The cop above became semi-famous locally when he joined a busker for a couple of songs. The message was clear: Birmingham has a lovely, accepted street scene, feel free to busk in Birmingham. That message has changed.
Get into the Christmas spirit in Birmingham…unless you want to spread good tidings through the art of music. In that case, you can f*$% off.
From this article in Birmingham Mail,
Street musicians were barred from an area in the city last Saturday because of safety concerns created by the multitude of festive shoppers and visitors to the Frankfurt Christmas Market.
Leaflets from Birmingham City Council were given to buskers on Saturday banning them from High Street, Rotunda Square, New Street, Stephenson Street, Victoria Square, Chamberlain Square and Centenary Square.
The decision had been taken following a significant increase in footfall on previous weekends and was initially for one day only, said Birmingham City Council.
Its statement added “crowd control measures” were used for “the continued safety of buskers and the public”.
Plans to introduce similar restrictions on future dates during December ‘remain open.’
It’s not quite clear why crowds would be so big so as to cause a safety concern in Birmingham. One can only assume that Birmingham gave the same attention to safety concerns by closing shops on Black Friday.
Remember this other news article about Birmingham’s treatment of buskers?
James Ryan and Andrew Stevens only know how to play ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis and George Michael’s ‘Faith’.
Mr Ryan, a guitar player, and Mr Stevens, who would hit dustbin lids with drum sticks, had been playing the two songs to people in the Moseley area for the last 18 months.
Mr Ryan, 40, from Edgbaston, Birmingham, and Mr Stevens, also known as Andrew Cave, 39, of no fixed address, have been banned from entering parts of Moseley and playing musical instruments in public in the area.
The pair were also banned from begging anywhere in England and Wales.
They were warned they faced jail if they breached the two-year anti-social behaviour orders.
Incidentally, Wonderwall was the song that the cop was playing in the above video. Anyway, my favourite part of that article is an interview with someone who is perhaps more affected than most by the presence of buskers:
Matt Williams, 43, who has since moved out of the area, said: “I break down every time I hear Wonderwall or the intro to Faith. It was just one after the other, it was awful. It was everything from the noise of them busking on the streets, to begging and causing fights, to the general lawlessness it encouraged while they were there.
“They would go on until four, five or six in the morning. It was horrendous. It completely affected my life. I couldn’t sleep but it had a far deeper effect where all of a sudden your home isn’t a place where you could feel comfortable, safe or secure. I didn’t feel I had anywhere that was my sanctuary.”
Poor guy.
