Two Sydney buskers have been captured clashing in one of the city’s busiest spots after a local violinist claimed a young singer was breaking the unwritten rules of busking.
Singer Widya Tjong found a seemingly empty spot and set up her microphone, belting out six songs in Pitt St Mall, outside Westfield Sydney, before another busker told her it was time to “start packing up”.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Busker filmed ‘bullying’ another out of popular Sydney spot.
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“I’m starting at 2pm,” violinist Vasiliy Shapkin says, captured on Tjong’s live stream recording about 1.55pm on Friday.
There are no bookings or time slots for buskers, according to Sydney City Council’s The Sydney Busking Code — which states street performers can perform “low impact” shows at just two different spots in the mall for up to two hours each day between 11am to 7pm.
But Tjong had only been playing for about 20 minutes when Shapkin approached.
“I literally just started, there was no one here before,” Tjong says.
The violinist insisted he was “queuing” with his equipment several metres away, a loophole which allows buskers to unofficially reserve the empty spot until the perfect time — but which isn’t mentioned in the Busking Code.
“We didn’t want to start before 2pm because there’s sun,” Shapkin says.
Bystanders were captured gathering around the arguing pair, interjecting at times to defend the woman while she held her ground, and comforting her when she eventually broke down in tears.
“Mate, everyone is videoing you. You’re bullying her,” one bystander says.
“It’s yours, it’s yours. I’m done, I’m done,” Tjong says finally, before giving up on the spot and preparing to move elsewhere.
“Yeah, I know it is mine,” Shapkin says.
wwwiwidya/TikTok
Footage of the altercation was streamed live on social media, where netizens continued to discuss the nuances of busking etiquette.
“He didn’t say anything the entire time she was setting up. That’s because he wasn’t there. He missed his chance and then bullied her out,” one netizen commented on TikTok.
Fellow buskers confirmed Shapkin’s take on the local rule of etiquette was correct, but noted some uncertainty about the expectation for buskers who might leave the queue and come back to it.
Tjong said she knew she was setting up in a competitive spot, and had scanned the area for other buskers before setting up.
“I usually busk at the back where H&M is because I know how buskers are very competitive on the spot near Zara, but when I arrived a busker was busking in front of H&M, so I decided to move to another place,” she said.
“It turned out the one near Zara was empty, no one was there, no speaker or bags to be seen, and I didn’t see the busker who is in this video.”
A City of Sydney spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au: “The City of Sydney is aware of the video and is looking into the incident.”
Public praised for caring response
Tjong insisted that most buskers are friendly and kind, and joined a chorus of netizens commending the members of the public who stopped to support her during the altercation on Pitt St.
“I was speechless with the amount of people standing up for me and trying to talk to him, but no one was able to level with him,” Tjong said.
“I can’t imagine if I was alone.
“As a musician, it’s hard enough to make it out there and to see a fellow busker not only (failing to support you) but also trying to take you down, it’s the biggest disappointment.”
But the online response suggests Shapkin’s done more to damage his own potential for profits than anyone else’s.
“Mansplaining is the worst kind of busking,” one person commented on the video that has now been viewed more than 2.7 million times on TikTok.
“I usually tip this guy but never again,” another said.
Shapkin’s social media accounts appear to have been disabled or deleted following the online backlash.
7NEWS.com.au has contacted Shapkin for comment.