Buskers given ASBOs - it's a start

MelonieHead

Wonderwall" Buskers Banned.

We've all surely heard "Wonderwall" by Oasis enough times to realise that Noel Gallagher has never topped it but it might be good if he did. But how many of us can actually say they break down in tears at the sound of those oh so familiar opening chords? Matt Williams does and it's not because the track reminds him of an ex girlfriend. All he can think about is a pair of "lawless" buskers who played it constantly and made his life hell.

James Ryan and Andrew Stevens have been handed Asbos by District Judge Qureshi at Birmingham Magistrates Court and banned from entering parts of Moseley and playing musical instruments in public in the area. Narrowly escaping jail, they were also banned from begging anywhere in England and Wales. The pair only knew "Wonderwall" and George Michael's "Faith" and that's all they played from early evening into the small hours. However, their act became notorious for noise and over-aggressive money demands, prompting countless fights, intimidating and infuriating local residents.

"I break down every time I hear ‘Wonderwall' or the intro to ‘Faith'", explained Williams, who called police 60 times to complain after being abused by Ryan and Stevens. "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", he said. After the hearing, Ryan insisted: "The whole thing's about playing a guitar, it's a joke. Most people loved it". Local David Glover agreed, saying: "An Asbo is harsh, they should have to learn new songs." Well, two years is surely enough time to nail "Shakermaker".

Story at Yahoo!


1) All buskers/moving statues/street artists should be redirected to jail and the idiots who block the whole street to stare at them should be rounded up and probed - just to explore them and maybe try to isolate the genes that make them such mindless, annoying zombies.

2) How long before they get McSavage?

genericguy

i can't fcuking stand the moving statues, particularly the white one on grafton street that stands there holding a poxy lollipop. and that james joyce one swung his stick at me on henry st once and i caught it and took it off him. i'd love to have seen his face under that makeup. some of the musicians are ok though in fairness, so no, don't ban them, but make hitting them legal.

Milky Moo

I paid 2euro for one of his stinking lollies when I was new to Dublin!

Ah to be young again.

kraggy

Ah yes. You're dead right.

And let's not bother with jailing the people who ****ed up this country and sure why not let the rapists and murderers out early so we can facilitate the imprisonment of these evil street performers.

Spore

Yes, those buskers have ruined my life too. But not to the extent where I'll break down in tears... yet.

I work in the vacinity of Grafton St and hear every fucking piece of no-talent ass clown masqurading as a 'musician'. From the 'oh-so-tough-but-brittle' keybord singer-songwriter burd with the flat notes to the didgeridoo guy (grr!) to that awful gurning-face guitar-wanking guitar kid who thinks Red House by Hendrix or Sunshine of Your Love is something people want to have aurally wanked to death.

At least the human statues are quiet.

ScumLord

Galway has some great buskers and I can't imagine the place without them. It's fun to join in signing with them in-between pubs then watch the guards show up and confiscate there bongos. Although they can keep going up until 12pm.

mikom

ScumLord wrote: »

It's fun to join in signing with them in-between pubs

Get off the dole you bums.

brummytom

I really like Buskers on the whole (singers/musicians), I'd hate for them not to be allowed to perform.
It takes guts.

There was an excellent band from Eastern-Europe playing on O'Connell street when I was over there back a few months ago - they had a few guitars, a fiddle and a cajon and drew in a massive crowd. It'd be a shame to lose things like that.

Philistines 1 - 0 Culture

MelonieHead

brummytom wrote: »

they had a few guitars, a fiddle and a cajon and drew in a massive crowd. It'd be a shame to lose things like that.

So let them play somewhere where there's space, rather than blocking the whole street.

Hazys

And if somebody could give them a wash, that would be great too.

Sir Gallagher

brummytom wrote: »

I really like Buskers on the whole (singers/musicians), I'd hate for them not to be allowed to perform.
It takes guts.

There was an excellent band from Eastern-Europe playing on O'Connell street when I was over there back a few months ago - they had a few guitars, a fiddle and a cajon and drew in a massive crowd. It'd be a shame to lose things like that.

Philistines 1 - 0 Culture

Yeah they're good, seem to have made Henry street their own spot.

Why would people want to get rid of buskers? Fair enough you get some sh1te but the majority in dublin seem to be quite entertaining, it creates a bit of atmosphere and its good for the tourists so where's the harm?

antodeco

Buskers is ****ehole anyway!

shenanigans1982

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

so where's the harm?

A while ago at the top of Garfton street there were two groups of knackers about to start a mini riot after one family had put their kid on the others spot....it was eventually sorted out and the kid repeatedly sang "The fields of Athenry" for the whole time I was there while the father returned every so often to dip into the money.

Not the sort of thing you want the tourists to be seeing.

A7X

The musicians are grand, or any act that actual does something or takes talent. I just don't understand why some one would ask to be givin money for dressing like a nob head and standing all day.

Rented Mule

Get the buskers off of the street !!

We need more room for the junkies, pick-pockets and skangers !!

Gummy Panda

Can we not adopt the law for chuggers?

I work in the city centre and chuggers are a daily annoyance. They seem to have become more aggressive in their tactics since the recession happen.

MelonieHead

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Can we not adopt the law for chuggers?

We most certainly can. Especially those whom are rude and aggresive. One day in town one of them motioned for me to take off my headphones. I didn't but could comfortably hear him. As I was walking past he asked me how old I was!? Was that supposed to get me to stop?

"Oh, I've been waiting for someone to ask me that, I have. Come on now, tell me all about how I alone can help heal the world of its woes. Maybe I'll even tip you with enough for a lattè grande, because we're such bezzie mates."

doctor evil

MelonieHead wrote: »

2) How long before they get McSavage?

Well considering that this is the Rep of Ireland it doesn't take much cop on to realise that foreign laws don't work here.

brummytom

Fucking hell - I've only just noticed it's Birmingham.


Fucking council cunts :mad:

Sir Gallagher

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

A while ago at the top of Garfton street there were two groups of knackers about to start a mini riot after one family had put their kid on the others spot....it was eventually sorted out and the kid repeatedly sang "The fields of Athenry" for the whole time I was there while the father returned every so often to dip into the money.

Not the sort of thing you want the tourists to be seeing.

You're right, i don't want tourists seeing travellers acting like sumbags, but that has nothing got to do with buskers.

soups05

at least in dublin you get decent buskers who put in an effort. the last couple of weeks before xmas we had a young lad about 12/13 on the streets of dundalk playing a keyboard. people where giving him money for awhiletill he got fed up faking it and dropped his hands.

the keyboard was playing in demo mode! :pac:

what i could not belive was how many were fooled.


thank god am a tightwad and would not give him anything

AckwelFoley

Buskers are an intrinsic part of our culture imo. I enjoy them and the atmosphere.

MelonieHead

doctor evil wrote: »

Well considering that this is the Rep of Ireland it doesn't take much cop on to realise that foreign laws don't work here.

Law? Law!

Ah, you're sooooooooo cute!!