Bell and Crown, Canterbury
Bell and Crown, Canterbury, 29th June 2003:
A new open stage at this venerable Canterbury boozer. Hopefully they will now be having duos and solo performers on a regular basis during the week as well. A whole host of the usual suspects were there (does this mean we have a scene?): Jo Hook; Chris with the white Washburn; Paul Smith and Paul Whatley (under their nom de rock of Paul the Other One); and Adam Rothwell (aka Das Zumas). I took the secret weapons of the Baldwin Virginian and the compressor and tried the shock tactic of starting with a sensitive ballad (”Love Is Not The Answer”). After this, I knocked out “ES-40″ and “Force of Nature”, and clambered on the furniture, much to the approval of the assembled punters. All fine and dandy and a most promising start, I thought.
However, the next day it emerged that some sort of sinister plot was afoot. Somebody from the City Council was sniffing around and informed the licensee that the open mic was illegal as they didn’t have a Public Entertainment License. Apparently there was a ruling in Southwark two years ago where a judge decided that in unlicensed premises the limit of two performers meant the same two all night. This would seem to be very tricky to enforce and the ruling is, I am told, open to local authority discretion. Naturally, the unashamedly anti-music Canterbury City Council has chosen to interpret this to the letter and stamp on all these people enjoying themselves and doing something constructive. If this is what the law supposes sir, then the law is an ass! And to think my extortionate council tax is paying these apparatchiks to get up everybody’s noses.