Bassic -

I have had an email back from PRS today saying that they wish to consider and discuss and then come back with a full reply.

****

I wrote:

We are a group of singers/musicians who have until
recently met weekly in a local pub for a 'singaround'.
Some of what is sung is traditional, some is folk,
some self written. There are somewhere between 10 and
25 of us who attend. There is no entrance fee.

The pub concerned is a Samuel Smiths pub and - as I'm
sure you are aware - their policy has changed and they
have removed all music/Tvs etc across the board.

As we love the particular pub as a place to play (we
have offers from elsewhere but would rather stay where
we are) we are exploring if there are ways to satisfy
all parties concerned.

So a number of questions if I may...

1 What would be the cost for a year for a weekly
singaround as described above. No background music or
other licences involved - JUST for this. Is this fee
likely to change dramatically in the future? I have
heard rumours of huge % increases coming perhaps you
could give me the actual facts!?

2 As I understand Sams may be unwilling to treat pubs
on an individual basis is there a way that WE as a
group of individuals or as a club can hold a PRS
licence for the above activity - so that it is US who
deal with it rather than the specific pub?

3 If our weekly gathering was on the basis of it being
a private function with people allowed in by
invitation does this change anything?

If you need any further information please let me
know.

Thank you for your help in advance. I would appreciate
a quick response if possible as I am currently in a
dialogue on the matter and would like to maintain the
momentum of the discussion if I can

******

Reply -

Dear Mr Blair

Your e-mail and questions have been passed to me for attention and I am very sorry to hear about your plight. The actions of this pub company are very disappointing for their customers and damaging to the incomes of our songwriter and publisher members. You raise a number of questions which I would like to take a little time to consider and then I will come back to you with a full reply.

Yours sincerely

Clive Thomas.