Ed Sheeran meets with Vancouver musician busking outside his show

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world’s biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Vancouver singer-songwriter Daniel Lew was busking outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre last September when he had an interaction with pop megastar Ed Sheeran that “was unbelievably surreal,” he said.

Sheeran was in town to perform two shows as part of his global ‘+ – = ÷ x’ Tour when Lew said he experienced an unusual feeling, a “vision or intuition” that the two would somehow connect.

“I thought, ‘I don’t know how this dude is going to see me, but maybe if I go busking by the venue where he’s going to be performing, we’ll cross paths or something.’ It seems so far-fetched, but it’s the idea that had come to my mind,” he said.

Two and a half hours before the show, when there was no one around besides the “die-hard fans,” Lew picked up his guitar and started playing outside of the theatre.

“I was just trying to give it my all, and I was out there for almost three hours to the point where the lineup was huge, there were crowds, and then everyone was in the venue,” he said.

“I just kept doing my thing, I just wanted to put on the best show that I could and promote myself as a musician.”

Prior to performing, Lew had decided that once the queue had dissipated and all the guests were indoors, he would pack up his things and call it a night. Just as he was about to throw in the towel, however, a security guard began making his way over.

“At first, I thought he was going to kick me out, but it turns out he was trying to give me an invitation to the show. He asked me if I had a ticket, and when I explained I didn’t, I was just there to play music, he offered me one and asked if I would like to meet Ed himself,” said Lew.

According to the security guard, Sheeran, a former busker, had seen Lew’s performance as he was driving into the venue and had explicitly requested the two meet.

“I was just so floored. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’” said Lew.

Twenty minutes before the show started, Lew was called backstage, where the promising musician and the global popstar had a “meaningful interaction,” shooting the breeze on all things music.

Folk-pop artist Lew, who has since gone on to perform at several festivals and iconic venues around Vancouver, said the experience “really helped give some momentum to my musical journey.”

Lew had been singing on the streets as part of TransLink’s Busker Program, a journey he had embarked on two-and-a-half years prior after seeing an advertisement for auditions online. He credits the initiative and others like it – he is also a part of the Granville Island program and has a permit with the City of Vancouver – for helping him grow as an artist and gain exposure in an increasingly difficult-to-break industry.

Gigs can be “few and far between,” said Lew, and any extra opportunities to perform for the public are often met with open arms.

“I’ve grown a lot just having so many hours to sing and play, and it’s provided a great testing ground for me to try out new material,” he said.

As TransLink opens its busking applications for another year, Lew is recommending all artists hankering after a career in the music industry to put their name forward.

“To be a performer and to be out there sharing music live, it’s just a great way to get more experience and keep working on your craft,” he said.

“You can make any environment your stage, it’s just a matter of perspective of seeing it that way.”

Musicians interested in TransLink’s Busker Program, which has been running since 1986 and has taken on 75 artists in its time, must apply and audition before the deadline window closes Nov. 6.

According to a TransLink spokesperson, a three-person panel will then select buskers based on a criteria list that questions musical ability, stage presence, entertainment value and suitability of the music to the transit and public environment.