Having recently admitted after a review of their controversial 696 form that trouble was more prevalent at club type events than live music gigs in the capital, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are re-focusing their 'risk evaluation' procedures for music events, of which the 696 document is a key part.
The Met's new efforts to reduce crime and violence at music events will specifically focus on "large promoted events between 10pm and 4am which feature MCs and DJs performing to recorded backing tracks". It doesn't take much musical knowledge to spot that that means the police will be focusing on hip hop clubs.
That too, of course, could lead to accusations of racism being thrown at the Met (questions about genre on the 696 form previously led to claims racial prejudice could impact on the licensing process). Presumably pre-empting those accusations, a spokesman for the London police force told the BBC: "At the end of the day, you've got to say that certain events attract more trouble than others".
The Met's rep added: "We're shifting the focus away from live music. Originally the definition of what Form 696 applied to was extremely broad so by narrowing it down, it's thought that we can better tailor it to our requirements. Detailed research identified which events are most likely to attract crime and disorder".
One hip hop promoter interviewed by the Beeb didn't totally disagree with the Met's sentiments, though was cynical of their approach to tackling crime and violence in London's hip hop scene.
He told the BBC: "Reading between the lines, the indie kids are all right but we've got to look out for those black boys with microphones in their hands. Saying it's over recorded music with DJs and MCs really narrows it down"
He continued: "I'm keen for the dodgy promoters who get a bad crowd and therefore create this impression of evil urban music to be found out because that's the only way we're going to clean things up. Unless we keep our own house in order, we're all going to get tarred with that brush. If Form 696 was effectively closing down parties that had trouble, then I'd be more supportive of it. I'll fill it in when asked to but I don't think it's doing what it set out to".
As much previously reported, there have been numerous calls for the abolition of 696 in the last year. Whether the focusing of 696-type bureaucracy on hip hop clubs rather than all live music will soften those calls remains to be seen.
The Musicians' Union, who have previously been critical of the form, seem to be more open to the revised proposals. Their Assistant General Secretary Horace Trubridge says: "When the form was first introduced, it suggested it was for all live music events. That was something we were opposed to. We believe now that the form is much more focused and that the vast majority of our members are never going to come across Form 696. And perhaps the ones that do encounter it, they're working in an environment that needs police attention to ensure their safety".