Busking on the London Underground.

Subject: Busking on the London Underground.
From: The Shambles
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 04:33 AM

http://www.thetube.com/content/faq/busking.asp?exp=6

Could the plans for offical busking licences and pitches announced above by the London Underground, run into some difficulties under the new Licensing Bill?

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: sed
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:52 PM

I viewed enough of the busking website to get scornful of yet another attempt to control musicians who want to give music to passersby, sometimes in the hope of earning part of a living.

What a world we live in. It's sad. Very sad. Will it ever change? I'm again nonplussed.

Somehow it reminds me of Harry Chapin's pivotal song on the misuse of authority, "Flowers Are Red." Buskers (such as myself when I used to busk, when living in more urban environments) are much like the vulnerable child in Chapin's song. Eventually we are beaten down.

I ask God to re-build me for only one reason, so that I can sing about eternal salvation through his son, Jesus Christ.

Steve

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 02:36 PM

Is Mark McArdle still busking on the London Underground? Back in 1969 he showed me a few of the finer points of singing to people on the go. You don't need to memorize the whole tune.

wdyat24

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: Amos
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 03:05 PM

Down the way, trains are rumbling!
For some change, gents are fumbling!
Let's hope they don't stop,
Or call down a cop,
Busking on the London Underground.

(Old Christmas Song)

Further verses are left as an exercise for the student. :>)


A

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: The Shambles
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 04:52 AM

Perhaps Amos the song could be updated to include the proposed new licensed version of officially approved busking on the London Undeground?

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 09:17 AM

As a comparison, they have licensed buskers(although they don't use that term) in the New York City Subway system. Some are full electric bands who are provided a space to set up with power. When I retired a couple of years ago, a friend of mine hired a black blues guitarist he'd heard on a subway platform who is licensed by the city of New York. He's a real interesting guy.. plays the old country blues... probably in his 70's. For him, it's a real blessing to be able to make a modest living singing in the subways.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: sed
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 11:15 PM

One of the great things about busking (street singing) is that you can do it when you really WANT to share some music. Some of my most heartfelt performances were on the street. That's something that the oppositional merchants and authorities will probably never really understand or appreciate.

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 03:47 PM

Is busking still allowed outside the theaters in London?

Back in the 1970's I remember hearing a pretty darned good one-man-band while standing in line to see "Jesus Christ Superstar," and thought it was a nice way to have captive but ever-changing crowd.

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 05:55 PM

Sharing music? A bloody funny description of the professional beggers pumping the same two notes out of an accordion as they work their way down the train.

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,Willie-O
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 08:19 PM

Well Peter, what are you doing here if you hate music so much? The info on the website does specify that nobody will be allowed to busk on a train.

The bizarrely funny comment was that even previously convicted buskers will be allowed to apply for a permit! How very special.

W-O

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: reggie miles
Date: 12 Jan 03 - 10:52 PM

It's difficult to hear of this. License fees for offering entertainment for free?! For what reason do they, those who while away their lives dreaming up such tripe, need to even consider this or concern themselves in any way with this activity? I think we should start a letter writing campaign to the folks who develop such ideas and the letters should all have three words in them. (Get a life!) There is probably no activity on the planet that is more harmless than offering free music entertainment.

Granted Peter, not all who choose to perform in this way are the best examples of the art form but the same can be said of any pastime, hobby or occupation. Have you ever considered another mode of transportation or one of those headphone equipped portable personal music players so you wouldn't have to be bothered with listening to such offensive notes?

If the rule makers of the world would channel just a fraction of the energy they expend on nonsense like this, and worse, to try to solve the real problems facing the planet today like unemployment, poverty, hunger, homelessness, disease, etc. we'd all soon live in a paradise of our own making and would have plenty of reasons to want to sing and share joy in the streets.

Don't get me started.

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,Harley
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 06:28 AM

For the last few years on and off I have trawled the net for a song sung by a London one man band busker but I cant remember his name it was in the middle sixties or early seventies what I remember of the song it went like this.
"I am going back to London because I am tired of running around
I am going back to London in the fall.
Any help would be appreciated

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,roderick warner
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 07:11 AM

It's Don Partridge you're thinking about and the song was 'Going back to London.' Released as the B side to his hot record 'Rosie.' (Early 1968).

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,roderick warner
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 07:12 AM

Whoops - in the previous post, should read 'hit' rather than 'hot.' Although you could argue that it was both...

Subject: RE: Busking on the London Underground.
From: GUEST,Harley
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 08:22 AM

Thank you so much "Don Partridge",and I had also forgotten about his hit with Rosie, For years I have been racking my brain trying to think of his name, I just looked him up on Wikipedia and was sad to see that he died in September 2010.
Again Thank you.