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Liquor Laws and The Modern Musician
| Message Board > Music Chitchat - Heavy > Liquor Laws and The Modern Musician |
| $TIM$ User Info... | So for those of you who are not aware, lately there's been a crackdown of a law that states there is to be no alcoholic beverages consumed on stage at a night club. We found out about this on Friday night at Steamers, so we ended up taking our shots while standing on the floor in front of the stage. I've heard about this before when dealing with the Cambie years ago, but I've never actually seen it enforced until now. I've tracked down a city councilor today and he knew nothing about it, but directed me to the councilor responsible for the Liquor Control enforcement in the Capital region, and he knew nothing about it, so right now I'm waiting to hear from the BC Liquor Board. I took a cruise through their guidelines provided on their site, and apart from learning that I cannot take my clothes off on stage while drinking a beer I learned nothing useful. Anybody know anything about this and/or come across this recently? - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 3:21pm | ||
| moron User Info... | I've never heard of anything remotely like that and I've been in bands and seeing bands in Victoria since the late 80s. If that is in fact a law it's fscking ridiculous and the fact that anyone would even bother enforcing it sounds like either have a grudge or are total idiots. What exactly happened to you at Steamers? Do you have the names of those involved? - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 3:58pm | ||
| Adrenaline Animal User Info... | Steamers was totally cool about it, but we heard that they had been fined for it already, so they we're looking out for their interests, asked us politly not to drink on stage. we heard the same thing the next night up at Uvic while playing for the grad thing. Stupid little bylaw if you ask me - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 5:28pm | ||
| Gman User Info... | The issue is that a performer is considered an 'employee' of the bar for the duration of the show and as we know, employees of a bar are not supposed to drink while at work. I think it's silly, though, as a performer is not serving, and last I checked, performers did not have to go through "Serving it Right". - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 5:40pm | ||
| JOSH User Info... | What we were hearing is that it had something to do with the licensing of the stage area to allow underage performers to be allowed to play at clubs. A band is by no means an employee of a bar. The band and the bar are separate businesses that enter into a contract, just like anyone doing freelance work in any field. Either way, this law is ridiculous, and typical of victoria (assuming it is a municipal or CRD bylaw). I think I'm going to go put up a bunch of posters on taxpayer owned telephone poles that protest the stupidity of this law. - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 5:46pm | ||
| Brandon User Info... | That happened at Sugar the last time we played there, march 17th ???? they said that the stage wasnt licenced, to allow underage performers to play their club. That really got me pissed cause i like to have a few wobbly pops while I play. I have never been told not to drink onstage at steamers though. lets hope this doesnt happen at diegos. - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 6:15pm | ||
| ROSS B AY User Info... | who cares. - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 6:44pm | ||
| $TIM$ User Info... | Thing is, it doesn't appear to be a CRD or a Victoria thing, but a provincial matter. And with underage performers, according to the Liquor Control Board of BC, any minor can perform in a licensed establishment as long as they do not stay in the licensed venue before or after they perform. (Of note, strippers cannot drink on stage, nor while they approach the stage. The LCB clearly states this, but mentions nothing of musical performers) I'm thinking this must have something to do with the employment issues at hand between bar and band. I would love to see one of the tickets these bars have been given, find out what offense they are actually charged with. - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 6:55pm | ||
