Government invites industry feedback on live music’s future

Published Tuesday 29 March 2005 at 13:00 by Ruth Gillespie

Arts minister Estelle Morris has for the first time invited the British music industry to give its opinion on what the government can do to help strengthen the provision of live entertainment in the UK.

The consultation will be led by the Live Music Forum, a body created by the DCMS last year to promote live performance and to monitor the impact of the new Licensing Act on the industry. Over 12 weeks the group will collate comments from a wide range of industry figures and present the findings along with a series of recommendations in a report that will be submitted to the government in 2006.

Morris said: “From the Beatles at the Cavern Club, to George Melly at Ronnie Scott’s, to Norma Waterson at the Cambridge Folk Festival, we have a live music reputation to be proud of. But it’s a tradition to live up to and build on. That’s why we are calling on the music industry. Tell us what we can do to get more gigs and concerts put on throughout the UK in every genre of music.”

Chaired by former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey, the forum’s first major survey on the provision of live music was published in October last year. Licensees from 1,600 pubs, clubs, student unions and restaurants took part in the study, which will be used as a benchmark to assess the impact of the new Licensing Act on the music industry when it comes into effect in November.

Under the ruling being replaced a permit is not required to host solo acts and duos but this ‘two in a bar’ rule has been widely criticised for being open to misinterpretation by local authorities. The government is confident that the new legislation, which will grant free entertainment licences to venues also applying for an alcohol permit, will encourage greater provision of live music. However, this is the first time that British musicians have been invited to give their opinions on the legislation and the industry as a whole.

Sharkey said: “It’s in the industry’s interest to get involved with the work of the forum and come and tell us what they think the government should be doing to safeguard the future of the live music scene.

“There are no rules. No idea will be too sensational. For the first time the industry is getting the opportunity to influence government policy and I wholeheartedly recommend they use it.”