Keeping track of new music, media and industry news.

A new Government proposal to amend the Live Music Act has been announced, aimed at revitalising the live scene in Britain. If it goes through, venues with a capacity of up to 500 will be exempt from licensing requirements, which could allow a huge amount of potential venues across the UK to begin hosting live music. At present, the maximum capacity for exemption is 200.

Though live music campaigner Phil Little of the Live Music Forum welcomed the news, it doesn’t sound like it’s cheered him up much: “It is plain that much of the damage to the scene has already been done. Without an improvement in audience attendance across the board we have an awful long way to go to match the vibrance of live music performance in previous decades”. Jesus Phil, don’t piss on your own chips before they’re cold!