With the greatest respect if the new law applies here - why should Yorkshire be exempt from it?

If this event can happen legally and openly - it presents hope for similar activities in the rest of the country. If it can't - then then it will serve as an example of how counter-productive our legislation is and demonstrate that changes urgently need to be made either in the words of the law or its local enforcement. The head-in-the - sand approach will not work - even in Yorkshire.

I beleive that such event as these and sessions etc can legally take place under this new legislation and feel that it is this argument that should be made. The attempt to pretend the event is not something it is (ie open to the public) is not really helpful to anyone in the short or th long term.

It should perhaps be mentioned that there are two legal issues here. Sam Smith's refusal to pay for the PRS/PPL licence (hence the need for all the material played to be traditional) and the requirement for a licence to provide Regulated Entertainment.

The latter can perhaps be gotten around by the material played but I am amazed that no steps have been taken to ensure that these events are legal under the new legislation - as the dangers presented to this sort of event have be flagged-up for some time.

Rather than no publicity (if that were possible) I suggest the answer is exactly the opposite.