When Lord Clement-Jones presented the Bill at the start of the year he argued that “Small venues are vitally important to Britain's creative culture”, suggesting that “many of our most successful and popular musicians started their careers gigging in bars, student unions or cafes.” The decrease in live music in small venues, he believes, “is potentially denying us a generation of new performers”.  If passed, the Bill would allow small venues like, schools, colleges and village halls to hold concerts without an entertainment licence if the venue holds fewer than 200 people. Venues that serve alcohol would no longer be required to apply for an entertainment licence where only one or two musicians are performing without amplification.

Since its initial proposal, The National Campaign for the Arts has given its full support to the Bill, which is also backed by Equity, the Musicians Union, the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the Live Music Forum, UK Music, and the Publican.  We believe that the opportunity for musicians to perform live in pubs and clubs is fundamental to their ability to establish themselves on the music scene. 

Read the full text of the bill here

For more information on the NCA’s work on Live Music, click here