My experience of Local Authorities on enforcement are that they are erratic. They allow "illegal sessions" for many years then someone new comes to the athority wanting to make a name, and crash bang wallop.

It is obviously a good thing that local authorities are nervous about enforcing carol singing but this is seasonal, sessions are forever, I hope. I know that some Breweries have applied for music limited to 2 "performers" en masse for all their pubs, in the hope that this would not attract the wrath of locals. Somehow "performers", not part of the Act, connote something different to a "session" but that will not matter if the licensee says clear off, or words with similar connotations.

On the positive side, times are hard in some sections of the licensing trade and some licensees are actively seeking out musicians, (not many I accept).

In the week I went to a CHristmas party in a vertical drinking establishment.   The volume of recorded music (unlicensed-no dancing) was so great that many feared for their hearing and sanity and left for a traditional local. Am I getting past it? I don't understand the music content of computer generated beat at about 120 decibles, where one "tune" is indistingishable from another.