The city was abuzz with energy and excitement this weekend with British singer Ed Sheeran performing two shows as a part of his Mathematics world tour. In the midst of this, the superstar decided to drop by Church Street on Sunday morning to give a surprise performance. However, just as the singer began to croon out the first few lines of Shape of You, a policeperson pulled the plug citing a lack of permission by the singer’s team.
Recalling her excitement at a regular work day turning into a once-in-a-lifetime moment, Deha A, a 21-year-old cafeteria employee, says, “We had no idea Ed Sheeran would come even though we were watching people set up. In about 30 minutes, the whole street was crowded. It was my first time watching a live performance like this and my hands were shaking!”
Sheeran’s performance being cut short has sparked a social media storm with some expressing disappointment at losing out on his live performance and others insisting that procedures must be followed. Prasith RV, a student, who has been a fan of Sheeran’s since 2016, says the situation could have been dealt with more grace. “He’s an international artiste who has come here to perform and when officials like this are rude, it brings down the reputation of Indians. There are better ways to communicate this – he could’ve politely gone up to the manager or PR team, or asked Ed to stop after a song. It was just disappointing to see my favourite artiste’s performance being cut short.”
Others, including Church Street Resident Welfare Association President, Sanjay Kumar Pal, are staunchly opposed to street performances, regardless of how big the star is. “As per the law, nobody is allowed to block the footpath. The organisers should have informed the police to get a proper location for the performance. The police did the right thing as footpaths are for pedestrians; it’s not a stage for performance,” says Pal, who mentions that they are forced to ‘chase away’ buskers on a daily basis. Shopkeeper Naveen Gowda takes a similar stance, citing crowd-control issues. “He started performing while his team was still talking with the police about permissions. It becomes a big issue if the crowd goes out of control or if someone files a complaint about traffic issues – the policemen have to report to higher-ups too,” he says.
While busking, with musicians performing openly on the streets, is a common sight in many countries, it’s still uncommon in India. Musician Carlton Braganza bemoans the lack of a busking culture in the city. “I know what a kick it is to have a go at audiences who may not know you. Abroad, you can find the best musicians on the street. Here, it’s looked down upon. It’s awesome that he did it.”
‘As Church Street is crowded, we had denied permission’
A police officer attached to the Cubbon Park police station said they got a call on ‘Namma 112’ about a performance on Church Street which was creating a nuisance. “Our men saw the crowd swelling on Church Street in no time. We had to intervene to manage the situation before things went out of hand,” the officer said, adding, “We requested the singer to stop his performance. But he didn’t heed our requests and continued. We had no option but to unplug the microphone and the musical instruments to stop his performance.” According to the police, the event management company had approached the DCP Central office for permission to perform. “However, as Church Street is a crowded place, we had denied permission,” the cop highlighted, adding, “Performances on streets are allowed only after obtaining necessary permissions. We do not allow them on busy footpaths as it inconveniences people.”