From: Sue Rule [sa_dot_rule_at_btinternet_dot_com]
Sent: 22 January 2009 00:15
Subject: Re: How to get more live music in the pubs !
Beau,

These are worrying statistics and I agree with all the points you raise.

However, pub landlords themselves bear some of the blame in my experience. Perhaps you have lots of good ones in the east of the county. But some shooting-yourself-in-the-foot behaviour I have observed or heard about:


Folk club organisers in particularly seem to me to suffer from being nice people, and get messed around right left and centre as if the venue was doing them a favour by hosting the club. Who is doing whom a favour here? The pub that would otherwise be empty, or the folk club that’s bringing twenty people in and paying for a guest musician? It really does seem to me to be the case that there are far too many publicans and pub managers who really can’t organise a piss-up in a brewery.

So I agree – support the ones who can. In my particular patch we are extremely fortunate to have (list of good-guys). We’ve recently lost the Ivy House and Ryan’s Bar, but that was because the pubs have closed, which is the real worry. I don’t think anyone frequentling either of those venues could be accused of not drinking (except when the Ivy House did its regular trick of running out of beer...)

Sue




On 21/1/09 19:50, "Dr. Beau Webber" <J_dot_B_dot_W_dot_Webber_at_kent_dot_ac_dot_uk> wrote:

for forwarding :
How to get more live music in the pubs !

Hi,
Well I wish I really knew the definitive answer to this, but I have had the quote below said to me by three landlords/ladies :

Since generating that graph of the fall-off in the Kentish live music (attached in case you have not seen it),
I have been soliciting comments as to why the live music is dying in Kent.

Now I have had a number of replies, and lots that make good sense.
But I am short of replies that explain why the fall-off started near the moment the Licencing Act 20903 came into force at the end of 2005 -
or more specifically, what in particular changed that is directly causing the fall-off.

So lacking those, I am looking for anything we can do to keep the music alive.
Now I have just had a hopeful official reply that the regulations on small music events may be relaxed (you should have had this as the previous email) but this will take time to happen, so I believe we have to do what we can to keep the music happening.

I really only have four points, and they seem rather obvious, but we have to do them or the music will go under.

1)     
Turn out to gigs as often as you can manage, and particularly turn out to pubs that are having gigs for the first time, to encourage them to have more.
2)
    Ask a neighbour or friend along to the gig - they may like it when they thought they would not !
3)
    Drink as much as you can! - have a designated driver - I am not encouraging you to drink and drive.
4)
    If you are worried about losing your seat in the pub - buy two pints at once, or ask for a jug of beer.

Your ideas please for what else we can do !


But three landlords/ladies (starting with Clair Hobbs in the Evenhill and later Admiral Owen) have said to me
  
 - great gig - pity no one was drinking ....

Clair was passionate about the music, but was swept away - don't let great venues like The Wrotham Arms in Broadstairs go the same way ....
I have been suggesting something I have seen used to good effect, the pubs should have jugs or towers of beer you can get filled - ask for one !

And talking of the Evenhill in Littlebourne - they are having some Celtic music for Paddy's week (Friday 20th Feb. 2009) so please, this is turning back into a good pub, give it some support and we may get gigs with the like of fiddler Yves in there.

We have to reverse this slide in the music :