Busking schoolboys wow shoppers in Sussex (From The Argus)

Busking schoolboys wow shoppers in Sussex

4:00pm Monday 16th March 2009 in

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Schoolboys Liam Wheen and Dylan Cooper started busking just to earn a bit of extra money.

Liam, 12, and Dylan, 13, took to the streets to get extra practice in and entertain passers-by.

But they have proved so popular in The Lanes, Brighton, they have turned their trade into a flourishing business.

And now Liam is set to appear on TV after they caught the eye of a researcher as they performed.

Liam plays the saxophone and sings while Dylan plays the guitar and sings.

The pair have been busking most weekends since August and have kept crowds of shoppers entertained with their upbeat tunes.

Liam’s mother, Lesley Wheen, said: “They just love to play, both Liam and Dylan love to play in front of an audience. It’s also great to see people of all ages enjoying their music.”

The boys began playing together last summer after meeting at a Herbie Flowers Rockshop workshop.

They have been astonished by the generosity of people in Brighton who frequently give the boys more money than they could ever have expected.

Mrs Wheen said: “People have been very generous, one guy even gave the boys a twenty pound note.”

The boys have been spending the money wisely by buying new equipment. Dylan has brought a new guitar and Liam recently brought a new microphone.

The boys have also endured the pressure of playing live on Juice FM and opened in the ‘Best Of Brighton’ at the Komedia in front of a large crowd. They also played at a girl’s birthday recently and the father of the girl was so delighted with their performance that he paid them double for their efforts.

The boys performances have led to Liam being invited to take part in a new children’s BBC series called Clash, where 10 children will be asked to re-work classical music into a more modern style.

Mrs Wheen said: “It will be a fantastic experience for Liam, he’ll be doing a lot of exciting things, he’s going to get to stay in a hotel in London.”

The boys are currently saving their busking money to pay for a day in a studio so they can make a CD available for their growing number of fans.