| Little Red User Info... | I played at Steamers on March 3rd and they told me the same thing... one of the staff members told me that it was because there was an underage performer up on stage who was bought a drink from one of the audience members... that turned into some sort of fine for the minor drinking... so to prevent that from happening they've banned drinking on stage. (it's not like the audience member knew the performer was a minor) Plus the other thing that happened that night is that all band beer had to be served by the bartender... you could not serve yourself, which became more of a pain in the ass than anything. Probably once again for the same reason. I don't blame the bars for following the rules...I can see the reason for them. I just think that the rules suck. - Mon, 11 Apr 2005 7:09pm | ||
| Kickback User Info... |  Strangely enough as we cant consume alcohol on stage some bars actually encourage us to drink loads of it before we hit the stage. I guess getting drunk on stage = bad Being drunk on stage = good - Tue, 12 Apr 2005 10:38am | ||
| Isolation Ride User Info... | Solution....tell the bar owner you are against all forms of alcohol due to your religion.Go to your local 7-11 and grab a big gulp cup and load a sweet ass 26er in there and add your favourite pop. - Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:06pm | ||
| me User Info... | Walking into a bar with a drink container not purchased on the premise doesn`t warsh either, sorry if they don`t know whats in it your out of luck Chuck - Tue, 12 Apr 2005 3:47pm | ||
| Gman User Info... | Huh, well, I assumed that was the reason. Got that explanation in Seattle, I believe. In scanning the liquor act, I can't find *any* reference to not allowing entertainers to drink on stage *unless* the entertainers are considered employees... or strippers. http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/L/96267_01.htm - Tue, 12 Apr 2005 5:55pm | ||
| Chris Logan User Info... | The Liquor Board and the VPD are being total cocks to almost every bar in town right now - a bunch of local bar owners and managers had a meeting with Jeff Bray (MLA) about it a few weeks ago. Basically they're enforcing every little retarded regulation in the book. Just so everyone knows, performers aren't, in fact, allowed to drink onstage in BC. It's just that nobody bothered enforcing such a petty regulation until recently. - Wed, 13 Apr 2005 3:32pm | ||
| Anonymous User Info... | I think its a good rule to have enforced. Now I dont have to worry about some other musician spilling beer on my gear which = me not going to jail for kicking the &#@% out of them. Maybe I'll consider playing live again. - Wed, 13 Apr 2005 5:20pm | ||
| Gman User Info... | Hey Chris, I'm just curious about that regulation - do you know where the details on it are? Thanks, g - Wed, 13 Apr 2005 5:41pm | ||
| Brandon User Info... | allright, i guess i will have to drink vodka soda's on stage, gross but it looks like water - Wed, 13 Apr 2005 5:53pm | ||
| Chris Logan User Info... | Hey G - I can't cite it chapter and verse, but according to LCLB regs performers are considered employees of the venue while onstage, and thus aren't supposed to drink. It's always been this way in BC, but no one bothered to enforce it before. Perhaps because it's retarded? Along the same lines, a well-known local venue recently got nailed for having customers onsite after close when the inspector showed up an hour after closing time to find the bartenders' girlfriends at the bar, waiting til their boyfriends finished work. Not drinking, mind you, just sitting there. Again, according to the regs they weren't supposed to be there but, according to common sense - who gives a fuck? - Wed, 13 Apr 2005 6:32pm | ||
| Doppelganger User Info... | Can Someone list any revered Artist who did not partake of some kind of drug? I'm stumped? - Wed, 13 Apr 2005 8:23pm | ||
| jay brown User Info... | Ya that was the one lounge they got closed for 21 days because of it, and only the days they were open which was 4 days a week so it was just over 5 weeks they got shut down for......fucking insane. - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:03am | ||
| Chris Logan User Info... | Hey Jay - actually, I was talking about another bar. Just goes to show everybody's getting fucked. I should probably be posting this stuff under an alias. - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:58pm | ||
