I am currently working on a project to create an online busking community. Take a look at our webpage http://www.tubebuskers.co.uk.. I would love to talk to anyone alittle more about their experiences busking, including their experiences dealing with TFL and commuters. If your interested get in contact dinita@tubebuskers.co.uk

Welcome to the London Underground Licensed Busking Scheme.

With regret, London Underground management have continued
to refuse any meetings with licensed buskers since the scheme
was brought “in-house” at LU some 28 months ago. In these rather
unfortunate circumstances, questions were put to the Mayor at City
Hall on 17 November 2010, consequently the first meeting of licensed buskers’ elected representatives with London Underground will be scheduled to take place during the spring of 2011.

Concerning your question on how to cancel a pitch when there is nobody
available at London Underground, or their office is closed. The problem here is quite clearly due to the lack of investment of London Underground
and their failure to have any online booking system. It is quite clearly the
case that their telephone based booking system on an 0845 number does
generate a significant revenue for LU, a claim which the Mayor denied at
question time on 17 November, so perhaps the follow-up for next Mayor’s
question time will be “Please are you able to account to the licensees using this number, for the total annual revenue paid to LU and how is that
revenue appropriated ?”

In the meantime David, the only pitch cancellations service for LU licensed
buskers is provided and managed by the LU licensed buskers themselves
at: http://launch.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/llu_buskers
LU has continually endorsed this group for pitch cancellations since
13 February 2009 and membership is free of charge.
You’re quite welcome to join the group if you’re a current licence holder.

Best wishes

Peter

I’ve just joined the licensed busking scheme and I’m wondering when
the next meeting of buskers will be held at London Underground ?

I also need to find out how to cancel a pitch when there is nobody
available at London Underground or their office is closed ?

David

Hope you’re well. I’m sure you must have applied to be auditioned this summer. Out of interest, were you actually invited to an audition ?

Peter

Peter

A limited number of new licences to busk London Underground will be issued in September 2010. Auditions are scheduled to take place on the
Charing Cross former Jubilee line concourse towards the end of May and
continuing through till late July. Given the current number of applicants in relation to new licences to be issued, it’s anticipated that competition
may be fierce. A word of advice from a seasoned busker, play soft and
gentle to your audience and you may go far !

Peter

I see that a Busking License covers various plots at various stations … but what of the tubes themselves? And is it illegal to play if it’s not for profit? …

Thanks,

Nathan

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy 2010

Sheralyn xxxx

Many thanks for your email.

Although now closed to the public, the Jubilee Line concourse at Charing Cross station is still maintained by Tfl for use by film and television producers, the last busking auditions were held there in May 2008.
The acoustics are exceptionally good as there are no trains.
The adjudication panel would normally consist of four, being two members
of LU staff or two employees of the scheme management company, an individual involved in the music industry (however, a political journalist was
once a judge) and an experienced licensed busker.

Regarding the Coca Cola sponsorship for this December, there are many
licensees of the opinion that since there is no consultation or accountability
of Tfl towards those providing the service to it’s customers, there is great
scope for improving the current relationship between Tfl and it’s licensed buskers for the benefit of all those involved in the scheme.

With seasons greetings and wishing you a prosperous new year.

Peter

Good to hear from you and hope your work as a teacher is going well.

There are many factors which London Underground management need
to consider to determine when it will be necessary to open the scheme
to new participants. Sponsorship, number of pitches available, ongoing
engineering works, particularly at weekends on the Jubilee line which
closes pitches at Green Park and Waterloo. Given there are currently
approximately 240 licensed buskers of which 75% regularly perform on
the circuit, it’s clearly the case that auditions for new participants at the
present time would only exacerbate an already crowded scheme.

At this time, as I understand it, there are no current plans to open the
scheme to auditions before July 2010.

With seasons greetings and wishing you a prosperous new year.

Peter

I actually forgot to ask something quite important;

Where the busking auditions are placed? Is the place large or small, any good for acoustics? same place everytime?

And how many judges are there usually? sorry for the hundread and one questions…
just need to no for my project thanks.

also what do you think about Coco Cola sponcering now?

many thanks

Glad to hear you are still playing.
Do you have any idea as to when they will open up audtions again? I couldnt renew my licence as I was unwell and they wouldnt hang on for another week to allow me to then do it but there you go! They said I could re-apply in Sept of this year but then as far as I know auditions did not take place?
Any thing you know on the situation would be appreciated

cheers, Sheralyn xx

Many thanks for your email.

