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American Graffiti Highlights...
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With the introduction of a ban on smoking in public places like bars, pubs, restaurants and more to the point, music venues here in the England from 1st July, the impact on live music seems uncertain – or does it?.Having been a gigging musician for over 20 years and having never been a smoker I am one of those who welcome this move. I would add that on a scale of one to ten in the ability to tolerate smoke I have a big zero against me. This is largely due to my being a singer and having played some venues where the smoke was so thick I thought someone had let off a dry ice machine – coughing and spluttering through many a set because of it..I have had many conversations which centre around this issue – having been involved in some regional work developing live music and the live music experience. Most landlords are worried that trade will drop as smokers vote with their feet (Or with their nicotine fingers) to go somewhere they can drink and smoke to their hearts content – home, the park bench etc. The landlords feel that the culture of drinking and smoking in pubs is too deeply embedded. .Most pubs however over recent years have had to diversify and have been brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century Having paid for the license /premises they are also tied into an agreement with the brewery to only buy beers from them at over inflated prices. The turnover of publicans is quite swift as the dream job becomes a reality..As these chains become increasingly devoid of any individual ‘local’ character anyway, they also struggle to attract punters who have no loyalty towards a pub that looks and feels the same as all the others – The lure of the HD sports screen and collective big match drinking frenzy is usually the only answer they find to this identity problem..I am of course not talking about independent publicans here, as they often have the freedom to promote music and often consider themselves ‘music venues’ rather than a pub. .What will happen if venues do not enforce it? As an individual, if you are caught smoking in a banned area you could be fined £50.Those in charge of the premises could face a £2,500 fine if they fail to stop you. They could also be charged on-the-spot fines of £200 if they fail to display no-smoking signs, with the penalty increasing to £1,000 if the issue goes to court..Musicians are also divided. The genre plays an astonishing factor in this as image promotes lifestyle promotes music. Punk for example (with the exception of the straight, clean living don’t do drugs drink) favor the more traditional model of never stop smoking, drinking and taking drugs contingent – it would be hard to imagine them enjoying a gig where ‘Nazi landlords’ tried to enforce this or any other rule. Anarchy in the UK anyone? These and other die hard (and they probably will) rock ‘&’ rollers subscribe to their own model – passive smoking is theft!.In Scotland the smoking ban doesn’t appear to have had the sort of problems people are fearing. According to one survey ‘The smoking ban will have a positive effect on those who do not smoke at live music events with over 75% stating that the smoking ban will increase the likelihood of attending music venues’. Although, in terms of health benefits the measures introduced by Maureen Moore - Chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Scotland who spent 12 years fighting for a ban on smoking in public places, may have opened up other health issues having received death threats! .Again in Scotland, restaurant chains like "Frankie & Benny's" and "Garfunkel's," have seen double-digit growth in their sales, apparently because the food they serve now tastes better to their patrons – this may be due to the smokers taste buds returning and we have yet to see if this has a detrimental effect in some of the pubs I have played (and eaten) when the punters finally ‘wake up and smell the beer’ and taste the food served!.Apparently though trade is up, venues that have become restaurants have a greater attendance and have become favored by families and live music still flourishes..Admittedly Scotland has always had a healthy live music scene and has always managed to enforce laws that England also has but fails to enforce..So maybe the measure of success with the ban will be – can you change the English culture?.The bigger discussion point here isn’t to what extent a smoking ban contributes to the demise or survival live music venues, it is whether attendance at live music venues of all kinds can be improved..My own feeling is that through a constant ‘battle’ that music venues have weathered and a barrage of regional bureaucratic problems, they continue to provide live music. Despite beer prices, despite the licensing laws, despite restrictions on noise levels, despite many being turned into lap dancing clubs – music venues and gig goers continue the survive and evolve. Interesting times – probably a cue for ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ by Jerome Kern and Otto Harback a #1 hit for the platters in 1959.
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