Equity: Live Entertainment Works!

If you own a pub or club, you'll know the hassle of the U.K.'s licensing laws for live music and dancing. However, you may not be aware that since April 2013, the licensing laws have been relaxed. If you are a pub or club with a capacity of 500 people or less, you now no longer need an extra license to stage live music events. This makes life a lot easier for owners or managers of smaller venues, and provides many more opportunities for musicians and entertainers to hone their craft in front of a live audience.

That's why the actors' union Equity has launched the Live Entertainment Works! campaign. With so many traditional variety venues including clubs closing over the last few years, there is a shortage of venues where you can hear up-and-coming comics, musicians, and singers performing live. It is hoped the change in the licensing law will now able local venues to fill the gap left by traditional clubs - and in turn benefit from a growing audience for live entertainment in more intimate surroundings.

As Steve McGuire, an experienced variety performer said in an article for the Equity magazine, "It really is a win-win situation. Pubs get more trade through people seeing the acts; the community benefits from getting away from the TV for the night, and Equity members get to do what they do best."

At Alive Network, we are 100% behind this campaign. Our bands, musicians, singers, and acts all need the experience of performing to live audiences, whether at a party, corporate event, wedding, or as part of a variety night at a local venue. They need the feedback and response of a live audience to develop as artists, while the venue benefits from quality performance by upcoming professionals, providing a show way above the average 'amateur night'.

It doesn't have to be expensive either. Many of our bands and groups offer reduced size lineups or acoustic formats, in order to play in smaller venues. These formats are more flexible, allowing them to perform in pubs, gardens, village halls, and even churches. And, of course these formats are usually more cost-effective for small venues to hire than the full-size band!

In addition, some of our solo artists and singers can perform with backing tracks rather than a live band, allowing them to tailor their show to more intimate spaces without any loss of excitement or quality of performance.

If you're interested in putting on live music to attract customers to your pub, restaurant, club, hotel, festival, fete, fundraising dinner or indeed any other event, call the Alive Network team now. We'll be happy to guide you through the current licensing regulations and find an act that'll bring a smile to your face and customers to your door!