Hamish Champ: Pubs need music, not violence
I abhor violence. True, I don't mind the stuff in fantasy films and Sam, my seven year old (pictured right), positively hoots with joy when watching Imperial stormtroopers blasting everyone to kingdom come in the various 'Star Wars' epics.
But real life violence - unprovoked or otherwise - leaves me cold. So I was naturally appalled to read earlier this week of the musician attacked while performing in a pub in Rusthall, near Tunbridge Wells.
Apparently the guy was playing away when someone came up and thumped him in the face, breaking his jaw and leaving him shocked, bloodied and needing surgery.
I guess it is the kind of problem many licensees up and down the country face daily in their pub, but musicians?!
It's easy to make a joke about whether the attacker took umbrage at the musician's choice of song or his ability to deliver one - à la John Belushi's guitar-smashing antics in National Lampoon's Animal House - but responding to someone going about their lawful business with this kind of reaction just isn't on.
I have an interest, of sorts, in this episode. I used to play in an indie schmindie rock band many moons ago and we regularly played pubs (and colleges) up and down the country. We weren't bad and generally got a decent reception wherever we went. But on the occasions when we didn't it was a case of customers showering us with verbal abuse, rather than the physical variety.
I don't know whether the violence in the pub near Tunbridge Wells was music-related, but this sort of behaviour doesn't exactly endear musicians to the idea of performing in one.
Which raises another point. Perhaps it's an age thing, but 20 years ago bands were a regular feature in many more pubs than is the case now.
I know there are still those licensees who are still firmly wedded to the idea of putting on live music, but you just don't see as many bands in pubs as you used to.
I'm sure there are all sorts of commercial reasons that lie behind this situation, but I still think it's a bloomin' shame. Cradling a pint and watching a decent band, heck even a half decent one, is one of life's many small pleasures.
I'd hate to see apathy - or indeed jaw-breaking violence - hasten its end.
God Save The Queen
Continuing the musical theme, as well as being enamoured of all things metal and heavy, I was - indeed I still am - a lover of punk rock. As promised (you lucky people) here's my Top Ten classic punk bands. True, some may be described as 'new wave', but I'm not precious about these things.
1. The Clash
2. Television
3. Sex Pistols
4. The Jam
5. The Stranglers
6. Penetration
7. The Members
8. Buzzcocks
9. The Damned
10. Siouxie & The Banshees
