In 2014, Pipe Guy, aka Jake Clark, uploaded his first video to YouTube and got 1 million views in the first week – it now has an unbelievable 53 MILLION views.
Pipe Guy is a street performer based in Adelaide, Australia. His instrument? A set of homemade PVC pipes taped together that he plays with a pair of flip flops. Obviously.
It’s not the most intuitive instrument to create, but when he started playing on the streets, he drew plenty of attention. The Tubulum (or Thong-a-fone) is actually a thing that’s been around for decades, but Pipe Guy put his own spin on his homemade version.
According to his Facebook page, “His music has been described as an acoustic version of contemporary electronic dance music.”
With so many views we just had to check it out and, to be honest, we’re amazed at the sound – in a good way!
He says of his music: “The result is a high energy performance that makes you feel like you’re in a nightclub as you walk down the street, or amplified on a stage accompanied by a drum machine and synthesizer for larger crowds.”
While he started out as a busker, Pipe Guy has now played events around the world and even stars in commercials. Here he is playing on stage at the Audi Motors Techno launch party in Köln, Germany:
Even with his relative fame, he’s still pretty excited when his favorite “drumsticks” go on sale:
Oddly enough, he wasn’t even a fan of techno music when he started, but it was best suited to the Tubulum, so he just went with it:
“I had never really liked dance music (techno, house etc), but my instrument and play style sounded exactly like it so I decided to embrace it…
After a while I had warmed up to techno and house music and have been learning to produce in this style so I can record my music. Now I simply love it!”
As you might imagine, banging on the pipes all day and traveling with his instrument takes a toll, so he has to build a new Thong-a-fone every now and then.
Out with the old, in with the new! He smashed the old one to pieces himself, surprising fans who expected him to sell it.
But now he has a shiny new homemade model:
While Clark did play the drums back in high school, there was no way to predict this kind of outcome for his musical career.
He’s now a full-time busker at the Rundle Mall in Adelaide, where locals and tourists alike come by to hear him and have their picture taken with the musician and his instrument.
And he’s been drawing in the crowds since the early days, partly because it’s truly amazing that he can play such great music on such a strange piece of equipment.
And if you’ve got the budget, Pipe Guy can indeed come play your event. He’s available to book for weddings, nightclub sets, parties, and stage shows by e-mailing [email protected].
But you’re probably going to have to pay to transport the Thong-a-fone too.
Be sure to scroll down to see the amazing video that nearly 54 million people have viewed. It’s sure to surprise you!
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