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Gaze upon the awesomeness of Nick Crump's toilet-turned-instrument, "The Bog Horn" submitted by Flickr member pocket-sized.
Nick has created several instruments using plumbing hardware as part of the three year Confluence project, initiated by the environmental charity Common Ground.
Nick describes the Bog Horn:
It is classified as a brass instrument as the sound is generated with a trumpet and trombone mouthpiece. It is also a twin instrument as two people can play it at once, having a treble pipe and a bass pipe. The bass pipe has a wider bore and goes through the U-bend, the treble pipe is longer and narrower and goes through the cold water inlet into the bowl. The range with both pipes is over three and a half octaves. The sound resembles across between a euphonium and a french horn. It has six holed chanters that give the notes between the natural harmonics, plus a neat foot operated lid lifting device that acts as a mute.
Photos on Flickr - Link
Visit Nick Crump's website to see more-Link
Common Ground environmental/arts awareness group - Link
About 35 years ago in Worcester, MA, I saw some folk singer, I have no idea what his name was, playing The Star Spangled Banner on a somewhat similar instrument; he called it a Sousaflush. Needless to say he closed the lid for the "And the rockets' red glare..." section. No pulley, though -- his plumbing curved around in such a way that he could reach the lid with one hand.
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The performer you're thinking of is Paul Cole AKA Sargeant Pepperoni's Lonely One Man Band.
Not sure what happened to him. He was one of the folks who fought hard for buskers' rights in Boston. I also believe that he had some kind of record for the highest number of instruments being played synchronously (around 30?).
In addition to busking, he also did college campuses (sort of like an East Coast Dana Atchley, who did storytelling on the West Coast) and helped start the street singers cooperative in Boston.
I don't know where he is now.
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