Campaigners urge end to live music red tape

The battle to save live music in pubs has been stepped-up following the final submission of an 80,000-signature petition to the Prime Minister.

The petition, which closed on June 11, calls for the government to end "burdensome" licensing regulations on live music. It centres on the argument that changes in the Licensing Act have damaged live music, particularly in pubs.

Campaigners claim that many publicans have been put off from hosting live music because of the extra cost it involves and the scrapping of the "two-in-a-bar" rule, which allowed one or two musicians to play without the need for a public entertainment licence.

Live music campaigner Hamish Birchall is a fierce opponent of the changes. "This remains unnecessary bureaucracy," he said. "Publicans shouldn't have to jump through hoops and incur costs to have live music."

Ged O'Sullivan, licensee at Ryan's Bar in Stoke Newington, North London, who met with the government's Live Music Forum chairman and former Undertones frontman Feargal Sharkey earlier this year, said he supported the petition. He added: "We have a licence now but we spent thousands of pounds on re-wiring, installing noise limiters and employing acoustic engineers to get one."

However government figures released last year showed that 63 per cent of smaller venues were hosting live music under the new regime.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "The Government recognises the value of live music and dance and believes they should not be restricted by unnecessary licensing regulations. We set up the Live Music Forum in 2004 to monitor the impact of the Licensing Act on live music and to recommend how government might better promote live performances." The forum is expected to report back on the effect the Act has had on live music next month.