The Live Music Forum
Bulletins from Hamish Birchall on Entertainment Licensing in England and Wales
Follow the links to read informed and accurate reports on the most recent developments and news on the Public Entertainments Licensing system. The new laws, which took effect on 24th November 2005, have meant a massive drop in the number of live music gigs in England and Wales.
Read on:-
Friday 28th August 2008 - Notting Hill Carnival dancers not entertainment
Monday 4th August 2008 - Small gigs exemptions - extent of DCMS discussions
Thursday 24th July 2008 - Small gigs exemptions 'by spring 2009'
Friday 18th July 2008 - New inquiry into effect of Licensing Act on live music
Wednesday 16th July 2008 - Consultation on small gigs exemption delayed?
Saturday 21st June 2008 - Busking in Haltemprice and Howden
Monday 16th June 2008 - Nigel Kennedy to busk against 42 days detention without trial?
Friday 6th June 2008 - Noise controls irrespective of entertainment licensing
Wednesday 4th June 2008 - Licensing - big screen broadcasts to remain exempt
Friday 16th May 2008 - Manchester big screen football violence raises licensing questions
Monday 12 th May 2008 - Lord Clement-Jones' licensing questions answered
Friday 9th May 2008 - Parliamentary Jazz Awards - unlicensed
Wednesday 7th May 2008 - Licensing - more Lords questions
Saturday 3rd May 2008 - Nigel Kennedy performance tests licensing experts
Wednesday 9th April 2008 - Confusion On Busking Laws Persists
Friday 25th January 2008 - Minister's low key Q&A
Wednesday 23rd January 2008 - Minister in public Q&A session on licensing/live music tomorrow at Olympia
Thursday 10th January 2008 - Small gigs exemption - no date yet for consultation
Tuesday 8th January 2008 - Licensing - Parliamentary questions resume
Tuesday 18th December 2007 - Now the good news...
Monday 17th December 2007 - Decrease in live music says latest DCMS live music research
Wedenesday 12th December 2007 - Final live music research due 17 December
Tuesday 4th December 2007 - Minister promises public consultation on small gigs exemption
28th November 2007 - Select Committee to discuss live music and licensing
16th October 2007 - Government admits Licensing Act disappointing for live music
12th October 2007 - Live music 'renaissance'
Tuesday 25th September 2007 - Licensing Act: Brown admits problems and hints at changes
Thursday 18th September 2007 - LMF replaced by live music 'experts'
Thursday 26th July 2007 - Months before government responds to MU/LMF small gigs exemption
Wednesday 25th July 2007 - Licensing Guidance debate 15 Oct - LMF defunct?
Tuesday 17th July 2007 - Lib Dems force debate on Licensing Guidance
Thursday 4th July 2007 - LMF recommendations - new licensing minister responds
Thursday 4th July 2007 -Sharkey to announce Act's negative impact on small gigs
Tuesday 19th June 2007 - Lords and watchdog criticise DCMS/MORI live music stats
Monday 18th June 2007 - 'Our masters are deaf to our wishes'
Friday 15th June 2007 - Police to oppose small gigs exemption
Wednesday 13th June 2007 - Lib Dems call on government to repeal live music law
Tuesday 12th June 2007 - Local authorities oppose key Live Music Forum recommendations
Tuesday 29th May 2007 - Licensing Act - Better a prostitute than a singer?
Thursday 24th May 2007 - More BBC coverage - More Parliamentary Questions
Friday 11th May 2007 - Licensing Act - 18 months on
Tuesday 1st May 2007 - Licensing petition at number 1
Thursday 26th April 2007 - Live music and noise complaints
Friday 20th April 2007 - Licensing song storms HMV folk download chart
Thursday 12th April 2007 - Licensing petition at no.2
Monday 2nd April 2007 - Petition passes 63,000 - Parliament exempt from safety law
Friday 23rd March 2007 - Folk festival cancelled due to 'over zealous' licensing enforcement
Thursday 15th March 2007 - Licensing Act 'a disappointment' - MU General Secretary
Wednesday 14th March 2007 - 51,600+ puts licensing/live music petition at no.3
Thursday 8th March 2007 - Live music Early Day Motion
Thursday 8th March 2007 - Are musicians' views relevant?
Tuesday 6th March 2007 - Petition: more than 40,000 signatures - Commons exchange
Tuesday 27th February 2007 - Unlicensed busking - a postcode criminal offence?
