Thursday, March 11, 2010

Sing to Your Own Tune

There are some amazing buskers in Tube stations around London. One of my favourites was a Spanish guitar player at Tottenham Court Road a few years ago. The melodic chords of the music seemed so surreal set against the grimy white tiles of the station corridors. Some of the coolest buskers I've ever seen are at my 'home' station of Notting Hill Gate.

Buskers in London need a license to perform, and competition to get one is fierce. So Boris Johnson has launched 'Busker Idol'.

If you want to be a Busker Idol, you must do the following:

Entrants must upload a video clip of themselves performing on the ‘Rhythm of London‘ You Tube page: www.youtube.com/group/SOTUauditions2010 and complete an online registration form at: www.london.gov.uk by 6 April 2010. Judges will then select 100 people to be filmed performing at busking slots across London on 24 April and ask the public to vote for their favourite busker. The top ten will then perform live later this year at a ‘busk off’ for the final prize.

So: who will be the next Busker Idol (uttered in a Ryan Seacrest-style voice)? If I was auditioning, I'd sing my karaoke fail-safe: Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer'. (It's good! Really!)

What would you sing?

6 comments:

Kate said...

Oh Boris, coolest Mayor ever, I think.

As for a tune, I'd go with my current shower favourite, But I Do Love You from the Coyote Ugly soundtrack. Though, my neighbours would probably tell me to save my breath and not bother.

Theresa Milstein said...

They should do a show! I'm sure it would get those buskers more money when they performed for the commuters.

We don't use "buske"r in America, so now I've learned a new word.

If I could sing like Christina Aguilera, I'd perform "Beautiful".

Marsha said...

Yup, you gotta love Boris! :)

Theresa, what do you called 'buskering'? Panhandling?

Panhandler Idol has quite a ring to it...

Patty said...

Ooh Busker Idol sounds exciting! I'm in!

'Cross the Pond said...

I love the buskers in the tube. They are much like the ones in NY. I think they all have such talent! As for what I'd sing... Walking on Sunshine - because it's cheery - although I'm sure I'd clear the joint with my tone-deaf-can't-carry-a-tune voice

Cindy said...

I don't know if I'd have the courage to sing. It might scare someone!