Council ‘Scrooges’ booed as family ordered to stop city centre performance

Bhangra band Masti halted mid-track by enforcement officers as they delighted Victoria Square onlookers

This is the moment “Scrooge” council officers were booed after stopping a family’s Christmas performance in Birmingham city centre.

Midland-band bhangra act Masti, formed by DJ Aamir Rana, 36, his dad Amjad, 66, and uncle Surinder, 63, who dressed as Santa, were performing their number ‘Jingle Balle’.

But their pop-up show was shut down mid-song by two enforcement officers in Victoria Square. The group said they were only there to perform one track – which was due to last just two minutes and 46 seconds – and wanted to spread some Christmas cheer.

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They had earlier performed the song by the Bull statue outside the Bullring, around the Christmas market and on Corporation Street without an issue on Saturday, December 6.

But at the fourth and final location they were halted and left bewildered as to what they did wrong. The group claimed the officers also tried to slap them with a £100 on-the-spot fine, although it did not appear it was ultimately issued.

Footage showsedthree West Midlands Police officers being called over by the enforcement officers at around 3.30pm. No action was taken by police and the group moved on.

Aamir, a resident DJ at Birmingham City University, told BirminghamLive: “The crowds were booing when they came over to stop us which was probably around two minutes through, but we immediately complied.

“We’d only been there a few minutes as the song is only two minutes and 46 seconds. We shut it down before we finished.

“We just turn up to random locations and spread a bit of Christmas cheer for three minutes. We call it the world’s first pop-up Christmas Bhangra tour.

“But two enforcement officers who said we were violating the public order over and over again. I don’t understand what we did wrong and we weren’t busking.”

The group said one of the most touching moments came from an elderly widow with a walking frame, who revealed she had been married to a Bangladeshi man for decades.

She had not been able to listen to Asian music since his death – until that day. Hearing “Jingle Balle” moved her so deeply that she followed the band from location to location, slowly making her way through the city on what was also her birthday.

Aamir added: “I don’t think we violated anything and the crowd were loving it. What was amazing was there were people following us from location to location. It was never to cause any issues – just to spread some Christmas joy.”

Birmingham City Council said the trio were asked to stop the performance as they were using amplification equipment – banned by a noise-busting Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

A council spokesman told BirminghamLive: “The band were approached by members of our fixed penalty enforcement team for breaching the city centre noise PSPO as they were witnessed using amplification equipment and musical instruments within the designated PSPO area.

“Birmingham City Council has introduced a Public Space Protection Order, which places restrictions on busking in the city centre in response to a significant number of complaints received from residents and businesses about noise issues.

“The order bans musical instruments and amplification in certain streets. Since its introduction, we have received numerous positive responses from businesses and people working in the city centre.

“When introducing the order, the council has always considered how to balance the rights of residents and businesses against those who wish to make music and other amplified noise in the city centre.

“With that in mind, the council is now open to considering the feasibility of working with a partner to adopt a permitting scheme for busking in the city centre. This would need to be a managed scheme that controlled the noise environment, and would work alongside the Public Space Protection Order.”