The Stage

Equity to lead demonstration against live music licensing laws

Published Tuesday 29 September 2009 at 12:02 by Lalayn Baluch

Performers are to demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament next month, to put pressure on the government to relax music licensing laws and “undo the damage being done to live entertainment”.

The demonstration is being organised by Equity, which wants the government to implement a licensing exemption for venues with a capacity of up to 200 people, as recommended by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this year.

The committee had also advised on the reintroduction of the two in a bar rule, which prior to the Licensing Act 2003 had allowed performances by one or two musicians to be staged without a license.

The recommendations were rejected by the government, causing outcry among performers and industry members.

Speaking to The Stage, Equity spokesman Martin McGrath said that the “complex, restrictive and expensive” licensing regime was having a detrimental effect on local entertainment venues, which were already struggling as a result of the recession.

He said: “In particular it has been damaging to small-scale, locally-based performers and the kind of venues that once formed the heart of traditional communities.

“The most frustrating thing is that much of the burden could be lifted by relatively simple changes – changes that have already been identified and supported by the culture select committee. We hope this demonstration will encourage the government to rethink the licensing rules and to listen to the advice of MPs, performers and businesses.”

The demonstration will begin at 12 noon on October 22, to coincide with a parliamentary debate on live music licensing.

The union is also supporting a petition on the Downing Street website, which is calling on the government to reform the licensing legislation.

Since being launched, the petition has attracted nearly 11,800 signatures, including UK Music chief executive Feargal Sharkey, Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Lord Clement-Jones and Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster.

See http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/livemusicevents