Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50

Subject: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: Nemesis
Date: 26 Jun 05 - 08:00 PM

This will probably only make sense if you've followed the UK PEL saga (and maybe not even then) or if you live in Sussex, or are a club organiser etc
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I've just counted up - and excluding the three annual all day, weekend festivals, I will have organised (from a cash start of 100 quid) and put on 50 club nights this Friday.

Ooh, total audiences getting on for over 5,000 - over 500 musicians even including Gold-disc, sold 25 million albums, Fellows of the Royal College of Music PAYING into the communal pot to play at an Open Mic. (Pay to play - it's a local tradition(!) deriving from the notorious reluctance of local pubs to pay musicians)

Anyway, Friday st July 2005 is the last:
following last year's festival that I organised, on the advice of its "Special Adviser on Anti-Social behaviour" the council decided to prosecute the pub - the owner put the place on the market as a result - he and the manager were convicted on the old "more than two musicians in the bar" legislation. But bearing in mind it was for the local children's HOSPICE, for which we "brilliantly fundraised" £4,000 - the magistrates only(!) made them pay a total of a thousand pounds towards legal costs, and conditionally disharged them for a year. Meanwhile, the local council tax payers footed the other £3000+ prosecution costs. (Coincidentally, £4,000 also being the entire annual budget of the Arts Development Officer that the Council sacked to save money, in a town of 100,000 residents)

Then last week the same committee decided stripped the manager of his license - on another matter for which he had already been punished by the Courts - thereby depriving him of his livelihood and means of supprt for his seriously sick baby son (hence his understandable support for the local children's hospice, which relies entirely on donations)

Anyway, now the pub has been sold - to Courage - for a fake-beamed extravaganza. All the staff have lost their jobs, the deputy manager his home, and the town the only cooperative and supportive pub landlord with a venue to put on community arts events. (Not having a town Arts centre or support for community arts - local groups have to be able to afford the full commercial hiring rates for (the only) council venues).

Last night, in another town at another venue, I saw an act sing to the tune "I love Paris in Springtime" the memorable line: "I don't love Worthing, I find it unnerving, the way they leave the people there to rot!"

And despite senior Conservative, Baroness Peta Buscombe, speaking at a recent House of Lords debate on urban regeneration, stating that there is evidence to show that more live music equals less trouble", (as indeed many campaigners against the new Licensing Laws pointed out repeatedly during their campaign). For crime figure comparisions - "sedate, and dignified" Bath, during the same 4 days of the Glastonbury festival recorded just under 20% more crime than the festival with 120,000 people consuming most of the cider that Somerset can produce.

So, "Mr Head of Worthing Borough Council Licensing Committee and its Special Adviser on Anti-Social Behaviour" your decision (on the basis of gaining one Tory voter who complained) to prosecute the pub for last year's festival, set off this entire debacle, leading not only to the club's demise, but also the loss of an important community facility and venue for other grassroots arts events: put that in your pipe and smoke it. I'm sure your madperson/ neighbour across the road from the pub is very happy, and will vote for you and your meglomaniac Mugabe-style intentions of flattening the town of any protest, (together with acres of concrete, but that's another story)
so it's all been worthwhile hasn't it?

Leaving now and turning the lights out .....

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Jun 05 - 08:14 PM

It's more extreme than anything I've experienced, but I'd agree it's time to fold 'em and run like hell!

Nothing like a combination of bureaucratic rules and mean-spirited people to spoil something that was providing a whole group of people creative pleasure.

Good luck and I hope you find another way to continue to carry on.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: mooman
Date: 26 Jun 05 - 08:21 PM

I remember when you started it all up H and sorely feel for you.

The logo Steve Earle had on his teeshirt on the telly tonight pretty well sums up Mr Head (is his name Dick?) and his special advisor.

Nil illegitimi carborundum

Peace

Richard

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: M.Ted
Date: 26 Jun 05 - 11:48 PM

I don't even know what to say. It makes angry. I am shocked. I am revolted. One thing is certain, the man excels in antisocial behavior-

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: DMcG
Date: 27 Jun 05 - 02:31 AM

This will probably only make sense if you've followed the UK PEL saga

This was written with clarity so that anyone could understand it. As for making sense, ...

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: Rasener
Date: 27 Jun 05 - 04:06 AM

Whats the e-mail of this prat. Why don't we all bombard this pillock with e-mails complaining about his unfair and socially unacceptable behaviour.

It's hard enough trying to find a venue these days that is acceptable for running Folk events.

Nemesis, I hope you are not going to lie down and die on this one. I hope you manage to find another venue and keep up the good work that you have evidently done so far.

From an organiser who has found new premises 3 times in one and a half years.

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Jun 05 - 04:10 AM

Truly horrifying!

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: GUEST,Hamish Birchall
Date: 27 Jun 05 - 05:03 AM

Nemesis

The BBC Today programme is preparing a piece about the 'two in a bar' saga and the new licensing laws, which promise 'none in a bar' for many venues (or a maximum 12 gigs a year using 'temporary event notices). Your example sounds newsworthy.

I am a long-standing campaigner on this issue, and worked for two years in Parliament as a lobbyist for music-friendly changes to the Licensing Act. I am helping the BBC reporter produce her piece.

If you could identify the venue/town that would be great. You can email me at [e-mail]

Hamish

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Jun 05 - 08:45 AM

puts our little trouble (can't find a pub for a singing session) in perspective

good luck

sandra

Subject: RE: Leaving the people to rot, & dead at 50
From: paddymac
Date: 05 Jul 05 - 03:01 AM

The fascist moon is still rising. Declension must begin soon - IF we all do our part in our own little ways. Dang, that's a good song title "Fascist Moon Still Rising." Any lyricists willing to run with that?