Network Concise Unit 5 pp.70–71 © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE

Read and listen.  

Underground music

What is busking?  Busking is a great British tradition. But what is it exactly? Well, it’s singing and playing music in the street to make money. People busk for different reasons. Some buskers are professional musicians who need extra money. Some homeless people busk to make enough money to buy food. Others have different jobs, but like busking in their free time. 

You can find buskers in towns and cities all over the UK. They perform on main shopping streets and also on the Underground. Busking on the London Underground, or ‘Tube’, was illegal until 2003, but then the authorities introduced busking licences. 

How to busk on the Tube To busk on the Tube you need to audition before applying for a licence, which costs £20 a year. There are only 300 licensed buskers on the Tube and competition is tough. Out of the 400 auditions every year, about 75% of applicants are successful. They can then perform in designated places (‘pitches’) for two-hour sessions every day. Some people busk illegally on the Tube, but they risk getting a £100 fine.

Network Concise Unit 5 pp.70–71 © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE

How much do they earn? A good busker can make £50 a day, but many buskers earn a lot less. The quality of music on the Tube is very high these days – you can watch people playing a range of instruments, from the guitar to the harp, saxophone or accordion.

Are buskers usually men or women? For every female busker there are three male buskers. One woman busker is 21-year-old Jessica Lawton. She’s a rapper. 

‘I like singing in front of a live audience. I work a couple of days a week in a shop, but I just love singing. I don’t make much money, but when people stop to listen to me, it’s a good feeling!’