Research commissioned by the government seems to show that those previously reported new live music licensing rules that were introduced following the Licensing Act 2003 have not, as some feared, dramatically reduced the number of pubs and smaller venues staging live music and, in fact, some establishments have been encouraged by the new system to stage music events for the first time.
The survey showed that 63% of the venues surveyed were now licenced to stage music events, compared to 60% prior to the rules change, and 25% of those premises had acquired a licence to put on music for the first time. Of the venues that had previously staged live music under the so called and now defunct 'two in the bar rule' (which meant no licence was required), 70% now had live music licences.
Commenting on the survey, Creative Industries Minister Shaun Woodward told reporters: "It's early days. But this survey is encouraging. And shows smaller venues getting to grips with the new laws on licensing. Small venues provide the lifeblood of the music industry. It's good to see that so many smaller venues have applied to stage live acts. And a quarter chose to do so for the first time. Of course it's not just about making the big time. There's a huge range of musicians performing for pleasure or simply to earn a living. They rely on small venues. So it is good news that so many that used the two in a bar rule can now stage anything from solo jazz guitarists to the London Philharmonic Orchestra".
Feargal Sharkey, chairman of the UK's Live Music Forum, added: "This picture is encouraging and confirms much of the evidence that the forum has uncovered. We know that the majority of venues - large and small - can now put on live music and that's fantastic news. But there's always room for improvement. The forum will publish its final assessment of the legislation with recommendations on how the Government can make our live music industry even more successful early next year."