“People’s attitudes have changed a lot:” Busking on the London Underground
Jonathan, 67, has been busking on the London Underground since 1989. Photo by Tien Albert
Busking and street performance has been an integral part of the London Underground for decades from the 19th century. This was originally an illegal endeavour, with buskers frequently being moved on from tunnels and taken to court. In 2003, the London Underground introduced its busking scheme, legalising the activity for those with a permit. Jonathan, 67, is a penny whistle player who has been busking on the Underground as a full-time occupation for 35 years.
Jonathan makes his living from an average of one 2 hour shift (and, more recently, from his pension) on the Underground a day, as he has been in his whole career as a busker. He says his income has decreased slightly over the last few years, owing to a mix of more people wearing headphones on the Tube, and fewer people carrying cash. Yet, the public perception of buskers has only improved with the scheme. “People used to go by and say, even if [mostly] jokingly, ‘Get yourself a proper job’. Normally it’s just banter, but some people would stop and say ‘Have you got a place to sleep at night?’’’. With the scheme, and the visual cues it has introduced, he says this would never happen anymore. “This here,” he says, pointing at his busking lanyard, “and the platforms we stand on” are responsible for a new attitude, which recognises buskers as legitimate artists rather than performers on the brink of homelessness. “You don’t look like you’re sleeping on the streets,” he says, simply.
Photo by Tien Albert
Jonathan enjoys the sense of anonymity and mystery that comes with busking. “I really like the fact that people look at us and they wonder. Are we just one step up from living on the street or are we doing really well?” At the same time, busking offers a personal connection with an audience that Jonathan says other mediums of art don’t. “Usually, if somebody smiles, I’ll either smile back or give a wink or nod. They’re taking me into account and I do the same with them. I’ve been asked various times to do some gig or other, but I just politely turn them down.” Jonathan especially enjoys playing songs that result in an interaction with a stranger. His favourite tune is the Harry Potter theme, because it’s the one that gets the most people to stop. “As soon as I see someone wearing a scarf, I start playing the theme tune, and often they’ll turn around and smile, which is nice, and they might stop and chat, discussing our favourite wizards.”
Busking is an ephemeral medium of art. Transport For London places strict restrictions on performers attracting crowds: if a busker is too successful and draws a crowd, they must stop and encourage people to move on. Whilst they play to an estimated audience of 3.5 million a day, seldom are those who stop to tip, and even fewer are those who stop to talk to the performers. For artists like Jonathan, who declines to give his full name, or his contact details at the end of the interview, this arrangement should not be underestimated. “I mean, best of luck to Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones etcetera. They’re exactly where they’re supposed to be. Me? I prefer this.”