EDITORIAL

Local Licensees Claim They Deserve Protection

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

In the latest quarterly session of the Liquor Licensing Board, a local nightclub owner took the Board to task over its habit of handing out licence extensions to international concert promoters. 

One nightclub proprietor argued that the Friday night clientele, upon which his club, and so many others, depends, is invariably lured away by big-name concerts. He felt aggrieved because, while the concerts are given permission to play, and serve alcohol past the 1 am deadline, concertgoers do not have time to return to clubs once the show is over. 

Essentially, he contended, the nightclubs never get the chance to recoup the losses incurred over the night. This, the club owner claimed, results in lost wages for staff, and unpaid bills. The licence extensions, he concluded, were threatening the very survival of the nightclubs in Grand Cayman. 

His proposal was for the Liquor Licensing Board to stop handing out extensions to concerts on Friday night or to encourage the promoters to pick another night. 

Ultimately the battle comes down to money: who gets it and who deserves it. Perhaps, however, we are forgetting one major player in this battle and that is the local musician. 

Most will agree Caymanian musicians, for the most part, are restricted in venues, restricted in equipment, and restricted in opportunity. One might assume that the competition presented by a successful international band would be seen as a threat to an upcoming band. 

On the contrary, some local bands see international bands as a great opportunity to learn and develop because they can be a part of the show. In fact, the Immigration Department will not issue permits to international bands unless they have first agreed to use local bands as opening acts. This gives local talents several opportunities. 

First, they get the chance to share the equipment, which often means a sophisticated sound and lighting system, sometimes a first for a band on this Island. 

Second, they can share the crowd, which can run into the hundreds or possibly even thousands. A local band can get great exposure and get the feel for a large receptive audience. 

Most importantly, they have the opportunity to learn from their experienced peers.

It is no secret that Friday night is party night in Grand Cayman, and licensed premises are open late. Club owners themselves claim that 75 percent of their week's income is garnered from this one night. Saturday is a different story. With a curfew of midnight, most clubs admit revenues are not as high on this night, and concert promoters, for their part, do not want to have to end the party early. The battle is, indeed, over Friday. 

Granted, club owners have a right to make a living and they have a right to their fair share, but it is unreasonable for them to complain about losing clientele when they are charging exorbitant amounts of money just to get in the door. It is not unusual for nightclubs to have a CI$10-20 cover charge. Once inside, patrons find drinks are expensive and the entertainment, often, mediocre, at best. 

The music business is not a charity. Musicians work hard to earn the respect and following of their fans. Many a Caymanian musician has spent a lifetime trying to make a living doing something he or she loves. A musician should not be allowed to feel entitled. 

Nor should a nightclub owner. 

People here work hard and are free to choose how to spend their precious dollars however they see fit. Perhaps it is time nightclubs recognise they need to fight for their share. The Friday crowd has no allegiance. That is the nature of the entertainment business.

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