Sign up to protect grass roots music
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]Licensing Authorities admit live music licensing figures were wrong The Stage reports that the Local Government Association has been forced into an embarrassing reversal on claims made by its licensing spokesman who had significantly overstated the levels of live music being staged in pubs and bars across the country. It seems the chair of the body’s culture, tourism and sport board, claimed that 80% of premises where alcohol is sold were also licensed to host gigs – a figure which was disputed by live music campaigners – now the LGA has removed it from the article and conceded that only 55% of venues hold such a licence. Music campaigners, led by UK Music CEO Feargal Sharkey, believe that the Licensing Act 2003, which forces all venues to obtain a licence before hosting live music, has led to a decrease in music provision across the country. They are calling for an exemption for small venues to boost the number of gigs - a proposal that has been opposed by the LGA, which instead supports a new minor variations licensing process.A petition on the Downing Street website calling on the government to relax licensing laws for live music has attracted more than 5,100 signatures within two weeks. For more, see http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/livemusiceventsSee http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/25258/lga-admits-live-music-licensing-figures-were and for more on this topic see www.musiclawupdates.com (August 2009) and http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/the-day-live-music-died-1751562.html[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]