As Tone Deaf reported last week, Melbourne, traditionally one of the most music-friendly cities in the world, is preparing to trial a ban on amplified busking across a stretch of the CBD’s busy Swanston Street, a popular strip for musicians.
The ban begins 1st August and could potentially become permanent, with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle citing loud busking as a pet hate of his. “I ring up our street trading people and tell them to go down and shut them up,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the Lord Mayor, the council received 264 official noise-related complaints about buskers between January 2013 and 30th June 2016. “Busking contributes to the vibrancy of Melbourne’s streets and is generally popular with residents, workers and visitors,” he admitted.
“However that needs to be balanced with protecting the amenity of people who live and work in the city. We will reassess our position after the trial’s conclusion.” The ban will cover the space between Flinders Lane and La Trobe Street.
However, Melbourne’s large and vibrant busking community isn’t taking the ban lying down. They’ve announced a peaceful protest for this Wednesday, 20th July to take place at Town Hall. They’re encouraging musos to attend with their instruments and “jam in protest”.
“You see busking is our bread and butter and if Council gets past this point more and more bans will start appearing,” organisers write. You can check out more details via the protest’s official Facebook event page. Make sure you sign the petition, too.
