TWO IN A BAR

The current legislation for a Public Entertainment licence (PEL) in England and Wales includes the ‘two in a bar rule’ which means that owners of pubs, bars and restaurants etc.

required.  Needless to say this would affect the arts as a whole in schools leaving little opportunity for children to participate in live performance.

are legally allowed to have up to two musicians perform without having to pay for a PEL. This legislation also allows venues such as churches and registered members clubs to hold concerts without having to pay for a licence.

 

  However, the Government wish to replace the legislation with a ‘none in a bar rule’, which means that solo acoustic performance, paid or unpaid, amplified or unamplified, would be illegal unless the premises holds a PEL. A new licensing criterion: the provision of entertainment facilities is also to be introduced, which means private events would require a license if they are “staged for consideration and a view to profit.”

 

 The changes in legislation could result in owners of smaller pubs, bars, restaurants and bookshops losing the right to provide live entertainment because they could not afford the extra cost of paying for a PEL. This could have a dramatic affect on folk clubs as these are non-profit making and performances often take place in small venues. Religious services and gatherings would be exempt but if the religious purpose was removed and an audience was just there to listen to an orchestra play, then an entertainment license would be required. The new legislation could also affect school concerts, as they would be public performances a license would be

 

With the proposed legislation musicians would have to ensure that any venue they perform in has the required license. Musicians performing at an unlicensed venue would be breaking the law as would the venue owners. The maximum penalty for both musicians and venue owners would be £20,000 and six months in prison.

 

 The Governments stated reasons for the change in legislation are to prevent noise nuisance, antisocial behaviour and overcrowding. However, according to ‘The Noise Abatement Society’ complaints about live music are relatively rare. The majority of complaints concern noisy people outside premises, noisy recorded music or noisy machinery. It appears that musicians are being made the scapegoat for a problem that is nothing to do with live music. For more information and what you can do to oppose the Governments proposed bill see www.musiciansunion.org.uk

 

(Information compiled from The MU official website.)

 

For your information . . .

 

Musician’s Answering Service is the trading name of The Musician’s Answering Service Ltd company due to tax reasons

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Managers:

 

Abbie & Tania

 

Co-ordinators:

 

Amy

 

Angela

 

Annie

 

James

 

Kirsten

 

Mary

 

Oliver

 

Simon

 

 

Tax affairs and tax problems are different for each individual. If you think a chat with a tax expert within the industry will help clarify your situation why not call MAS approved tax advisor Mike Harding for a free consultation.

 

Mike Harding

Brooks & Co

Mid-Day Court,

20 - 24 Brighton Road,

Sutton, Surrey,

SM2 5BN

 

Tel: 020 8642 8681

Fax: 020 8643 8640

 

We guarantee you will not be       pressurised in any way, during or after the consultation.

 

Bulletin Board

 

If there is anything that you would like to see included in the next edition of the newsletter please let us know, either by phone, e-mail or fax.

Whatever you have to offer we will be pleased to hear from you. Please let us know as soon as you can, and we’ll do our best to include something in the next publication.

This also applies to having your address and telephone number changes included in the Bulletin Board section of the newsletter.

 

 

The MAS clients listed below have recently changed address and/or telephone numbers; please check with MAS for details.

 

Kate Eyre (Percussion)

William Routledge (Cello)

Emma Pritchard has married and is now Emma Wallace (Cello)

Ben Gant (Trumpet)

Helen Cole (Harp)

Rachel van der Tang (Cello)

Lisa Evans and Neville Graham

 

THANKS!

Simon Benson would like to thank all his friends and colleagues who sponsored him and his son on their Kilimanjaro trek to help raise nearly £7000 for Scope, The Cerebral Palsy Charity.

 

 

 

 

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STOLEN!

 

A 1969 William Luff Violin and a Michael Taylor Bow

 

These items were taken from Bill Davies’ car in Essex. Please contact MAS if you think you have any information.

 

Global Finance Ltd.

(Formerly Graeme Blair Financial

Planning Ltd)

Est. 1967

 

Tel: 01403 275050

 

Financial Planning and the complexities of balancing income with investment and living is a personal   problem.  If you think you could benefit from an un-pressured free consultation with an independent financial advisor who has strong connections with the music profession, and a wealth of experience in financial planning, try calling the MAS approved financial planning consultant - Geoffrey Dykes.

 

Regulated by the Personal Investment Authority. We guarantee you will not be pressurised in any way during or after the consultation to continue using their services or to take up any of their advice.