Above (L-R): Kitty Montague, Rachel Meir CEO of Found in Music, Clayton, Kate Jones Busk in London Programme Director, Atticus Blue, Paul Broadhurst Manager of 24 Hour London, Sam Tompkins, Samuel Ashton, Freddie Joon, Lee Bartram Head of Commercial Marketing EMEA at Gibson, and Leire at the launch of Gibson and Busk in London’s new partnership supporting grassroots music, at the Gibson Garage London event on September 3.
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- Partnership set up to support grassroots music and spotlight emerging artists.
- Bi-weekly performances by buskers will take place at the Gibson Garage London, located near Oxford Street.
- Launch event took place (Sept. 3) today, with support from UK singer-songwriter and former busker Sam Tompkins.
LONDON, UK (September 3, 2024): As it celebrates 130 years of music history, Gibson, the iconic global instrument brand has teamed up with London-based busking programme Busk In London, to host a series of weekly live music performances by buskers at the Gibson Garage London. The Gibson Garage London--the ultimate music experience and the first-ever Gibson flagship store outside of the U.S.--is located at 61-62 Eastcastle St, London, UK, just off Oxford Street.
The annual Busk In London programme was launched in 2014 by the Mayor of London to support artists in their music careers through talent development opportunities, music industry education experiences, and to highlight the importance of the city’s grassroots venues. Now an independent programme, Busk In London, managed by Found in Music, is the city’s leading programme supporting the music and live performances of buskers. Gibson previously partnered with Busk In London on the successful ‘London’s Streets are Paved with Talent’ campaign and is honoured to expand the program to create an emerging talent pipeline for more buskers to take the stage at the Gibson Garage London and gain vital performance experience in a professional music venue setting.
The series kicked off today, (Sept. 3) with performances from rising artists Leire, Atticus Blue, Samuel Ashton, Kitty Montague, Freddie Joon and Clayton--all of whom have busked across London as accomplished musicians. UK singer-songwriter Sam Tompkins was on hand as a staunch supporter of grassroots talent and fellow former busker himself, who started his career performing on the streets of Brighton. Paul Broadhurst, Manager of 24 Hour London in the Mayor of London’s office, who gave the opening address.
After today’s inaugural session, all music performances from buskers will now take place every two weeks on the state-of-the-art stage located on the lower level of the Gibson Garage London. Artists will be selected through the Busk In London scheme, and music fans can stay up to date on the latest performance schedule via @GibsonGuitarUK on Instagram.
Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson said: “Gibson prides itself on helping emerging talent get their music heard, especially those who need support the most. London has such a rich pool of busking talent and now with the Gibson Garage London in partnership with the fantastic Busk In London, we’re really excited to welcome talented buskers on our stage to give them that crucial experience.”
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “Buskers are the soundtrack of London, bringing joy to our streets and entertaining Londoners and visitors. They are a vital part of our grassroots scene, feeding our music industry and so I’m delighted that Gibson has joined forces with Busk In London to provide this new platform. It's a fantastic opportunity to support the capital's talented musicians as we build a better London for all.”
"Busking is where it all began for me. It was so important in teaching me how to perform and interact with people too,” said UK singer songwriter Sam Tompkins. “I loved seeing everyone play today and take me back to my busking days. Gibson’s always hooking me up for when I’m touring so it’s great to be involved with this event for them."
Rachel Meir, CEO of Found In Music added: “We’re thrilled to once again partner with Gibson and launch this new weekly Busk in London Gibson circuit in the incredible Gibson Garage London. It’s an exciting opportunity to continue to support and discover the next new hot home-grown talent.”
For more information and updates on Busk in London follow @buskinlondon.
For the latest news and updates on events at the Gibson Garage London, follow @GibsonGuitarUK on Instagram, or visit https://gibson.com/garage-london.
Gibson Garage London
61-62 Eastcastle Street
London, UK
W1W 8NQ
(off Oxford Street)
Mon-Sat 10am - 7pm, Sun 12-6pm
Gibson Garage London
About Busk in London:
Busk in London was launched by the Mayor of London in 2014 after a consultation period with local authorities, the Met Police, BIDS, performers, businesses, residents.
It now operates as an independently run programme, supported by the Mayor of London and has built a wealth of expertise regarding the place-making benefits, employee and client experience that can be achieved through high quality, grassroots music performance.
There has been a steady increase in private landowners programming Busk in London performers at their locations. The scheme has attracted significant public audiences and international media coverage due to the contactless payment system partnership with iZettle, International Busking Day and their ongoing busking circuits. Busk in London events have had support and performances from artists such as Nile Rodgers, KT Tunstall, Passenger, Nina Nesbitt, Jack Savoretti, and Tom Walker over the years.
Busk in London supports artists in their music careers through talent development opportunities and music industry education and experiences. Busk in London works with a diverse range of private landowners and corporate organisations including Network Rail, BoxPark, Greater London Authority, UEFA, City of London, Broadgate Estates, Argent, Lendlease, British Land, Merlin Entertainments, Battersea Power Station, Westminster Abbey, Royal Docks, Selfridges, Apple Store (Covent Garden & Regents Street), Wembley Park (Quintain), Arsenal FC, Royal Horticultural Society, Harlequins and Westfield Shopping centres to provide high quality music performance seasons.
Busk in London aims to foster increased relationships between all stakeholders across London and to make London the busking capital of the world where street performance is welcomed and thrives.
About Gibson Garage London:
With a rich history of craftsmanship and innovation, Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand, has become synonymous with music culture. The Gibson Garage is the ultimate guitar experience and destination for music lovers across the globe and the place to explore Gibson’s 130-year music history. The Gibson Garage London marks the first-ever Gibson flagship store outside of the U.S. and follows the successful opening of the Gibson Garage Nashville. The Gibson Garage London is located at 61-62 Eastcastle St, London, UK W1W 8NQ, just off Oxford Street, and is open to the public daily from 10:00-7:00pm (Monday-Saturday), and from 12:00-6:00pm (Sunday).
At the Gibson Garage London, music lovers can design their own Made-to-Measure guitar inside the Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab by selecting a unique guitar top off the wood library on the wall and choosing the specs inside and out. The Gibson Garage London features a special, dedicated Acoustic guitar room with one of the largest displays of Gibson Acoustic guitars in the entire UK, as well as areas for Epiphone electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, and the biggest display of Kramer guitars in the UK. At the Garage, fans are encouraged to pick up and play all things Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, MESA/Boogie, and Maestro and enjoy a massive display of exclusive Gibson apparel, gifts, and lifestyle items, as well as gear and accessories. The Gibson Garage London features uniquely British cultural discoveries around every corner and level. Music fans will experience regular live performances from music icons and emerging artists, events, signings, and panel discussions from musicians and artists, all from its state-of-the-art stage located on the lower level of the Garage. Whether you are a seasoned professional musician, a casual guitar player, a beginner, or simply a music fan, the Gibson Garage is the new, must-see music destination in London. For the latest news and events at the Gibson Garage London, follow @GibsonGuitarUK on Instagram, and visit https://gibson.com/garage-london.
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