| $TIM$ User Info... | Just got my response from the LCB: The LCLB Policy Guide states, at section 11.2.6, that "entertainers in live stage performances may not consume liquor while performing, while on stage in view of patrons, or while in the establishment between performances." Some of the reasons for this proscription: 1) Section 42(3) of the Liquor Control and Licensing Regulations prohibit licensees and their employees (including contracted performers) from drinking alcohol while working in the establishment. In order to maintain control of the establishment and effectively discharge their duties as outlined in their licence, it is essential that the licensee and their staff (including full or part time, contracted, temporary or permanent employees) be sober. 2) Section 45(2) prohibits the licensee from endorsing or promoting "the sale of a particular kind, class or brand of liquor," and the use of a particular brand of liquor by an entertainer may be interpreted as such an endorsement. 3) In addition to the proscription against endorsing a specific brand of liquor, the licensee is advised to avoid depicting liquor in general as "one of life's necessities, key to social acceptance or personal success, central to the enjoyment of an activity, or a status symbol" (Cf. the LCLB website, "Liquor Advertising"). If they wanted to they could really stop nearly every show that ever happens. - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 5:41pm | ||
| Mr. Hell User Info... | What a bunch of fuckin' killjoys. I guess I'll have to revert to smoking meth onstage. - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 6:05pm | ||
| The Wolf User Info... | "No Smokin" CRD boys will come after you...Might be able to Inject or ingest something?? - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 6:46pm | ||
| SickFuk User Info... | That law is quite cimply retarded.... When I do a live show, I find if I've had a few beers, I put on a better show.... but according to the by-laws that Tim just cited... apparently you're not even supposed to drink for the entire night, which is even more retarded.... Whats next, cencoring lyrics that people might find offensive?.. that would kill me... ALL my lyrics can be considered offensive...:) But basically, George Orwell seems to have had it right... except it's not 1984... it's 2005 'ere - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 6:56pm | ||
| Mr. Hell User Info... | Damn. Didn't think of that. Maybe I can take it through osmosis. I'll rub it into my eyes. - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 6:59pm | ||
| Brandon User Info... | next show i play i'm gonna try to break all of those rules, especially depicting liquor as one of lifes necessities and keys to social acceptance, central to the enjoyment of an activity, or a status symbol. fuck, why are the liquor laws so fucked in this province??? - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 9:00pm | ||
| SickFuk User Info... | Well, it sure as hell isn't gonna stop me from drinnking on stage at the Tolmie Hell House 'ere - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 9:07pm | ||
| josh User Info... | Is there any contact info for who we can send ranting letters to at LCB? i wonder if monday magazine might do a story on this....? actually..."drinking" may be the loop-hole in those regs. Its possible to inject alcohol intravenously, from what I was just reading. Next show tim, we bring some needles, some surgical tube, tie off and shoot up on stage. - Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:28pm | ||
| Gare User Info... | lol any venue crazy enough to host a protest show? - Fri, 15 Apr 2005 9:49am | ||
| Brandon User Info... | Beer enemas for all! (no clue how to spell that one) - Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:15am | ||
| Zippgunn User Info... | So it appears that this law is province wide? I'm nicknaming this the "no having fun" bylaw, after all sometimes its the social part of playing the gig that makes it all worthwhile. Combating this could be tough but it could be fun too. And where are the grey areas? Does this mean that the Save-on-food-memorial-centre could lose its liquor licence if Rod the fraud had a brandy on stage. Or if the Labatt briar has beer logos on the ice? And I love the part about "in between" performances, in other words you can't drink at the venue for the whole day of the gig! Ridiculous! Does this apply to the Green Rooms? What about my legions of unpaid roadies? Could they come to the gig and drink there or are they also "employees" of the bar? One effective way combat this insanity is to prepare a press release documenting this "legal" harrassment and sent it to every news outlet in Canada as well as to every major talent booker in North America that has an intention ever of playing in Victoria, especially the big artists who are likely to play the SOFMC or the Mac. And those of us who are being affected by this nonsense should be demanding that the liquor inspectors are at these high profile events and are as visible as possible to the performers and their entourages. Keep the stupid bastards running around looking for violations of thses rules, especially at dumps like Legends or the Commodore. Have these idiots descend into the basement of the Royal theatre making double sure that no member of the symphony is having a tipple backstage. More drastic measures could include getting every nightclub in town to have their xmas staff party on the same night thus shutting down every club in town for one night as a protest; use the slogan "how do yo like your night life, now?". But seriously, this is legal extortion and it has to be nipped in the bud tout suite. Talk about your killing a gnat with a cannon! - Fri, 15 Apr 2005 3:42pm | ||
