How many ways can you think of to use an old flip flop? For this bearded Aussie, there was only one: striking the ends of a set of carefully-tuned PVC pipes to bash out some techno (or ‘acoustic bass synth,’ as he calls it) – and he does it in the middle of a shopping centre to a large crowd.
The tie-dye-T-shirt-wearing busker bashes a bass drum – well, more like a box – while he rocks out in the centre of the shopping centre in Adelaide, South Australia, using only his flip flops to bash the ends of the pipe (to create different beats) and slap his thighs to mimic a clapping sound – or was it high hats he was going for?
Either way, this video of Pipe Guy performing in Rundle Mall, in August 2014, has been seen a colossal 8.7 million times.
This psychedelic chap has quite a following on social media too, with more than 46,000 Likes on his Facebook page, where people have left requests for him to teach them the art of making flip flop/pipe tunes following a gig in an Indian desert.
Back in his hometown of Adelaide, though, the flipfloppin’ musician gathers a huge crowd by the end of the clip, which includes a rendition of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes – and he never even takes his sunshades off. Enjoy.