Aplogies if this has already been posted, i havnt been on here for a while, but thought everyone should be aware of this, it was sent to me in an email today:::

Hello,

Apologies for the distribution to everybody, but this petition needs support
from everybody who cares about any form of live music and/or performance.
Frankly, it’s disgraceful – particularly points such as e and f below.

Thanks,

Bob.

”The Government have recently passed laws in the UK to try and suppress
live music and dance. Pubs which could previously offer work to solo singers
or duos now have to pay for a special licence and can only have 12 of these
per year. Even school Xmas concerts need to be licensed.

If you don’t know there is a UK government web site where anyone can now
start a petition and that’s what is being done. we’ve just received the
following email which explains things more clearly and gives the site
address . If you care about keeping music live please take the time to sign
the petition.

Subject: Music/Licensing Laws – Official Downing Street petition

Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:36:37

Please circulate

The live music/licensing e-petition now has nearly 4550 signatures. It
currently stands at no.17 in the list of 1,702 petitions on the Number 10
website: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/

This is good, especially in just under a month – and there are five more
months in which people can sign. (CLOSING DATE: 11 June 2007). But the
petition needs to do much better to make an impression on ministers, and to
encourage DCMS to implement music-friendly amendments.

The petition is for everyone, not just musicians. Please consider signing if
you haven’t already done so. If you have signed, encourage friends to sign.

Points to remember about the new legislation:

a.. The unlicensed provision of even one musician is a potential criminal
offence (although some places are exempt, including places of public
religious worship, royal palaces and moving vehicles). Max penalty:
£20,000 fine and six months in prison.

b.. The rationale is to prevent noise, crime and disorder, to ensure public
safety, and the protection of children from harm.

c.. But broadcast entertainment, including sport and music, is exempt – no
matter where, and no matter how powerfully amplified.

d.. In the transition to the new regime, bars with jukeboxes, CD players etc
were automatically granted a license to play recorded music; but their
automatic entitlement to one or two musicians was abolished.

e.. For the first time, private performances raising money for charity are
licensable.

f.. School performances open to friends and family are licensable – they
count as public performances.

g.. Under the old regime all premises licensed to sell alcohol for
consumption on the premises were automatically allowed up to two live
musicians (the ‘two in a bar rule’).

h.. In December, DCMS published research confirming that about 40% of these
have lost any automatic entitlement to live music as a result of the new
Act:

‘Very few establishments that wanted a new license were denied it, and many
who were previously limited to 2-in-a-bar now have the ability to stage
music with 2 or more musicians… This contrasts, of course, with the fact
that 40% of establishments now have no automatic means of putting on live
music (i.e. they would have to give a TEN).’

[‘Licensing Act 2003: The experience of smaller establishments in applying
for live music authorization’; December 2006′, paragraphs 6.1.1 and 6.1.2
‘Conclusions’, p54; Caroline Callahan, Andy Martin, Anna Pierce, Ipsos-MORI]

‘TEN’ stands for Temporary Event Notice – in effect a temporary
entertainment licence. Only 12 are allowed per premises per year. They cost
£21 each. See the full MORI reports on this site:

http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_…ec_summary.htm

link to sign petition is here.. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/

I know this if for England and Wales at the moment but how long before we
get hit with something like this too in Scotland. This applies to everyone.

Thanks everyone. Please email this to everyone you know, post it on other
forums, myspce it, whatever you can do.”

Thanks for any support.

:you_crazy :hopeless: :you_crazy