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"No more
impromptu gigs, open-mike nights or even singalongs. Can live music survive the
new licensing bill, asks Tim Cumming"
Tuesday January 28, 2003 The Guardian "...The bill is potentially fatal to the future of live
entertainment of all kinds. Described as "a central plank in the government's
drive to tackle anti-social behaviour", the licensing bill was expected to
streamline the archaic Public Entertainments Licence regime and end the
two-in-a-bar rule, which permits no more than two musicians to perform without a
licence, and which culture minister Kim Howells labelled "outdated and
pointless".
Instead of liberalising the law, the government intends to license all live entertainment with what is essentially a none-in-the-bar rule. That is the opposite of what many hoped for, and at odds with the law in Scotland, which permits live music without a licence if it is secondary to the main business of the premises. Overnight, live music "in any place" will be illegal unless a licence or temporary entertainment notice from local authorities is obtained, with all its attendant costs and red tape. This means everything from Christmas festivities to impromptu music sessions in small, out-of-the-way pubs will be liable to penalties of up to £20,000 and six months' imprisonment. The only proposed exemptions are for the corporate leisure industry - for whom satellite TV pubs bring significant revenue - and churches, although non-religious church events would also require a licence... " Like I've always said, Scotland is obviously the most
advanced country on the planet.
amalyah keshet
head of image resources & copyright management the israel museum, jerusalem www.imj.org.il board of directors, the museum computer network www.mcn.edu You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [email protected] |
