If you are a working musician or a music fan you may have
noticed that many small venues are under pressure on many fronts.
The cost of providing live music has risen and also the constraints put
on the venues that provide it. In particular with regard to sound levels
and there are many examples of long established music venues being restricted
and in some cases closed down due just one local resident making a complaint
to local authorities. Many venues at the Pub level are no longer able to
provide live music due to unrealistic restrictions.
These venues are traditionally where music is honed and developed and if
they are squeezed out of existence then a great deal will be lost.
We the undersigned petition the
Prime Minister to Urgently
review all legislation in respect of the licensing laws in view
of their negative affect on live music and musicians'
livelihoods
Live music in Britain is dying.
Numerous small venues (pubs,
etc.) are adversely affected, and established venues threatened
with loss of livelihood by these factors:
1) The revised licensing laws;
especially the ‘two in a bar
rule’, and the prohibitive cost of a license. 2) Over zealous
attitudes by local authorities backed by laws encouraging
complaint against, but not support for music licensing. 3)
Insufficient measurable guidelines & practice regarding volume
and possible noise pollution.
The situation exists at the
level of small venues where work is
increasingly difficult to obtain and young musicians are
lacking opportunity to gain experience.
We urge a review of the licensing
laws in respect of the two in
a bar rule, the cost of licensing, and of local authority so
that that a fair balance is established between the rights of
residents and the necessity of maintaining and building upon
our musical and cultural heritage.