One of things in this thread is to keep things in perspective. To the best of my knowledge (someone will tell me if I'm wrong I'm sure) Sam Smiths have stopped LIVE music being played in three pubs (perhaps four with the carols). They have currently stopped the other 200+ pubs having the potential to play music in the future, but the only effect has been on Nellies, the Plough and the pub that we used (Blacksmiths in Farlington).

I'm not totally sure that LIVE music was Sam Smiths original target. In fact I'm not sure that they had even thought about it. It was a side effect of the original target of stopping paying PRS fees for BACKGROUND music and TVs. I base this on the original conversation I had with the brewery back in early December when I queried whether we could continue to play live music and was told it was ok to do it and that this had been agreed up to C Black's level (I think he is MD?). It was only later after all the background music had gone that we were told to stop.

So we are quite a minority! For 98% of Sams pubs live music is not really an issue or they are not at all vociferous (or they are still allowed to do it!!)

I still think that is the one strength that we have. According to Humphrey Smith he believes it is fair to apply a blanket policy across his pubs - if you allow a TV in one or background music in one you need to apply it everywhere.

As live music affects so FEW pubs Sam Smiths COULD decide to allow it selectively without having to pay for all their pubs. Whether they will is another matter of course but it is a tack I believe is still worth following up. I don't think Sam Smiths are really involved in the live music debate at all, I think it is incidental to their PRS issue that they wish to keep their costs down.