Thursday 22nd February 2007 - Licensing petition at no.6
Wednesday 14th February 2007 - The Stage reports success of live music petition
Tuesday 13th February 2007 - Live music/licensing petition in top 10
Wednesday 7th February 2007 - Libby Purves backs online licensing petition
Friday 2nd February 2007 - LMF in denial - venue challenges Sharkey
Wedenesday 1st February 2007 - Licensing petition: more than 6600 signatures
Thursday 25th January - Unmarked draft changes in Licensing Guidance
Friday 19th January - BBC - licensing - live music
Wednesday 17th January - Draft revised 'incidental music' guidance published
Tuesday 16th January - Singing to help children navigate 'a tough century'
Thursday 11th January - Licensing petition in top 20
Wednesday 20th December 2006 - Juggling Ice Cream
Friday 15th December 2006 - What law do you want scrapped? Tell BBC R4 Today
Wedenesday 13th December 2006 - Live music e-petition
Tuesday 12th December 2006 - Reasons for not having live music
Tuesday 12th December 2006 - DCMS to clarify 'incidental music' exemption
Monday 11th December 2006 - Daily Telegraph: Why should we need a licence to sing?
Saturday 9th December 2006 - Christmas carols - 'Strong case for review' of Licensing Act: Jack Straw
Friday 8th December 2006 - DCMS small venue claims
Thursday 7th December 2006 - Latest MORI survey 'encouraging' for small venues claims Government Forum
Wednesday 6th December 2006 - Feargal Sharkey 'sings praises' of local authorities
Wednesday 6th December 2006 - Feargal Sharkey 'slates' Licensing Act
Wednesday 29th November 2006 - Silent Night good - Jingle Bells bad
Friday 24th November 2006 - London Councils lobby for live music premium in annual licence fee
Wednesday 1st November 2006 - Why the MU position on licensing is wrong
Wednesday 1st November 2006 - MP questions delay over latest MORI live music research
Thursday 26th October 2006 - MU follow-up licensing survey flawed
Wednesday 25th October 2006 - DCMS postpones publication of latest MORI live music research
Thursday 14th September 2006 - MU rejects members call to oppose Licensing Act
Wednesday 13th September 2006 - Musicians Union: wrong about the Old Blue Last
Tuesday 12th September 2006 - Musicians Union skims over bad news in London
Thursday 10th August 2006 - DCMS: are our regulations 'aggravating'?
Thursday 10th August 2006 -DCMS live music press release rider restored
Wednesday 9th August 2006 - The strange case of the riderless press release
Tuesday 1st August 2006 - Licensing red tape 'in danger of throttling sport'
Friday 28th July 2006 - Trowbridge bans majorettes - Notting Hill Carnival street dancers exempt
Monday 24th July 2006 - 'A beneficial impact' - latest DCMS licensing spin
Wednesday 19th July 2006 - Swindon - a place to eat my hat?
Tuesday 18th July 2006 - Whitby's 'jackboot of bureaucracy'
Tuesday 11th July 2006 - Licensing: Henley Regatta ball cancelled
Thursday 6th July 2006 - Sir Richard Steele pub - Abbey Road Studios
Tuesday 4th July 2006 - Inadequate Licensing Act due to 'arrogant and incompetent ministers'
Monday 3rd July 2006 - Commons: possible licensing questions today
Friday 30th June 2006 - Busking - noise
Thursday 29th June 2006 - Lords licensing questions: government replies
Friday 23rd June 2006 - DCMS Busking Advice
Friday 23rd June 2006 - 'Live venues are the heart of our communities' says new licensing minister
Thursday 22nd June 2006 - Busking vs Trooping the Colour
Saturday 17th June 2006 - Lords discuss big screen football and live music
Friday 16th June 2006 - Licensing: 'marked drop in live music in smaller venues' claim Musicians' Union
Tuesday 13th June 2006 - More Lords Questions about licensing and live music
Tuesday 13th June 2006 - BBC: 'World Cup big screenings scrapped'
Monday 12th June 2006 - Guardian reports big screen football riots
Wednesday 7th June 2006 - Licensing: 'a level playing field for all musicians' claim DCMS
Tuesday 6th June 2006 - MPs licensing questions - 'ministerial drivel'
Friday 2nd June 2006 - Simplify licensing law - government wants your view
Wednesday 31st May 2006 - 'Police in blitz on World Cup drinking'
Monday 15th May 2006 - Lord Colwyn speaks out against new licensing laws
Saturday 13th May 2006 - More on TOTP - Camden - a more liberal view?
Friday 12th May 2006 - TOTP - private v public - council discretion
Friday 12th May 2006 - Licensing: gigs lost - MU Gen Sec responds
Thursday 11th May 2006 - TOTP in more trouble - Roger Daltrey at Arsenal
Tuesday 9th May 2006 - Sheffield: Chinese dance statement
Tuesday 9th May 2006 - Licensing confusion: more gigs cancelled - and Jowell praises Purnell
Monday 8th May 2006 - Shaun Woodward is new licensing minister
Monday 8th May 2006 - Purnell escapes licensing
Thursday 4th May 2006 - Sultan's elephant eludes licensing
Wednesday 26th April 2006 - Radio 1 live music debate - another planet
Tuesday 25th April 2006 - Queen's birthday celebrations - incidental or illegal?
