The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #124297 Message #2744835
Posted By: Nick
13-Oct-09 - 08:07 AM
Thread Name: Humphrey Smith - destroyer of British folk music
Subject: RE: Humphrey Smith
Malcolm
The little I know about this would suggest that the PRS were more accommodating and interested in coming to agreement than Mr Smith was. He does like to apply blanket policies which is either fair or unfair depending on your point of view.
In our particular instance at Farlington, though I don't agree with his view personally, commercially even aesthetically, I can say that he was civil and straightforward in my personal dealings with him. He wrote me two letters and telephoned me back when I - in frustration at having the BBC and various people getting in touch as it wasn't a battle I particularly wanted to be involved apart from the music side of things - left a message for him with his wife.
I still believe that his decision was a wrong one and that what we brought to Farlington was very much in keeping with his Orwellian notion of what a pub should be that he recently sent round to the managers of the pubs in memo form. Interestingly it is the same Orwell essay (The Moon Under Water) that Wikipedia quote as supposedly being at the heart of the formation of the Wetherspoons pub chain.
Everyone has always said that there is no way he will ever change his mind but I have always believed that if you can change your mind once that you have already demonstrated your ability to change NOT your ability to never change - so I live in hope if not expectation.
How he treats his staff though is horrible and definitely verging on the cruel. How much of that is down to his infamous Area Manager (FO'B) or how much it is ultimately down to him one can only guess. I heard word that that Area Manager was going soon but rumour is an interesting thing. A world of continually extending probationary periods against ever more impossible targets set on a world of continually shifting sands seems immensely callous.
Interestingly I felt that 5 years was a reasonable time to try and re-engage him on the music issue. It's been a reasonable period of time. Also the pub market has changed dramatically. Food and catering in pubs has changed. Traditional values and traditional music with traditional beer seem a good opportunity, that would seem to fit in with Sams values(?).
Bizarrely I have always thought that what McEwans do/did in Scotland to promote sessions and traditional music was such a perfect fit for Sam Smiths. Perhaps not in my lifetime...
When we got removed from Farlington you'd be hard pressed to find a pub which would have us - the world was food packed into every inch of a pub and space 'wasted' on music was profit lost. Luckily I found one otherwise we would probably have stopped.
Recession has changed things. I now go into quiet Sams pubs but see how many pubs now are trying to get music in to attract custom or fight for a share of a declining market. I play in a rock/covers band and this year we will have played almost 30 gigs in an 8 month period and all within probably a 20 mile radius which is a huge change. Every week at Flaxton (middle of nowhere really) there will be 30 to 40 people drinking and chatting and getting involved which seems very much what a pub is/should be about.
Sams have a great system where they control the product (Wetherspoons and some others probably compete on price pretty keenly now), the food (which is not particularly attractive to eat), own the buildings, screw the staff for hours and pay, disallow all competition within the pub (even quiz prizes) but still struggle. At some point (until they bring in unattended self service pubs like petrol stations) you run out of things to cut and reach a critical level. At that point they will need to do something as in speaking to someone who has known him for many years the one thing he doesn't like is something that doesn't break even. The underlying value of the estate is the important bit but they still need to break even.
I think it sad that they have such lovely pubs that I would hate to see spoiled but similarly find it sad that they are underutilised. In the case of Farlington it was such a beautiful place to play - if you have never seen it here is a picture from much happier times and you might recognise one or two people. If anyone objects to the picture let me know and I'll remove. Hopefully you'll see why I'd like the option to have it available again one day
Happy days 1
Happy days 2
Happy days 3