Shambles, my understanding is that the situation is really as stupid as it seems.

The closest I have come to real trouble was in a session in Menai Bridge. I can only guess that someone had complained to the police who came in to the pub and demanded the names and addresses of everyone in the room and how much we were being payed to play/ had payed to go there. There must have been about 30 musicians and 10 listners and it took some time. I don't know why but no action was taken and this session continue to run in that venue for a few years before returning to its home in Bangor.

Conwy hosts the North Wales Bluegrass festival. There are occasional sessions in the town all year round but just about every year at the time of this event, notices are circulated to every licensee about the need for this licence and that those pubs who have more than 2 players and no licence will be prosecuted.

Seems crazy to me - the biggest music event in the town and most pubs are to scared to have a few musicians drop in and play and presumable don't want to have to get a licence for one weekend of the year. I'd have thought that if there is a case to just trying to get a good atmosphere in the town and making it feel welcoming to encourage musicians to return and turning a blind eye, this is one and I would guess that the town benifits far more from the visitors than it would from the licences...

Jon