Performers rail against ludicrous police guarantees

These ‘Conditions of Occasional Parties’ – which Mario Vella, lead singer of popular folk-pop act Brikkuni describes as “harking back to the olden days of Russia” –  apply to outdoor events held at venues which do not normally cater for such activities, and are therefore not registered as performance venues.

Apart from the said guarantee – as well as an insurance policy amounting to €1,164,068 – the conditions impose plenty of bureaucratic hurdles on performers. These include clearances from The Malta Planning and Environment Authority (MEPA), the Civil Protection Department and the Commissioner of Land, if the venue is on public property.

The conditions also stipulate that police personnel are to be present at all times.

“Obviously, the police reserve the right to withhold the money in case of failure to adhere to all stipulated clauses, which is no joke… in a nutshell, all these measures will single-handedly eradicate independent initiatives and all creative output will have to be channelled through traditional establishments.

“Not to mention that performances are being restricted to the usual spots without the possibility of utilising alternative venues that are far more interesting,” Vella said, in light of the fact that most local bands and performers usually set up their events with funds out of their own pocket and at the indulgence of venue owners.

But as a generously attended but crammed Areola Treat gig at the Black Pearl in Ta’ Xbiex – which served as a long-awaited album launch for the indie rock band – demonstrated last Saturday, outdoor events may just be the only option available to burgeoning local acts.

“Lately, there is a positive thing going on – gig going crowds are increasing, slowly, but enough to make most of the venues we’re used to playing becoming excruciatingly small, as you have seen with Areola Treat. In case of bands like Brikkuni, it’s become even more of an issue, where there usually is a minimum of 500 people,” Daniel Cassar, of alternative rock band nosnow/noalps, said.

Cassar’s band encountered problems when trying to book the Orpheum Theatre in Sliema for a gig.

“With the Orpheum, I never got as much as a ‘no’ before the event, which would have been fine and understandable, albeit disappointing. We got a torrent of unnecessary talk about regulation, and we were kept pending, the police never called me back, despite calling in a number of times myself to see what the result is. Their intention, I suspect, was just to call me up to scare us off while never trying to find a solution or at least – a minimum – commit to a decision,” Cassar said.

Cassar paints a frustrating picture of what bands have to go through in order to secure a decent venue. Lamenting the fact that, basically, most available venues are merely “bars with a stage set up somewhere,” he points out how the clubs that provide a decent stage and space for attendees – Tattingers in Rabat, Liquid in San Gwann and Sky Club in Paceville – are usually booked up on weekends as they cater to the “more lucrative” electronic music crowd.

“Basically, we don’t want handouts, we actually want to be independent. There are absolutely no real music venues on this island, and when we find a place which is close to being one, more often than not we’re denied permit, or laughed at, or ignored, or conned,” Cassar said.

“The result is an overly crowded venue, uncomfortable for the band, and uncomfortable for the punters, and basically more of the same, without leeway for improvement, keeping crowds used to live shows abroad to really just come out of sympathy, not actually because they are getting their money’s worth, starting a vicious circle of having to keep entrance fees ridiculously low, volatile turnouts, playing to the same 200-300 people, never improving the actual show, and not being able to attract more people.”

The situation is further exacerbated by the recent controversy related to sale of alcohol at concerts, after NnG Promotions were surprised at the last minute by a police order which banned the sale of alcohol during James Blunt’s performance.

Vella is particularly concerned about this – as in this case, the sale of beers and other refreshments is crucial to recoup expenses –  and further baffled since alternatives could easily be arranged.

“We have been told that unless alcohol is being sold from an officially registered entity we are totally forbidden from selling it. Last year, when we held a concert at the Ospizio in Floriana, we were issued with a temporary permit for a bar. It was very sensible and the fee was minimal. What happened to such alternatives I wonder?”

In light of all this, Cassar’s proposed solution to the situation remains bracingly simple.

“What a sensible State would do is provide a venue, ideally with a decent P.A. and lights – properly soundproofed and with decent acoustics – charge rent per performance, have all licences in order, and leave the management of the venue to the bands themselves. We’d be ready to take care of such a place, and not burden the state with running it.”

In response, Davinia Galea, Executive Director of The Malta Council For Culture and the Arts (MCCA), suggested that bands and other concerned entities form an organisation to apply some pressure for the law to, at least, differentiate for events in their case.

“The guarantee sum is far too high for local bands to cover. But on the other hand, how can the police ensure that the health and safety criteria is adhered to? I think they need to be addressed by a different set of criteria. I would suggest that they form an association so that they could lobby and be in a stronger position to create awareness about their own specific sector. At the moment they are being treated as a disco party! As MCCA we could help them set themselves up in this way, and we can offer assistance. I think it is about being recognised for who you are. There needs to be a difference between what is a concert, and what is a disco or party.”