Legal gray area leaves live music venues in limbo

Police stations differ on interpretation of public entertainment law

The Beach is one of several live music venues that have been forced to cancel gigs.

By Tej Sapru

BANGALORE (Oct. 11)—The ban on live music that has shut down several venues across the city is not universally accepted or implemented by authorities.

Pubs that host live music, such as The Beach and BFlat, which are located on the same side of 100 Feet Road in Indira Nagar, recently received a notice informing them that all dancing and “loud, Western music” in such establishments was illegal under a 2005 public entertainment ordinance.

But across the street, Kyra Theatre, which falls under the jurisdiction of a different police department, continues to host gigs.

Dipali Sakand, the theater’s manager, said the theater “never received the notice,” and that the police only target venues that encourage “rowdyism.”

Authorities at Jeevanagar Police Station told The SoftCopy that Kyra was not doing anything illegal.

“There is no ban on live music—just on unlicensed dancing,” Inspector Ashok of Jeevanagar Police Station said.

However, the opposite side of 100 Feet Road falls under the jurisdiction of Indira Nagar Police Station—and it takes a quite different view of the law.

“The law itself says that live music is illegal…the law has been around since 2005,” said a source at Indira Nagar Police Station who wished to remain anonymous as he was not authorized to talk to the press.

The owner of a pub that hosts live music in the city who received a warning notice from the Indira Nagar police was not surprised about the difference in the two police stations’ interpretation of the Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005.

“They cannot make up their minds—it [the law banning music and dancing] is so ambiguous that no one can take a stand,” said the owner, who asked that her name not be used for fear of being singled out by authorities.

Kyra Theatre operates on the side of 100 Feet Road where "loud, Western music" is apparently legal.

Illegal dance bars said behind ban

Owners believe that the legislation against dancing was drawn up because the law cannot differentiate between legal entertainment and illegal dance bars, which were outlawed because they were thought to encourage solicitation.

The police acknowledge that the ban is linked to dance bars.

“It started because of the dance bars,” Inspector Ashok said, explaining why the warning notices were sent out.

As legitimate businesses and local musicians continue to suffer due to the confusion over the meaning of the law, one music industry player who spoke to The SoftCopy said she thinks it is the responsibility of musicians to stand up for their livelihoods.

“You can’t blame the system—there should have been a movement [to change the legislation] by now, but there hasn’t,” said Bushra Shariff, a band promoter in Bangalore.

This is not the first time that the police have invoked the 2005 ordinance to pull the plug on live music, but this time around, it seems possible that they have gone too far.

Restaurants, pubs and discos across the city are joining hands in the hope that their forming a united front might convince authorities to clarify the existing legislation.

But a solution seems unlikely to arrive anytime soon.

“We have set the ball rolling, but it will take time,” the female pub owner said.

Until a compromise is worked out, musicians, pub owners, and music lovers across the city will have to put up with the sound of silence.