To elucidate further. Under the new licensing regime, members clubs will no longer be exempt. However, the new licenses cover ENTERTAINMENT.

If there is nobody to be entertained, i.e. it's a closed circle of friends who are having a singaround together, then there would be a fairly strong argument that no entertainment was possible. Ergo, no license required.

However, if there were some degree of openness in the system which suggested there were an audience - i.e. you could join the club not already knowing the people there, the club was advertised or a charge was levied (not just a whipround to cover costs) then the implication is that there is an audience and, by logical extension, that ENTERTAINMENT is going on in some way, shape or form.

:-)