People keep on slipping back into this daft and lazy assumption that the only places where live music can possibly hapen is in pubs.

I may be being selfish, but at least 90% of the places where I'm involved with live music these days is in pubs (even at most festivals) - where do we usually meet up ? Of the others some (Theatre type venues, CSH etc) are going to have licences anyway, the rest will probably count as impromptu - I'll take my chance with the BBQs.

As it is not possible for us to have very much impact as to who chooses to apply or not - beyond those we may have personal contact with.

I like many others on the folk scene have contact with many pubs, I have always had a habit of just walking into pubs and singing and have discovered many useful venues that way. If we all talk to the landlords of pubs which we know - it could make a big difference to the number who take advantage of the initial chance to get a license free.

I just think that where this may be out Government's and perhaps our LAs main task - in order to try and make the unworkable, work - it is not really ours.

In the light of the way that my local LA sees entertainment licenses, I can't imagine them being very keen to see premises get them for free. I'm sure thart they would rather the licenses were applied for subsequently, when they could make a charge.

I do not want to belittle the legal discussion side and think that you are doing an important job, but for the rest of us at this point, talking to pub landlords is something useful that we at the grass-roots could be doing.