I have been going busking in my lunchtimes for the last few weeks. It has been really fun. I am not trying to make money really, but practice performing in front of people without getting nervous, and just enjoying myself.
Today I got moved on by some community wardens. They were nice enough about it, but they said you need a license to busk here, and the council don’t like giving them out. They suggested I tried busking on the tube, but you need a license to do that and they are not currently issuing them.
So that makes me a bit stuck. If I get caught again I could be fined and have my guitar taken away. Not really sure what to do. I want to keep playing at lunchtime but not sure if I can. I need somone with a nice warm shop who will let me perform to their customers!
written by ben | November 3, 2008 3:01 pm
will (November 4, 2008 @ 2:07 pm)
jsut try and get a busking liscence in that place from the council theyd probbaly give u one if theynew u wernt doing it for monney i rekon.
x
rudi (November 4, 2008 @ 4:01 pm)
play your guitar anywhere you want. I didnt know it was illegal to do that?
i think the hat full of money si the issue.
ben (November 4, 2008 @ 4:02 pm)
apparently it counts as highway obstruction. believe me the hat is NOT full of money
rudi (November 4, 2008 @ 4:50 pm)
so playing on the grass in a park is surely a free right? highway obstruction wtf!
joe (November 5, 2008 @ 10:30 pm)
If you not collecting money, then your not busking, your praticing?
tim (November 7, 2008 @ 11:38 am)
maybe you could do a new thing called mobile busking, if you are walking around you can be obstructing anywhere, and you are not collecting money so its not busking. im sure there is a cafe around which you can use though?
Loop (November 7, 2008 @ 11:47 pm)
I am such a tool.
I have only just read this and I was in London on Thursday! I didn’t say anything before becuase I was leaving before 5 so I thought you’d be in work.
In the end I got an even earlier train home as I was fed up with the grey weather and all those grey expressions. I’m not saying London folk are unfriendly but they’re not very friendly either.
I managed to get lost and then Thom Yorke walked right past me.
ben (November 9, 2008 @ 10:28 am)
where did you see Thom?!
Loop (November 9, 2008 @ 1:55 pm)
Bearing in mind I was lost at the time: somewhere south of Seven Dials/Neal’s Yard, north of Trafalgar Square, east of Leicester Square and west of Covent Garden.
I think it was Monmouth Street?
rudi (November 9, 2008 @ 4:00 pm)
wow crazy shit!
ben (November 9, 2008 @ 4:03 pm)
it’s not fair! how often to you go to London? Not very.. I am there everyday and I never see anyone I recognise… I do walk around in my own little world though
T-rudi (November 10, 2008 @ 1:17 am)
i saw the drummer from coldplay in tenterden park walking his dogs, he lives in bidenden and im not shitting you.
evans (November 11, 2008 @ 4:58 am)
punks dont need a licence Fuck society!!!!!!!!!!!!
ben (November 11, 2008 @ 10:13 pm)
yay, pretty comments at last!
If you want a picture all you have to do is sign up with gravatar:
http://en.gravatar.com/site/signup/
Then your avatar will appear here by magic. I figured that was the best way to go rather than forcing everyone to sign up to this site…