| Little Red User Info... | Zippgunn, I love the rant... keep it coming! I second that motion! - Fri, 15 Apr 2005 7:08pm | ||
| $TIM$ User Info... | It really makes no sense to me. Reason 1 the LCBC guy gave was employees or persons employed can not drink because they need to ensure order in the establishment and to "effectively discharge their duties". My drinking helps me effectively discharge my duties. As a performer for the audience, i need to be where the audience is. If their all tanked and I'm sipping my pepsi, how can I effectively relate to these folks? Some can, sure, but not for me yet. Reason 2 is so we are not influencing the people as to what to drink, or glorifying booze I guess. The dozen neon beer signs obviously aren't a threat to peoples free will, nor the half naked "Canadian Girls" prancing through the establishment (thinking of the UVIC grad party) stuffing a can of beer into every patron's hand. Bullshit. Reason 3 Life's necessities? wow, they can't be serious. These people (LCBC) are peddling the drug yet saying that we can't actually acknowledge that people enjoy it. Like a dude selling a joint asks me to please not wear a BC Bud shirt because it might represent a way of life that is not for everybody, and lordy, lordy, lordy, we don't want to influence anyone. Really is a pile of shit. I think the solution is to bring it out and challenge it. We need someone to get charged, then get a lawyer and dispute it on the grounds of the law's bullshittiness. If this was actually enforced, as said earlier by someone, it would cripple the night club industry in BC. If nothing is done, then any time they want to, bars can be punished at will. It's election time too, no better time then now to get this changed. - Sun, 17 Apr 2005 7:41pm | ||
| Dave S User Info... | Has anyone actually been fined for this? Or is it more like driving 59 in a 50 zone and getting passed by a oop? - Mon, 18 Apr 2005 12:46am | ||
| laprider User Info... | OK I have to step in....I don't really drink too much anymore bad liver and all, but this is ridculous. Why the decision to enforce it now. And why go after the bars that really do not contribute to the downtown policing issue. I plan to bring this to the medias attention and will look for a couple of you, especially Chris if he can do it and not be comprimised to do an interview with me. this is simply wasted time and money, besides all the "civil liberty" issues. - Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:18am | ||
| Chris Logan User Info... | "Why the decision to enforce it now." No one knows, although conspiracy theories abound. We at Logan's haven't been nearly as hard hit as some of the downtown venues (Lucky, Steamers) so it would seem it's part of a larger effort to "clean up the downtown core." Although why provincial liquor inspectors would care about that, I don't know. - Mon, 18 Apr 2005 11:05am | ||
| _Griphin_ User Info... | I dunno, seems the city is trying to clean the city up. First it was the food vendors getting blamed remember. - Mon, 18 Apr 2005 12:23pm | ||
| Little Red User Info... | ok so here's a good question that arose tonight at Steamers... It's monday, it's the open mike night... now the musicians are not getting paid, but rather volunteering to get up and sing... does this mean they CAN drink on stage? and what about the whole thing about getting a free beer after you play? Would this be considered a loophole? - Tue, 19 Apr 2005 1:17am | ||
| evilkleg User Info... | The decision to enforce this bylaw now might have something to do with the upcoming election. As in: "Look how we're cleaning up the bad elements of downtown Victoria!" Personally, I agree with the guy above who said vodka sodas from now on. Just make mine gin and tonic. And remember to pour your 'non-alcoholic' beverage over any bylaw officer you see trying to enforce this rule. I don't think they can fine you for that. - Wed, 20 Apr 2005 10:25am | ||
| Brandon User Info... | I dont think they can fine you for that either it was an "accident" - Wed, 20 Apr 2005 4:13pm | ||
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