Petition

This site does not normally involve itself with politics or any other matter outside its remit . . .

. . . But this is important!

If you are a UK resident, please spare, literally, a few seconds to sign Dominic Cronin's online petition against the absurd situation now threatening live music:

The UK Government have recently passed laws in the UK to try and suppress live music and dance. Pubs which could previously offer work to solo singers or duos now have to pay for a special licence and can only have 12 of these per year. Even school Xmas concerts need to be licensed.

If you don't know there is a UK government web site where anyone can now start a petition and that's what is being done. we've just received the following email which explains things more clearly and gives the site address . If you care about keeping music live please take the time to sign the online petition

The live music/licensing e-petition now has over 30,500 signatures as of March 3rd. It currently stands 4th in the list of 1,702 petitions on the Number 10 website

This is good, especially in just under a month - and there are four more months in which people can sign.

- CLOSING DATE: 11 June 2007

But the petition needs to do much better to make an impression on ministers, and to encourage DCMS to implement music-friendly amendments.

The petition is for everyone, not just musicians. Please consider signing if you haven't  already done so. If you have signed, encourage friends to sign.

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Points to remember about the new legislation:

The unlicensed provision of even one musician is a potential criminal offence (although some places are exempt, including places of public religious worship, royal palaces and moving vehicles). Max  penalty: £20,000 fine and six months in prison.

The rationale is to prevent noise, crime and disorder, to ensure public safety, and the protection of children from harm.

But broadcast entertainment, including sport and music, is exempt - no matter where, and no matter how powerfully amplified.

>In the transition to the new regime, bars with jukeboxes, CD players etc were automatically granted a license to play recorded music; but their automatic entitlement to one or two musicians was abolished.

>For the first time, private performances raising money for charity are licensable.

School performances open to friends and family are licensable - they count as public performances.

Under the old regime all premises licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises were automatically allowed up to two live musicians (the 'two in a bar rule').

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In December, DCMS published research confirming that about 40% of these have lost any automatic entitlement to live music as a result of the new Act:

"Very few establishments that wanted a new license were denied it, and many who were previously limited to 2-in-a-bar now have the ability to stage music with 2 or more musicians.

This contrasts, of course, with the fact that 40% of establishments now have no automatic means of putting on live music i.e. they would have to give a Temporary Event Notice - in effect a temporary entertainment licence.

Only 12 are allowed per premises per year. They cost £21 each.

Leo Ricketts
March 2007

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