Form 696: It couldn't happen here...

..could it?

"The 696 Form compels licensees who wish to hold live music events in 21 London Boroughs to report to the police the names, addresses, aliases and telephone numbers of performers, and most worryingly, the likely ethnicity of their audience. Failure to comply could result in fines or imprisonment. We believe this places unnecessary and frankly Orwellian powers in the hands of the Metropolitan Police, an institution which does not have the best record of racial fairness. The 696 form can only serve to deter the staging of live musical events - a positive form of activity in London and all cities - stifle free expression and quite possible penalise certain genres of music and ethnic audiences. It is an intrusion too far."

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Scrapthe696/

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...e-1028240.html

Its hard to tell from this article what the form is used for as it doesnt mention that it is already used for larger venues and concerts.

They might, sods law, start applying it to every pub and busker like they have dont the entertainment liscences,
All public venues have to pay charges to a recently established department (name escapes me) which credit the music industry. applicable to any venue which plays copyrighted music to punters outwith the live act. e.g. between sets in a village hall somebody sticks on creed to keep the emus happy and you could be done for not paying.

I remember being told a story that a long time ago they tried to liscence venues according to music lables. A cover band would have to submit a list of songs they do and the venue would reply with the songs they would be allowed to play under the rules of the venue.

Im sure a good part of the above is flawed and could indeed be wrong, but im not happy about it.

Giving details of performers names etc will force people away, just because they dont want to give details just for the sake of it.

Anyway, erroneous rant over.