The judge said that the Global staff are being subjected to “industrially amplified daily concerts” outside of their workplace and noted the standards of the music as well as its loudness: “While the volume is the principal mischief it is clear that the nuisance is exacerbated by the repetition and poor quality of some of the performances”.

He commented on the recurring sounds and their effect on one’s wellbeing, drawing the comparison that repetitive sounds are “a well-publicised feature of unlawful but effective psychological torture techniques”.

During the trial at Westminster magistrates court, Global staff described the disturbing music outside of their office, claiming they had to hear buskers set lists repeating again and again. They played recordings made from their desks to demonstrate the volume, including covers of Tracy Chapman and Adele.

Charlotte Jacob, a Global employee, said that “It’s incredibly distracting. Yesterday in the office in the afternoon I was not able to conduct a conversation with a colleague two desks away, probably three metres max, as someone was singing ‘Hallelujah’ very loudly.”

Another employee, Gareth Andrewartha, said the sound of buskers “permeates the windows, so I can hear every lyric and element.” He also said that workers have had to “duck into a cupboard” for some peaceful respite.

The executive chairman of the nearby Hippodrome, Simon Thomas, also said that the noise was “tortuous” due to its repetition and poor-quality performers.

Global Radio, alongside the Hippodrome Casino and the nearby Chinese Community Centre, have filed multiple complaints to Westminster Council about the pervasive noise of amplified buskers in Leicester Square. Global brought the case against the council under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, over a failure to tackle the noise “nuisance”. It may be the first case of its kind, as the EPA is usually used for problems like fly tipping and waste management.

London itself has some of the strictest busking rules in England. Councils like Hillingdon, Westminster, Camden and Greenwich require all buskers to operate with a licence – those that don’t can face criminal charges.

According to the Westminster Street Performers Association (WSPA), a community aiming to keep street performance alive in the area, a 2021 licensing scheme was brought about during the pandemic, without any communication to the busking community. This scheme shuttered 90% of available busking spaces. They claim that when the Christmas markets are on, only one playable pitch is available – the council say there are always at least four.

A WSPA spokesperson claimed that “Buskers have been left with insufficient and often unusable spaces.” London busker Harry Marshall told the Big Issue that “People who are playing outside of those pitches are just trying to survive. There’s a real war against buskers.”

Westminster Council have recently unveiled planes to create “quiet zones” and “quiet nights” in some of their busiest areas. This comes after they announced their ‘Westminster After Dark’ initiative, which will place more restrictions on the UK’s struggling night-life sector. You can read more on that here.

According to the BBC, musicians of all varieties were lining up to audition two days ago (4/3/2024). London’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity is certainly being reflected in the 280 people that auditioned this week in the Busking competition. This reported audition on the 4th March took place at Southwark station and was judged by three expert music industry judges. The other judges (unofficial of course) include the passing public who are intrigued and pulled to the vibrating musical tunes that echo through the underground. Auditioners are judged on their technique, overall performance and unique style. According to the TfL, the ‘shortlisted musicians will perform to a panel of musical experts and TfL operational staff in a busy station environment and judged on technical ability and audience response.’

The busking auditions have been a 20 year tradition and it is particularly exciting this year because it is happening for the first time since 2018, due to the Covid19 pandemic. To name a few auditioners, there is 19 year old Macy O from Shropshire, and Andrew Bruell the garage / R&B saxophone player, and Fabio, also known as the “Pianist Without Borders”. According to the BBC, Fabio is one of the 200 buskers registered for the Busking Scheme. He’s been busking for 20 years and wants to continue to do so forever. He busks 7 days a week and compares playing the piano in the underground to “meditation for 5 hours a day”. His love for busking began through a story that can only be defined as divine intervention. He took the bus in the wrong direction at 1am in Leicester Square, and his attention was gravitated towards buskers playing the drums and he instantly fell in love with it. He has been living like this for 20 years believing that “the more you give, the more you receive.” He compares the competition to “X-factor,” as they play for 4-5 judges, then they send an email saying if they will take you and give provide you with a license. There is a community underground. Fabio mentioned a lady who gives him an “amazing sandwich” daily, and has done so for years. Despite this community, each contestant wants the same thing – the prize. The BBC reports that you “can smell the competition in the air.” The prize is not a record deal, or cash, but it is a license to busk on the London Underground. The successful singers will join 200 buskers on the Tube, London Overground and Elizabeth Line. 

What we can compare to Britain’s Got Talent, is ‘TfL’s Got Talent.’ TfL stands for Transport for London, and they are working with ‘Found in Music’. The auditions are coordinated by ‘Found in Music’, a program supported by the Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan) and they run the Busk in London. According to the Music Programme Director Kate Jones: “Found in Music is delighted to be working with TfL on the audition process for the iconic London Underground Busking Scheme.”

Overall, it is clear that “London’s Calling” (The Clash) from the Underground, where there is over 100,000 hours of music on an annual basis. It is an exciting and unique time in London’s Underground. Emma Strain, the TfL’s Customer Director, said: “As we enter our busking programme’s twentieth year, I can’t wait to hear the songs of a whole new generation of buskers. It is a vibrant part of London culture and we’re proud to celebrate 20 years since we introduced the busking scheme on our network by opening auditions again…”