Saturday 22nd April 2006 - Licensing Act - live music: Jowell rules out changes?
Thursday 20th April 2006 - BBC R4 Today covers Top of the Pops caught by Licensing Act
Wednesday 19th April 2006 - Top of the Pops caught by Licensing Act
Tuesday 18th April 2006 - Feargal Sharkey wants your views on live music
Thursday 13th April 2006 - Incidental music: new report criticises DCMS and government
Thursday 6th April 2006 - Incidental exemption - contrasts
Monday 3rd April 2006 - Incidental exemption - hospitals
Saturday 18th March 2006 - Tessa's 'illegal' singing - BBC Today transcript
Friday 17th March 2006 - Tessa's 'illegal' singing
Monday 6th March 2006 - Licensing: Blair compared to Taliban
Monday 6th March 2006 - Pimlico Wine Vaults
Thursday 2nd March 2006 - Two more gigs lost
Wednesday 1st March 2006 - Abbey Road - Westminster not to prosecute
Tuesday 28th February 2006 -Abbey Road Coldplay gig - licensing implications
Monday 27th February 2006 - DCMS publish gig estimates - a new error - DJs
Friday 24th February 2006 -Landlady's response to Feargal
Tuesday 21st February 2006 - Feargal's credibility - another gig loss - consolation prize
Monday 20th February 2006 - Licensing - live music: Feargal Sharkey unable to find problems
Thursday 16th February 2006 - Live music survey: integrity or reliability?
Thursday 2nd February 2006 - Glass Half Full ?
Tuesday 1st Ferruary 2006 - 'Power of music' inspires culture minister
Monday 30th January 2006 - Licensing: Guardian comment
Monday 30th January 2006 - Telegraph reports gig loss - MU comment
Friday 27th January 2006 - Feargal Sharkey - rehearsal space - licensing
Thursday 19th January 2006 - Times online: more evidence of gigs and income lost
Wednesday 18th January 2006 - Times online debates: live music
Tuesday 17th January 2006 - Times online debates: live music could overtake religion
Monday 16th January 2996 - The Times: Have your say about the new licensing regime and live music
Monday 16th January 2996 - Licensing: More gig losses
Saturday 14th January 2996 - BBC R4 Front Row: Jamie Cullum speaks out again
Friday 13th January 2996 - Jamie Cullum to test licensing act
Friday 30th December 2005 - Musicians Union 'fairly confident the regulations have not had an adverse effect'
Friday 30th December 2005 - BBC Radio 4 30th December, Pub Carols and Licensing
Thursday 29th December 2005 - Sheffield Pub Carols Exempt ? Civil Liberties Implications
Thursday 15th December 2005 - Licensing:More Gigs Under Threat and Some Good News
Thursday 1st December 2005 - Transcript Of Culture Show 24th November
Monday 28th November 2005 - Government responds to 1.7 million gig question
Friday 25th November 2005 - The Morning After
Friday 18th November 2005 - Another Gig Bites The Dust
Wednesday 16th November 2005 - Lords Question re Government Gigs Claim
Friday 11th November 2005 - Goverment Found Guilty of Misleading Claims on Live Music
Wednesday 2nd November 2005- Final Deadline Approaches
Saturday 27th August 2005 - Minister, Camden Council and Lawyers on Private Events
Saturday 30th July 2005 - Boom time for live music says The Guardian's Pop Critic
Friday 29th July 2005 - Purnell at Musicians Union Conference
Thursday 28th July 2005 - Performer Lawyer Group Press Statement
Monday 25th July 2005 - Minister To Speak At Musicians Union Conference
Saturday 23rd July 2005 - Private performances will be licensable
Wednesday 20th July 2005 - More mis-information From Minister on BBC Radio 2
Friday 8th July 2005 - 'None in a bar' from 24th November 2005
Saturday 2nd July 2005 - Licensing: James Purnell continues misleading claims
Friday 1st June 2005 - Licensing Minister Misleads Public
Thursday 30th June 2005 - BBC Radio 4 The Today Programme
Wednesday 29th June 2005 - BBC Radio 4 The Today Programme
Saturday 25th June 2005 - Court Victory For Pub Trade
Tuesday 21st June 2005 - Licensing Act Already Under Scrutiny In The Courts
Friday 10th June 2005 - Two in a bar rule
Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - DJs an 'embedded right'?
Friday, May 27, 2005 - James Purnell, new music minister
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - Live music & licensing - Expect more spin
Sunday, November 07, 2004 - Live music survey: Government got it wrong
Our sincere thanks to Hamish Birchall.