Buskers of London | Westminster World

Nov302020 by Editor2No Comments

Buskers banned from top London hotspots

After London Lockdown, buskers were forced to change their professional life. But the effect is not satisfactory. Agustin Kafka was singing at Piccadilly Circus. Photo by: Agustin Kafka From 5 November, new national restrictions were introduced in the UK to curb the dramatic increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19. This means that artists who rely on busking have to change their venues. However, their difficulties go beyond that. Agustin Kafka is a London busker who is very good at singing pop songs. "Busking is my main income and I sing four times a week," he said. Before London Lockdown, he sang in the streets three times. But sometimes he has to communicate with the police. “My favourite venue is Piccadilly Circus. I love it very much." However, for the sake of public

From the streets to online: How London’s buskers survive the pandemic

Breaking News, Covid-19, Explainers, London, Music, musicians

The streets of London may be quieter without its usual hustle and bustle but for its buskers, the show must go on so they could continue to weather the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kaUFBnriWI&feature=youtu.be Video produced by Mengqi Zhang For one busker, Lucy May Walker streams her performances online as one of the many ways to pay rent. “I started live streaming on Facebook and put up a Paypal link. And it felt like I was almost busking but online,” said Lucy, who is also a singer-songwriter. Screenshot of Zoom interview with busker Lucy May Walker. Photo by Mengqi Zhang. Lucy started live streaming on her social media channels when the UK went into its first lockdown on 23 March. England is now into its second lockdown which

The busking scene in London

Art, Music

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible,” once said Frank Vincent Zappa, a distinctive composer, electric guitar player and band leader. From the first Rock Bands of 1950s to modern Pop all over London’s famous clubs and bars, every genre found a hip designated place. But if art continued following norms, it wouldn’t be an inspiration for the queer minded. Streets of London are witness to the beautiful breakdown of a norm. Yes, we are talking about the busking scene. Buskers are musicians, singers, composers and writers who bring their talent out of a hugely commercial world, and onto the streets. It’s sometimes surprising to see how they draw an enthusiastic audience within moments on a busy Monday evening. Jack is one such busker who performs at Picadilly Cir