By Karl Quinn
Ed Sheeran has racked up legions of fans around the world, sold more than 150 million records, and become one of the biggest pop stars on the planet since releasing his first self-recorded tracks at the age of 13.
But none of that made a scrap of difference to the policeman who pulled the plug on the 33-year-old English musician as he tried to play an impromptu street gig in the Indian city of Bengaluru on the weekend.
Video shot by fans and widely circulated on social media captures the moment the officious official strides towards Sheeran as he sings Shape of You on a footpath on Church Street, a busy shopping precinct in the capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, pulls the cables from his effects pedal, and unceremoniously calls time on the show.
As the footage went viral around the world, local authorities were quick to defend the response of their man on the spot.
“Shape of You ... but not of permits,” wrote politician PC Mohan, a representative for Bangalore Central and a member of India’s ruling party, the BJP on X (formerly Twitter). “Ed Sheeran’s impromptu gig on Church Street hit a sour note as Bengaluru police pulled the plug over missing permissions. Even global stars must follow local rules – no permit, no performance!”
The state’s home minister, G. Parameshwara, echoed that sentiment. “He is a very famous singer and naturally, there will be chaos,” he told local news outlets. “To prevent that, police had not given him permission. In spite of that, he has come and tried to perform, so police prevented him. Nothing beyond that.”
Ed Sheeran performing at the MCG in March 2023.Credit: Rick Clifford
Sheeran, who has been busking since his teens, begged to differ.
On an Instagram story, he wrote: “We had permission to busk btw, hence us playing in that exact spot, was planned out before, it wasn’t just us randomly turning up. All good though. See ya at the show tonight.”
The incident was a rare bum note for Sheeran, who is on his second visit to India in a year. Last March, he played a single show in Mumbai. This time, he played five shows in four cities in the country that is home to a rapidly growing stadium concert scene. The Indian leg of his Mathematics tour finished with a second show in Bengaluru on Sunday, the night after his busking gig was cut short.
Sheeran has gone out of his way to win Indian fans, performing with local artists including sitar player Megha Rawoot and singer Shilpa Rao, and in local languages.
As far as that local policeman was concerned, however, it was time for him to pack his kit and take it back to London.
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