Regarding the stations participating in the London Underground Licensed
Busking Scheme, I must sympathise with those LU customers who use
Marble Arch and Notting Hill Gate, due to local management decisions,
there will be no live music played at these stations. Obviously the particular genre of music played by the licensed buskers at those stations
since 2003 did not appeal to the local station management, hence the
travelling public will hear the looped announcement on the public address
system “There is a good service running on all London Underground lines
apart from those with planned engineerings works”. So, the travelling
customer is aware that the public address system does actually work,
but the announcement gives no useful information, unless you’re already
aware of which lines have planned engineering works. In between these
announcements at Marble Arch and Notting Hill Gate there will be silence.
Unless there is a gifted musician busking in the station who is unlicensed.

There are currently 21 stations participating in the LU licensed busking
scheme:

Angel
Bank
Bond Street
Canary Wharf
Chancery Lane
Charing Cross
Embankment
Euston
Green Park
Hammersmith
Leicester Square
Liverpool Street
London Bridge
Oxford Circus
Piccadilly Circus
South Kensington
St Paul’s
Tottenham Court Road
Victoria
Waterloo
Westminster

It’s necessary to hold a currently valid LU busking licensed to busk at these
stations and if you wish to apply for an audition, call: 0845 330 9878 or
email: busking@tube.tfl.gov.uk .

Yes, there are some excellent spots to play on the streets in London,
you’ll find out where these are by the process of trial and error.

With very best wishes

Peter

Many thanks for your reply.

Yes, Musicians Union are and will continue be involved in any matters
concerning the London Underground Licensed Busking Scheme, particularly
those issues on the terms of our contract, alleged breeches thereof,
suspension of licences and appeals, also reviewing a situation where
licensed musicians may have any cause for complaint on the mangagement
of the scheme.

LU has managed the busking scheme “in house” for the past year,
despite calls from buskers for a meeting, requests have been denied.
Perhaps their fears are based upon rumours of LU licensed buskers
being agressive individuals, I can assure you that they are not.

The case continues.

Peter

thanks for this, yes the booking process became unworkable for me as a part-timer when it all changed. I’ve put myself back on the waiting list and look forward to getting back to it when I can.

I’m sorry to hear that relations between buskers and LU continue to be tense. I think it’s a shame that the management don’t seem to have learned yet that there’s more to being a busker than just turning up with your instrument and playing. Are the negotiations through the MU still going on?

Sorry to learn you didn’t renew your LU busking licence last March,
hope you’re able to join the scheme again later in 2009.

It’s most regretful to note that LU suspended the licence of a well respected busker last Friday for a period of 3 months. It seems that
this will be the penalty handed down for displaying a CD recording
of our own music whist busking on a licensed pitch in the London
Underground. Very strange, given that during 2003 to 2008 licensed
LU buskers were allowed to display their own music CD while performing.
After all, some LU customers love to take our music home with them.

Hang on, I thought the one of the main reasons for introducing the LU
licensed busking scheme was due to support of the majority of travelling
customers and I do wonder if they would support suspending a busker’s
licence for 3 months for promoting their own music, particularly given
unemployment is now at it’s highest level since 1992.

Of course, we have to take our hats off and salute the mayor for the
Rhythm of London, but how will those 10 lucky winners of a one year
busking licence promote their music while performing in the tube ?

Peter Murphy

i have 1 picky comment that i’d like to make if you don’t mind.

you don’t seem to value your work very highly, you use the word donations instead of tips. This implies that they have “donated” out of the goodness of their hearts not because they valued your music, whereas tips imply that people will reward you for good service. This is the essence of busking and why i’m so passionate about it.

You passed an audition mate you gotta be worth more than “a few coppers”

This is all a bit of a bugbear of mine and you can take or leave it as just some one else’s opinion.

Anyway, I’d love it if you wanted to upload something into Cyberbusking.
It’s a video sharing site for buskers and their supporters. It’s like you tube except that you could get tipped. I’ve just opened it so there’s just me at the moment but you are very welcome.

Anyway good luck with the busking

Mike