Live Music London

Electric Mardiland

Starting 8pm, Thursday 6th of May 2010 at Annie’s Bar, 180 Kentish Town Road, NW5, a high quality open mic with a sense of humour, an opportunity to show off your musical and other talents.

Night kicks off with Rosie Swan, a big fat soul diva hiding in a lil white chick…

electricmardiland@googlemail.com

Evidence has emerged that DCMS use of Alcohol and Entertainment licence statistics has misled respondents to the public consultation on an exemption from entertainment licensing for small gigs. Environmental Protection UK (EPUK), formerly the National Society for Clean Air, has submitted a strongly negative response to the consultation: http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/assets/library/documents/DCMS_-_Licensing_Act_Reform_(2).pdf It is based in part on a misinterpretation of DCMS Alcohol and Entertainment licence statistics – an almost inevitable result of the way the statistics were presented by DCMS within the consultation. In para 4.3 of the consultation document, published on 31 December 2009, DCMS reported that local authorities and the police believed ‘… there was no statistical evidence that the Act was restricting live music’, and that LACORS believed that ‘very few applications for live music were refused. The Government’s Licensing Statistics bulletin 2008 showed that the number of authorisations for live music had risen by 7% during 2007/8 and although this did not reflect the number of live music events staged in practice, it was nevertheless an indicator that live music was thriving.’

http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/consultations/condoc_exemptsmall_livemusicevents.pdf In para 4.4 DCMS describes these as ‘very serious objections’, and the reason the government had previously deferred this consultation. By this devious means, DCMS avoided making such claims directly but implied misleadingly that they had considerable merit. Thus DCMS gave weight to the ‘live music thriving’ interpretation of the licence statistics, when they knew that no such conclusion could be drawn. DCMS made no attempt within the consultation to prevent such a misinterpretation. Nor did they mention their own evidence that live music was not thriving: the BMRB live music survey of 2007 that found a 5% fall in live gigs since the Licensing Act had come into force. On 28 January 2010, in the report ‘Changes in Live Music 2005-2009′, DCMS acknowledged that the Alcohol and Entertainment licence statistics could not be used to draw conclusions about the state of live music: ‘It is hard to say conclusively that the number of premises with a live music licence indicates more live music venues or more live music gigs…’ [updated March/April 2010, p2]

http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/research/Increases_in_live_music_between_2005_and_2009updated.pdf Unsurprisingly, this escaped the attention of EPUK who took the DCMS bait when responding to the small gigs exemption consultation: ‘The Department’s statistical bulletin suggests that the number of licences granted for live music continues to grow, contradicting the claim that the Act is inhibiting applications’. [response to DCMS Consultation Question 1, p1] It seems EPUK was unaware that the Licensing Act had dramatically increased the scope of entertainment licensing, making increased applications inevitable, or that licence conditions may restrict or even prevent live music. Their response also suggests that in their view live music is doing fine, and this is a key reason for opposing any new exemption. Apparently they were ignorant of the DCMS caveat about licence statistics, and of the DCMS/BMRB survey. Right at the start of their response they state: ‘… there is no evidence that live music performance is in decline’ [EPUK 'Summary View', p1]. Why would DCMS want to influence their own consultation in this underhand way? My own view is that the senior civil servants most closely involved are not acting neutrally, but are in fact active opponents of relaxation of entertainment licensing for live music. There are also good reasons why DCMS might want to exaggerate the success of the music industry and play down the flaws in the Licensing Act. The government is anxious to be perceived as switched on to live music and a friend of the industry – particularly with a general election imminent.

This plays well to younger voters. And senior DCMS licensing team civil servants, on whom ministers rely for briefings about the working of the Licensing Act and the credibility of their live music research, are fighting to preserve their reputations. ENDS

Hamish Birchall

Drum & Monkey are happy to present Quimby’s first ever show in London to you.

Gates open at 6:30 at HUB CLUB, the evening starts soon after with a Hungarian Stand up Comedy, performed by Quimby’s Livius and Edu! (they are planning to do a kind of duel or what)
The recently formed British-Hungarian Mindpilot will take over then, with Andras Simonits in their lines, to warm up the atmosphere. After Quimby, well, it’s Dino!

And of course… QUIMBY! In between and all along…

Early Bird tickets are on sale for £17.50 in Nemesis Tattoo – Camden Town

or for online purchase visit

http://www.dontstayin.com/uk/london/hub-club-formally-sub-club-in-e1/2010/may/23/event-235512

Returning to the places where they had so many great gigs ELEPHANT SHELF returns to Crouch End.

 

 Elepahnt Shelf at The kings Head Islington: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Maynard is launching a monthly Rhythm & Blues night ‘Rhythm & Blues at the Maynard’, sponsored by BLUES MATTERS magazine – this gig is prelude to what is hoped will become one of the best R&B Blues gigs in North London.

http://www.elephantshelf.com
http://www.bluesmatters.com

BRILLIANT RAW GEMS

Raw Gems

What is RAW GEMS? Scroll and it shall all become clear ;-D
THE ZENITH BaR
125 Packington Street
Angel/Islington N1 7EA

MONDAY 19th of APRIL 8.30pm

After an amazing audience participation and fantastic acts at the March and April RAW Open Mic events; here are this time’s top brilliants:

Ernesto Sarezale
www.myspace.com/sarezale
Causing a literary stir on his travels around stages, a scientist,
published poet, poetry and stand-up performer.
Ernesto is the promoter of yearly Glam Slam UK and will be performing at 2010 Edinburgh Fringe festival.

