Talk:City of Edinburgh Council seek to improve local music scene

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Original Reporting Notes[edit]

  • Meeting was planned to run 15:30 to 18:00 UTC.
  • Held upstairs in Usher Hall's circle bar area.
  • Four lead speakers opened, introducing themselves - overplayed Picture House closure (loss of 1K+ capacity venue) and need to replace that.
  • Couple of people left in disgust at the larger venue and performer (Green Day, U2) focus of opening statements.
  • Councillor Hart noted already spoke with people from Austin council (or whatever US equiv is); have offered to help/get involved.
  • Once opened to floor became far more-heated discussion.
  • Straight off the "sole complainer" was brought up as unreasonable, became a thematic emblem for the evening.
  • Numerous examples of 'draconian' application of licensing guidelines cited (eg Rose street premises - noisiest street for night life in city being barred from amplified music)
  • Broke into four smaller groups for discussion; that to feed back into full group meeting at end.
  • Panellists wandered between groups during discussion.
  • Very few licensees/publicans present; was highlighted they self-police to minimise risk of conflict with licensing board staff.
  • Atmosphere was 'charged' (for want of a better description), people who make living playing in the city pretty angry and wanting to vent about 'zero tolerance' on noise.
  • Were a number of examples of noise complaints given in discussion groups; generally of the nature: pub has live music 20+ years, new person moves in to neighbouring property and starts complaining; council licensing board takes single complainant's word without wider consultation, no use of noise measuring equipment before ordering premises cease use of amplification.
  • Staff from licensing tried to claim they were enforcing the law, and were quickly corrected; local musicians see them as "jobsworths", giving examples such as complainants having to 'turn off their fridge' so the noise from a pub could be heard, and thus validate the complaint.
  • Several people left in disgust early-on when there was an excessive focus on the loss of The Picture House (it's turning into a chain pub). The local musicians aren't interested in another 1K+ capacity venue if they lose all the places where 100-200 might turn up for a gig.
  • Little to nothing taken from cited sources.
  • Format was intro --> four breakout groups --> summary input from groups --> close.
  • All groups came back mentioning the "single complainant issue"; this prompted/was followed by Councillor Hart's sundry commitments.
  • Several of those present noted licensing board staff being visibly uncomfortable afterwards.


  • Have run through crappy audio recordings from the event to refresh my memory.


  • Noting my COI. I've attended a couple of meetings of local musician's pressure group which was set up a couple of months before this meeting. I'm quite sympathetic to their cause, because I like being able to nip into a pub where it isn't crappy canned music; I am also friends with a good number of folks who play on the local circuit. --Brian McNeil / talk 17:30, 18 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, only two parts arrived. I'm inclined to proceed, though. --Pi zero (talk) 22:36, 18 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Review of revision 3040741 [Passed][edit]