Hamish, what you said there confirmed my worries about the cackfisted way our legislators have when it comes to reforming absurdities, which rends to be just to compound them.

The crucial thing which has emerged from this is that there needs to be a recognition that it is unfair and unjust, and probably illegal to count people playing or singing primarily for their own benefit as "performers".

Coordinated lobbying sounds like a good idea. But I think it would be helpful if we have aclearwer idea of what excatly we would ideally like the situation to be.

I think the essential thing should be that non-amplified music, where no paid entry fee is charged should be protected from any requirements for licensing, unless there is any reason to believe that a public nuisance is being created, or that public safety is being put at risk.

That would cover coffee bars, barber-shop quartets in barbershops or whatever as well as pubs. It would also be very much in-line with the Human Rights requirements.