Black Sparrows
www.facebook.com/theblacksparrows
This is the second time this year that these brilliant post-punky guitar-driven
get-up-and-go guys triumphed with sacks of gems.
Black Sparrows are just polishing and finalizing their forthcoming album.

Katie Keys
www.myspace.com/katie_keys
A brilliantly balanced act of fine songs and witty ‘tiny poems’
She also runs a poetry workshop at the Collective in Camden.
Talk to her on the night or
e-mail katiekeys@myartsmail.com
for more information

David Studdert
www.myspace.com/davidstuddert
Pure rock’n blues man; the boots, the jeans, the guitar and the smoked out voice with brilliant entertaining lyrics – a character of calibre.
David runs a weekly free open mic on Sundays at the Torriano pub in Kentish Town. He also co-organizes ‘Backfire Cool’ – a monthly event at the 12BAR, Denmark St
An event with very special guests.

RAW GEMS
Every first Monday of Every Month there’s a prebooked Open Mic (and poetry workshop before the open mic) event called RAW. At RAW, the audience give 1-5 GEMS (votes) to the acts (both spoken and sung words). Those acts who get most GEMS win a gig at RAW GEMS.

RAW GEMS is every second month at the ZENITH BAR in Angel/Islington
RAW is every month at the CENTRAL STATION in Kings Cross

RAW is organized by CT who also holds poetry workshops and presents RAW on REEL REBELS RADIO.
www.reelrebelsradio.com Every Tuesday 7pm with repeats Every Wednesday 12noon

LINKS & contact
07908 472 908
rawpoetry@rocketmail.com
www.myspace.com/rawpoetry.ct
www.facebook.com/rawpoetry
www.myspace.com/rockyvoodoo

Pass the information on
to everyone who loves music and poetry. ;-D

NAMASTE
CT
xx

This week, due to a long standing private engagement The BLUES ROOM will be on Friday and will feature local favourites ELEPHANT SHELF with a rocking selection of rootsy rhythm and blues.

Elephant Shelf

www.thebluesroom.liveblues.info

www.elephantshelf.com

Entertainment licensing for small gigs has become an election issue. On Tuesday, a Labour party spokesperson suggested that licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe had already made up his mind to proceed with an entertainment licensing exemption for 100-capacity gigs – even before DCMS had evaluated the 800 exemption consultation responses. Last October Sutcliffe suggested that the figure would be open to negotiation when the DCMS exemption consultation was over (it closed on 26 March).

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/86573 Today, both trade papers report renewed Conservative backing for a 200-capacity exemption: http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=66789 Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt told The Publican: “We support the campaign to extend the exemption from requiring a licence for live music performances to 200 people. The Licensing Act was meant to support the live music industry, but has turned out to be a disaster. Extending the exemption to 200 people will reduce the burden of bureaucracy on pubs, and provide a much needed boost to the live music industry.”

The Publican itself is among those campaigning for a 200-capacity exemption: http://www.thepublican.com/section.asp?navcode=399 Today’s Morning Advertiser coverage: http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/86594 Lord Clement-Jones’ live music bill, which made it to the Commons, has now fallen. It was not included in the secretive and undemocratic Parliamentary ‘wash up’ that finishes today. This is where last minute deals are done to get some bills through before an election. An excellent article today by Alex Stevenson of politics.co.uk sheds more light on the wash-up: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/elections/talking-elections-post/post/talking_election/11/lost-in-the-wash-up-behind-closed-doors/ Lib Dem shadow culture secretary Don Foster has suggested that they would consider bringing back a bill after the election.

WORLD PREMIERE

compagnie dernière minute and the Gate Theatre present

MICRO

A Physical Concert by PIERRE RIGAL

7 April – 8 May 2010 | Monday – Saturday 7.30pm

Cymbals storm the stage, a pair of drums fall in love, two musicians tussle to play the same guitar. MICRO

combines the raw power of live music with the delicate beauty of theatre and dance to create an electrifying

physical concert that defies classification.

Following the sell-out success of PRESS, Pierre Rigal returns to Notting Hill to transform the Gate into a

renegade rock venue.

“Laugh-out-loud funny, tragic, breathtaking and hugely uplifting. PRESS seamlessly blends contemporary

dance with physical comedy.” 5 STARS – TIME OUT on Pierre Rigal’s PRESS

TICKETS £16 | £11

£8 GATECRASHER TICKETS – 7/8/9 April

Direction & Choreography Pierre Rigal

Design & Lighting Frédéric Stoll

Cast Mélanie Chartreux, Malik Djoudi, Gwenaël Drapeau, Julien Lepreux

TALKBACKS 20 & 29 April

Bea and the Honeytones whup up three sets of devilishly sassy blues in the centre of town, with Bea Appleby (vocals), Stuart Dixon (guitar), Dave Shannon (harmonica and vocals), Chris Hilliard (drums), Jamie Lawrence (bass) and Janos Bajtala (keyboards).

Bee and The Honey Tones