Street musicians ordered to shut up

BIRMINGHAM, England, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Two street musicians who played the same two songs endlessly in a Birmingham neighborhood have been banned from begging in England and Wales.

A two-year anti-social behavior order was imposed on James Ryan and Andrew Stevens, The Daily Telegraph reported. The buskers -- as street musicians are known in Britain -- drove residents of the Moseley area crazy with endless repetitions of "Faith" by George Michael and "Wonderwall" by Oasis.

Matt Williams, a former Moseley resident, said the pair would sometimes go on until 4 or 5 a.m., Ryan on guitar and Stevens using trashcan covers for drums.

"I break down every time I hear Wonderwall or the intro to Faith. It was just one after the other, it was awful," he said. "It was everything from the noise of them busking on the streets, to begging and causing fights, to the general lawlessness it encouraged while they were there.

The order imposed by a judge Wednesday bars the two from entering some parts of Moseley and from playing music on the street as well as begging. They could be jailed if they violate the order.