drum while he set this all up, keeping the crowd entertained with his perky attitude. Once his drum kit was set up with the help of his four volunteers, Pretty graduated from playing on the plastic drum to soloing on the pots and pans, creating a groove that sounded surprisingly good considering the unconventional instruments involved. The different pots and pans each created different tones, and this combined with Pretty’s skills to sound really great.
YouTuber Shin Kuf uploaded the video, titling it “Short film about happiness,” presumably in reference to the fun and carefree vibe of the ad hoc performance. The video attracted 2.8 million views on the platform since its upload on July 18, 2022. Pretty gave the performance at the Alexanderplatz, which is a large public square in central Berlin that’s well known as a center for street performances.
Pretty, who hails from Los Angeles, California, describes himself as an international drummer and percussionist. He definitely lives up to this title, as Pretty has gone viral with multiple street performances all over the world. His solo at Edinburgh Festival Fringe is his most popular video to date and also features a spontaneous performance with participation from crowd members. The video drew in a whopping 69.1 million views on Pretty’s YouTube channel, The Bucket Boy.
Despite the huge success of his viral YouTube video, Pretty has not uploaded on his channel for seven years. However, we are happy to let our readers on The Music Man know that the talented drummer has been active elsewhere on his socials, making regular posts on his Instagram and TikTok accounts.
Pretty showcases a variety of performances online. He’s recently gained attention by collaborating with a didgeridoo player and beatboxer, as well as experimenting with performances on novel instruments such as bollards, the pavement, and even an iPhone.
If you would like to hear more from this talented drummer, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Be sure to follow him on Instagram as well.