The Stage

Samuel Smith bans live entertainment

Published Wednesday 2 February 2005 at 11:20 by Jeremy Austin

Brewer Samuel Smith has told its estimated 200 pubs and club venues that they must not hold any more live entertainment events, ending a lucrative source of income for many of the north’s acts and agents and closing a large number of folk clubs.

Although the company, based in Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, would not comment on the move, a spokesman confirmed that entertainment would be ending in its premises. Sources claim the decision has come directly from company head Humphrey Smith, although there are few signs as to the reason behind it.

There have been rumours that the brewery is to withdraw from its licence with the Performing Right Society, however that organisation has not yet received any notification that this is about to happen.

Initially the venues were given a month’s notice, although in some cases the effect was much quicker, with jukeboxes and television sets being removed. As well as clubland entertainers losing yet more places at which to perform, folk clubs have been badly affected as many Samuel Smith pubs attract a folk crowd.

Among the clubs affected is NADS in Yorkshire, which had its last live entertainment evening on Sunday. Members there, responding to suggestions that the move was due to a withdrawal from PRS, offered to pay for the licence themselves but claim they were told not to by the brewery.

One member of NADS said: “It is absolutely ridiculous. We will have this big room that’s going unused. We said we would all chip in but they said no. I don’t understand why.”

Although the brewery operates only a small proportion of working men’s clubs, the troubled, dwindling sector needs to cling on to all the venues it can. With most Samuel Smith clubs ending entertainment in the coming months, one agent said of the timing of the decision: “It couldn’t have come at a worse time of the year for agents.”

The Musicians’ Union is aware of the move. General secretary John Smith is to bring the matter up at the next meeting of the Live Music Forum, formed to protect this form of entertainment in pubs after the Licensing Act and the end of the two in a bar rule.

The union’s north of England regional official Elaine Smith said that while the folk scene has begun a letter writing campaign to Samuel Smith, pub managers and venue operators who are equally concerned are worried that the brewery would take a very dim view if they spoke against it.

“It is ludicrous. The PRS licence doesn’t cost much but what’s to say that other pub chains won’t follow Samuel Smith?” she said.