Sharkey urges live music licensing shake-up
Punk legend Feargal Sharkey today attacked the way the licensing of small-scale live music has been handled under the licensing regime and urged more "sympathetic" laws to be introduced.
It gives hope to licensees that the government will re-examine the way live music is now licensed in pubs and could make it easier for them to host performers.
Speaking at a Culture, Media and Sport committee inquiry into the effect of the Licensing Act, Sharkey, chief executive of the newly-formed UK Music, designed to represent the entire music industry, gave a string of examples where the bureaucracy around the Act had prevented small live music events being held.
"Long term we feel the only real solution will be to repeal live music from the Licensing Act to have a stand-alone bit of legislation which is more sympathetic, more reasonable and more proportionate to the impact that live music has on local communities," he said.
He told MPs it had become "increasingly difficult" for small venues where music is not the main focus - such as bars - to host live music.
Under the Licensing Act the "two-in-a-bar" rule - meaning pubs could host two performers or less without needing a licence - was scrapped, making it increasingly difficult and expensive for venues to host music.
Sharkey, the former Undertones frontman, quoted figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) showing that on average it costs a pub £1,500-£1,600 to re-apply for a licence to host live music.
John Smith, general secretary of the Musicians' Union, said the process was "completely self-defeating".
Exemptions for venues with a capacity of 200 or less were being looked at by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, he added, but local authority co-ordinating body LACORS had objections to this proposal.
Earlier leaders from all the major pub trade bodies agreed the licensing of live music needed to be re-examined.
Martin Rawlings, the BBPA's director of pub & leisure, argued music did not need to be licensed in pubs. He said: "Why do you need permission to have a couple of guys playing guitar?"
Prior to the live music discussion, the trade chiefs were forced by MPs to explain what they regarded as "irresponsible" promotions.
Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, said the difference was those designed for the purpose of getting drunk and those that were "part of the package of enjoyment".
John McNamara, chief executive of the BII, said offers such as "£10 all you can drink" were a "problem".
But the BBPA's chief executive, Rob Hayward, said: "It's always dangerous to operate a blanket system. You should judge it on an event by event basis, not on the promotion itself."
