Read at 3 different speeds

The sound of the underground - 22nd March 2024

London’s Underground’s used by three and a half million people every day. For many, the highlight of their daily commute is the music played by the Underground’s buskers.

Busking in tube stations has been licensed for over 20 years, with musicians selected by the network getting to play at one of the 40 authorised busking sites.

Transport for London, TFL, has been holding auditions for newcomers to join their select company of underground entertainers. Ann Gavaghan manages the busking scheme.

Ann Gavaghan: "When you say "busker", people tend to think of, you know, a person with an acoustic guitar and as we've seen this morning, we've had a variety of people. We've had somebody with an electronic cello. We've had two people with saxophone, we've had a couple vocalists. So we've just had a mix of instruments. And that's one thing I really love about the scheme.”

Even though their audiences are just passing through, it’s a welcome opportunity to raise people’s spirits for performers like singer songwriter Macy O.

Macy O: "I love performing for people, I love showing people my voice and I love just sharing music around. So that is definitely something that I'm very excited about. That's a really, like, exciting aspect of this whole thing for me.”

While around 480 musicians applied for the auditions, only 280 were shortlisted for the second round, with these finalists having to perform live in front of a panel of judges. This audition panel’s made up of professional musicians and station employees.

The selection process is about more than picking out fresh talent, securing a rich variety of acts is also essential. This was something that motivated musician Michael Harvey to submit an application.

Michael Harvey: "Well, I personally think that you know quality is better than quantity. And with London being quite a very, very diverse city, it has a lot to give and offer hence why I think the underground system is trying to get a diversity of different acts and sounds and that's why here I am."

The potential underground stars range from fresh-faced students to those searching for new opportunities in their retirement. Although they’re passionate about performing live, don’t forget to drop a coin in the hat or tap your credit card if you’re passing. This ensures that the tradition of underground music continues.