The Live Music UK Blues
                        -- Licensing Uproar

February, 2003 -- Music is one of the greatest healing forces in our society. One might think that your right as an individual to share in the creative expression of music -- whether singing, playing, or listening --would be a simple matter. Yet, it seems, from recent accounts documented by the British Musicians' Union, that this may not be so.

Members of the UK's music community are outraged about elements within the potentially puritanical new live music Licensing Bill which was introduced in Parliament on November 14, 2002. Petitions have popped up online and are being circulated across the country questioning the bill in it's current form.

Pete McLelland of Hobgoblin Music voices his concern in an open letter distributed widely through the Internet. He urges others to express their views to UK MPs. He says, "I believe it is an assault on our civil liberties as it clearly restricts participation in the performing arts. If passed as is it will be a disaster for musicians, event organisers, music teachers, studios and retailers, and bring repression unseen for centuries for our whole musical culture in England and Wales. No other country in the world restricts the arts in such a way."

The British Musicians Union web site has a comprehensive series of articles outlining key issues regarding the Music Licensing Bill. At the forefront of a grassroots push to relax existing Live Music regulations, the union is concerned about the impact of this new bill on an already highly regulated live music community. For instance in November 2002, a group of pub patrons were seen dancing in a pub which didn't have a license allowing dancing. The pub owner was charged £5,000 for allowing the customers to dance (or rather, to move rhythmically in the pub). Hmmm... Another recent incident resulted in a Hackney club owner being fined £500 for allowing customers to join in singing Happy Birthday to a musician who was performing as part of a duo in the venue.

In his letter, McLelland says that the scope of locations covered in the new Licensing Bill will make music licensable not just in pubs and clubs and places where alcohol is sold, but also in private homes and gardens, in churches, fields and all other places. He continues, "This is not a trivial license easily obtained, it is the same one as required to sell alcohol in pubs. There can be no justification for requiring a license to make music in these secondary locations. Tens of thousands of weddings, private parties, village fetes, school concerts, etc will be banned."

Imagine. An unknown musician rehearsing at home, with a couple of other musicians, suddenly receives a visit from the local police. The unknown musician discovers that the officer is there due to an anonymous complaint, from a disgruntled neighbour, that illegal live music is being played. Concerned musicians feel that this fictitious scenario could indeed become a real one if the necessary changes are not made to the existing new Music Licensing Bill.

To keep abreast of the issues and to get involved, visit the Hobgoblin or Musician's Union sites for regular updates.

Excerpts from Pete McLellland's letter reprinted with permission.

article and graphic | marva jackson lord