Save UK Live Music - Hurry!

Subject: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 21 Nov 11 - 04:41 AM

http://www.ukmusic.org/policy/currentconsultations/licensingact2003

Help Cut Live Music Red Tape - Respond By 3rd December 2011

The Government is currently consulting on measures that would scrap parts of the Licensing Act 2003.

Subject: RE: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 11 - 12:10 PM

http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8408.aspx

The following from Hamish Birchall

Please circulate

Don't let local authorities determine when, where and even what live music you can perform. Don't let them scare the government into abandoning plans for more radical deregulation of entertainment licensing.

It is a myth that entertainment licensing is the only way to regulate safety and noise at entertainment events. There is ample legislation irrespective of licensing to address these risks.

Respond to the DCMS consultation - there are two days left:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8408.aspx

The live music bill is making progress in Parliament, but it offers a relatively narrow exemption from the entertainment licensing regime: performances between 8am and 11pm to audiences of up to 200.

Why should live music be automatically subject to an 11pm curfew when DJs can often play much later? Should traditional folk singarounds, unamplified, automatically be subject to licensing between 11pm and 8am?

I and others have criticised the DCMS consultation for proposing to keep daft licence conditions for pubs and bars (p11 para 2.25), such as a two or three musician limit and restrictions on musical genres. That would be a disaster for live music in those venues. But it is only a proposal. You can reject it.

ENDS

Subject: RE: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Dec 11 - 01:30 PM

The position about pubs is very very simple.


Anything with an electrical amplifier (including juke boxes and big screen TVs), subject to one complication which I will mention below, needs regulation between 6 pm and 8 am. This is because the theoretical possibility of control of noise by other means in practice simply does not guarantee a peaceful night's sleep or the ability to put children to bed. Amplified sound should not be audible in the nearest dwelling between those hours.


Anything without an amplifier needs no such regulation, no matter what the time of day or night. Maurauding troupes of players of the Highland great pipes, or Japanese drummers, are so rare that they can be left to other means of control. Even trumpets are not in practice significantly audible through two sets of brick walls - the pub's and the dwelling's.


Only amplified sound brings disorderly behaviour in its wake - and the worst type for this is recorded music since attenders are not there to appreciate the music but as part of mating rituals.



The complication is that occasionally instruments may need low-power amplification to be heard with other unamplified instruments. An autoharp or most appalachian dulcimers, or portable keyboards (which have built-in low-power amplifiers) are in this class. So long as they are played at the same level of sound as unamplified instruments with them, or the unamplified voice, they do not need regulation.

Subject: RE: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 01 Dec 11 - 02:46 PM

This is because the theoretical possibility of control of noise by other means in practice simply does not guarantee a peaceful night's sleep or the ability to put children to bed.

Simple answer is that if existing planning and noise pollution controls cannot currently guarantee a peaceful night's sleep from noise pollution emanating from all sources, then it is this legislation which needs improvement until it effectivly does guarantee a peaceful night's sleep.

No one should suffer from noise pollution. But equally any live music which does not in practice cause any noise pollution - should no longer be prevented or limited by the use of any additional entertainment licensing controls, in advance of note being sounded, based only on the assumption that it might present some form of noise pollution.

Our local non-amplified traditional tune session can only currently be enabled as Regulated Entertainment with conditions inposed which insist on a noise limiter being fitted and other time restrictions based on the assumption of it creating possible noise pollution, which the activity could not in fact create.   

The idea that there are no proactive measures available to deal with noise pollution, outside of additional entertainment licensing is a myth.

Subject: RE: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: stallion
Date: 02 Dec 11 - 04:14 AM

One has not considered that people leaving a venue that has had live music on are generally much happier and talk much louder when they are leaving, especially loud music which kills conversation and makes you deaf so chat outside after very loudly. Where there is no music the conversations are over and everyone has agreed the end of the world is nigh and go home miserable and so are quiet and sullen. In the case of the young and their mating games, they need loud music to hide the fact that they can't string a sentence together and that they are as shallow as a gnats bidet, why don't they stay home and play spin the bottle (having first drained the alcho pops out of it)? Of course I am making huge generalisations here but as I see it that is what the 2003 Act did.........oooo did anyone see the Clarkson bit on Telly - I mean the full version. Sound bite politics turned a pop at the BBC into scornful nasty jibe at the strikers and the strikers fell for it, turned on Clarkson instead of rounding on the Government, comrades don't lose your focus. Thread creep but it is a politicky sort of thread.
Now what was it I really wanted to say............................oh, Letter sent!

Subject: RE: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 03:22 AM

the theoretical possibility of control of noise by the use of the inposition in advance of limitations and conditions in additional entertainment licensing - in practice simply does not guarantee a peaceful night's sleep but does it guarantee that much live music, which would never cause any noise pollution, is needless lost and limited as a result of the attempt.

The introduction of an exemption for non-amplified live music would only make matters worse, as the assumption then be be made that all amplified live music, in all premises and under all circumstances could safely be treated as if it were simply noise pollution and the added value which live music presents, will be ignored.

Subject: RE: Save UK Live Music - Hurry!
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 05 Dec 11 - 03:25 AM

Ooops!

The post should read..

the theoretical possibility of control of noise by the use of the inposition in advance of limitations and conditions in additional entertainment licensing - in practice simply does not guarantee a peaceful night's sleep but does it guarantee that much live music, which would never cause any noise pollution, is needless lost and limited as a result of the attempt.

The introduction of an exemption for non-amplified live music would only make matters worse, as the assumption then be be made that all amplified live music, in all premises and under all circumstances could safely be treated as if it were simply noise pollution and the added value which live music presents, will be ignored.