The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #87393 Message #1637298
Posted By: The Shambles
30-Dec-05 - 08:34 AM
Thread Name: Law prevents carol singing
Subject: RE: Law prevents carol singing
However, having followed various of these threads, it seems that for a landlord to allow music in his/her premises, they need to tick certain boxes in their application and, providing the licence application goes through, then music is allowed and you can have your session if the landlord wishes it to happen.
First and with respect - I think it regretable that anyone who has followed these threads would still refer to 'box ticking' in this way. For in has been demonstrated that this was always just Government spin (but obviously very effective spin).
Apart from the costs of licensing entertainment alone - which has generally reduced and must be welcome (although the overall cost of licensing has increased) - the process for obtaining entertainment permission - triggered by the said box-ticking - is in fact pretty much the same as before.
And any public notice declaring a venue intends to provide any form of live music - tends to result in objections to this. A good way for premises to avoid any public objections and not hold-up their application for a Premises Licence - (even if they may welcome a session for example) is not to apply for live music permission.
For officers do tend to see these objections as an open invitation to interfere and impose judgement on unrelated matters that are really none of their concern. You will still also find that in response to a noise concern for example - no distinction will be made between amplified and non-amplified music - and the latter is often limited or prevented (on application and in advance of any noise actually being made) when there is no justification.
If they do not tick these boxes, surely there must be provision to apply for a variation in the licence conditions - with appropriate justification and safeguards - so that the situation can be remedied should they so wish to do?
Any variation involves the same process (and payment) as the original application - so how likely is it that any licensee who has not made application for entertainment permission in this first round - is now going to go through all of this again - just to enable you and I to make music together for our own enjoyment? Be it carols, traditional music or a cockney knees-up?
The question I would ask is what has the nature of what material is being sung - really got to do with licensing under the four main objects of the Act?