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-
Gibson Garage London; 61-62 Eastcastle Street; London, UK; W1W 8NQ; (off Oxford Street)
Mon-Sat 10am – 7pm, Sun 12-6pm
