(KEY WEST) Just when you think they've figured it all out, Key West's city hall has created still more controversy in their busking laws. Being in the news over the past several years, it may be a matter of the successful Mallory Square Sunset Celebration turf just not being big enough for the city's satisfaction.
The city along with the Cultural Preservation Society(?) now wants to charge individual buskers $20 a night for accepting tips. Federal courts repeatedly rule that permit fees for First Amendment activity are unconstitutional. Yet we see constant challenges to the right of free speech. City halls do not seem to understand that busking and street performing are immune to their taxing. Confusion appears to come when the performer is observed accepting tips. It seems any exchange of money gets some excited...

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Police told Shaun Cartwright, 38, his piping had annoyed members of the public and detained him for a breach of the peace.

His bagpipes were seized as he was handcuffed and driven to a police station, although he was later released and told it was not in the public interest to press charges.

Mr Cartwright, who has been playing bagpipes for more than 25 years, was busking in Bridport, Dorset, when he was arrested.

He said: "I'd been playing for almost an hour outside Superdrug on the main street and had made about 50 pounds, so it clearly wasn't causing that much offence.

"But a shopkeeper called the police and two officers turned up saying they had a complaint and they had to respond to it.

"They asked me to move on but I wanted to finish my hour of playing and put the blow stick to my mouth and that was it.

Mr Cartwright, from Bristol, was released after...

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LONDON | A city in central England says two buskers who plagued a suburb by repeating the same two songs have been banned from performing for two years.The Birmingham City Council said the street performers angered residents with late-night and out-of-tune renditions of “Wonderwall” by Oasis and “Faith” by George Michael.

Acoustic guitar player James Ryan, 40, and Andrew Cave, 39, who used garbage can lids to accompany Ryan, were banned from busking by a judge at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

(LONDON) You won't believe how Biggin Hill Airport Byelaws have been revised. The Honorable Elvis impersonator Dave Quinn (pictured) has been shown the door.
Absolutely no buskers or even beggars!

(CAPE TOWN) Buskers and street-performers are busy celebrating City Hall's decision to legalize performing in Cape Town.The South African city made news earlier this year when blind busker Lunga Nono was beaten by metro police for busking in St. George's Mall.

Charges against the busker have recently been dropped in favor of new legislation. Nono's guitar was broken in the melee which took place in front of his family and onlooking tourists. A music shop donated a new guitar to Nono who has filed a lawsuit.

Now that the city has come to it's senses about the performing artists and tourism, just about anything goes. This includes street musicians, acrobats, clowning, comedy, contortions, dance, singing, fire skills, mime, living statues, music performance, puppeteering, storytelling, poetry, painting,...

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