Like a lot of amateur writers Aiden's blog on the matters starts ok, and once he's warmed to the task he just goes through some stream of conciousness rubbish based on his opinion of what other's opinion is.

Yes, busking is less salutary than many professional music forms. But arguably, it causes far less wide reaching environmental damage than is indirectly being caused by individuals working in many other industries. Many things in our society receive social sanction by mere majority opinion without too much time spent on analysis about whether or not it is ethically sound in its basis. I mean hell, as long we're profiting from it in some way it HAS to be ok? Of course not.

There is very little political motivation to busk. Many people who turn to the streets do it for one of two reasons: Choice: perhaps to reject the kind of social control found in business. Lack of choice: Many who work on the streets are ostensibly unemployable, it would be very hard for them to win and sustain any kind of successful social role in business.

The article is also hypocritical blaming Buskers for 'creative conservatism', they're certainly Not as 'creatively conservative' as the writing about hatred of what they're doing is. It also takes considerably more skill to even badly play an instrument than it does write about ones loathing of it. And it takes a certain amount of balls to go out and do it public, particularly in the face of exactly this kind of non-appreciation and ignorance.

Also, the reason buskers choose 'old favourites' like Wonderwall is simple economics... it earns more recognition and money to simply recycle familiar favourites than it does to chance something new and original. The conservatism, if there is any, is in the hands of the paying public who throw more money at Hallelujah and Wonderwall than other songs purely because more people know the songs. The same can the said of Redemption song, Radiohead and loads of others we all know. You cannnot place the blame on the performers for the predictability of public response, many of them would rather be playing tunes they prefer.

I don't think city centres would be improved by removing buskers, I think they'd deteriorate, it is after all free music and usually some respite for the dog eat dog world of work most passers by are faced with every day. It is, as you have proven, always something that makes for a bit of chatter at the proverbial coffee machine especially, of course, the ones who are truly dreadful, who simply by being such a supply rich seams of comedy and don't seem to really care.

Shame you can't make light of it yourself.