London Extra | Maree's Collection of Handsome Guitar Boys

Major throwback to summer 2014. You know, that time I went to London and never finished my blog posts on the trip. Well, I'm going to London again. Very soon! Turns out, that's what I needed to kick me into finishing all these. Even though it's strange seeing how much of a different person I am now, but I feel like I need to stay to true to the notes I wrote down 2 years ago.
I promise that this time around I will be wiser and make a more realistic blog post plan.

Back to the lovely day on South Bank. This is an extra music-y blog post about all the lovely buskers along the Thames that made me smile and generally made my life much better that day. It's no secret that music plays and important part in my life and these boys provided a much needed comfort to me, for which I shall be eternally grateful.

If you enjoy acoustic guitars, click below to check them out and have a listen. 

Starting off with the first one I came across near the Anchor pub on the Bankside: a boy with a guitar working some pedal magic. My level of happiness instantly went a couple of notches up :) I found a little spot just across from him where I sat down and took a video of him performing “Feeling Good” (see below) and then I stayed for a couple more songs. I was actually grateful for the sit down, ‘coz I was starting to feel a bit faint. I remember he did “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”, which I liked, because… Just imagine it: hot, sunny weather, noise of people eating in a restaurant, fresh wind playing with my hair and I’m sittin on the dock of the… I mean on the bank of the Thames, breathing in London, listening to good music. #bliss :)

I went to give him some money and grabbed a leaflet with all the info, social media contacts etc. It was time for me to move on.

Just a bit further, past the books and the bridge, there was another guitar guy :) This one was playing a little bit more... I don't want to say classical, but they were instrumental arrangements of popular songs, including some Beatles, “How Deep is Your Love”, “Make You Feel My love” and one that was very familiar, but I couldn’t for the love of god remember what it was! It was "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson and you can listen to it, featuring a spontaneous passer by who joined in with a vocal :) Such a lovely, chilled summer atmosphere! 

Another bridge, another busker. Possibly Irish, if my phonetic instinct is not mistaken? I took a video as well - only he was doing an instrumental track, so you can't hear him sing. He was very good though! I looked it up later, the song was "Anji" written by a guitarist called Davy Graham and covered by many including Simon & Garfunkel. 

Looks like there’s a theme to this afternoon of mine… I can smell a blospost coming. Something like: “Maree’s Collection of Handsome Guitar People” :) :) :)

And yet another one :) I’m just so glad they are here. They make me feel better and the sound of guitar… It’s very good for my nerves and raises my spirits on a slightly lonely day. This guy, almost below the London Eye,... I couldn’t help smiling when I got there :)  I whipped out my camera and recorded a video trying to be a proper camera person making a proper video of the place, the music and the atmposhpere. Not sure it worked :D I stayed for like… 2 songs and then I thought I should get a move on, but… he started playing again… And I ended up getting stuck there for over half an hour. Oops O:-) Somehow, I don’t know why, but I liked him the best out of all the buskers I'd seen. I just couldn't leave. 

He played things like “Babylon”, Coldplay’s “Yellow”, “The A Team” and “Brown Eyed Girl”... People, mainly ladies ;) would come up and give him money and he would say thank you to each and every one of them.

I sat there and enjoyed… life. It felt so nice not having anything to do or anywhere particular to be… being free to just sit here on the bank of the Thames, listen to this lovely bloke and be alive.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Just existing… and not thinking about ANYTHING.

I wish I could have stayed there forever.

Or at least until guitar boy would finish his set.

But I did have to move on. There was London out there waiting for me to see it. I had to go. So I decided to brave up and give him some money :) He said: “Thank you very much,” and I went away. 

P.S.: It took me almost a year and a half to find out what his name was: Ste Forshaw. Apparantly he's still busking :) and he's in a band called Little Mountain. I might do a post on them at some point. Good stuff! 

Now this really is the end of the music posts for now.

I've only got a couple posts left from this London trip:
The last day, when I saw everything! Some things twice. >> click here << (COMING SOON) And a wrap up post about what the whole adventure meant for me and my life >> click here << (COMING SOON). I hope I manage to do that before I am to start writing about London 2016 :)

In the meantime, you can check out the travel label, or click on London in the label cloud to have a look at some of my previous posts.

I hope to see you soon ;) xx

Facebook * Twitter * Bloglovin