(HASTINGS) A busker, Dean Langley, set up shop outside the Anchor pub in Hastings and started to play “Wonderwall” by Oasis. He then played “American Pie” by Don Maclean. Then he played Wonderwall again. Then American Pie, then Wonderwall. After two hours, the landlord of the pub approached Mr Langley and pleaded with him either to stop playing or to learn a third song. Mr Langley then became abusive and was arrested.

Is there anyone who can read this without feeling passionate sympathy with the pub landlord? When General Noriega took refuge in the Holy See’s embassy in Panama in 1989, the American army bombarded him with non-stop repetition of terrible old rock records. It has been reported that a torture technique in Guantanamo Bay involved playing Barney the purple dinosaur’...

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(KEY WEST) It may be lights out for buskers and street performers on Florida's popular and most southern island. Key West city commissioners on Tuesday approved the first reading of an ordinance that would put stricter controls on where some 220 license-holding street performers set up their act or wares on Duval Street.

Performers also would not be allowed at Mallory Square. Other restricted areas: Wall Street; in front federal, state or local government buildings; in front of churches and theaters; the Key West Bight harbor walk; the Truman Waterfront; and the Southernmost Point.


Busker Central News

(DENVER) The 16th Street Mall is full of sounds these days with the help of several painted pianos up and down the way. The pianos are found in the middle of the street with buskers and street performers along the sidewalks. The painted pianos were donated from Craig's List and part of the program "Your Keys to the City" creating unique "useable art" for citizens to enjoy.

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(BOULDER) Exit Through the Gift Shop is a film by Banksy who dares not reveal his face. He's a wanted man for destroying property all in the name of street art.The film involves 5 artists that have discovered Kinko's copy shop can print huge pieces of whatever art they design. One of the artists, Shepard Fairey, did the Barack Obama print "Hope" - a disputed work that is still in the courts today.

The film shines with creative ideas of street art captured by Banksy and others. Whether the Police were real, Heaven knows. But it makes for a fun time with laughs evenly spaced throughout the film.

Some vandalism such as spray-painting "I just messed up your wall" is evident in the film. This doesn't seem to serve any useful purpose. But through this, we learn that all grafitti is temporary....

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(GERMANY) Behold the best busker in the world...or is he? We'll let you be the judge as they say. What we have here is Schrotti, possibly the largest one-man band in the universe. Along the Rhine in Düsseldorf plays this extraordinary busker...but is he the best?Full Story & Video