Bad times to own your own nightclub
This I found in the newspaper, read it, to understand how bad the partyscene has become in Bangalore in the past few weeks
Cop notice stops party scene in its tracks
Party-goers have never had it so hard in Bangalore. It’s bad enough that night life in the city is practically non-existent. Even the little that we have is fraught with so many restrictions.
A recent notice sent by the Indiranagar police to various lounge bars and restaurants that come under their purview has warned these establishments that they cannot be too brightly lit, play loud music or have their patrons spilling out onto the streets.
The notice in Kannada, a copy of which is available with Bangalore Times, sent out on September 18, and when translated indicates: We (the police), would like to inform you that your bar and restaurant is lit with harsh and unusual lights, is playing loud pop music and the people who’ve had alcohol from your shop and misbehave on the streets are disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. This has come to our notice. If this continues, henceforth we will be taking strict action and the matter will be taken up with authorities to seek cancellation of your operating licence.”
The establishments that received the said notice have licences to play music and to have people partying on the premises. But in recent weeks, the Central Crime Branch has been raiding every place in Bangalore that has even a square inch of space to dance, in response to the Police Order 2005, which bans live bands. Insiders say that the police has used the term ‘live bands’ to bring all forms of dancing and music under its domain, when it was actually meant to affect only places that run dance bars. To this effect, now most places in Bangalore have been raided and sent notices to stop all kinds of live music playing, including DJs and actual live acts from inside and outside the country.
This comes as a big blow to the music industry — musicians, DJs and business establishments that promote live acts — as it will now have to move to the backburner. An owner of a popular lounge bar on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, says he has cancelled all live acts at his place. “I have stopped all kinds of music
being played at my lounge bar, including live acts and DJs. We have been asked (by the police) to play only soft music recorded on a CD. My regular patrons are very upset about this decision. We are currently deliberating on a strategy to overcome this situation. As of now, we have to abide by the sent notification,” said the owner who did not want to be named.
Currently, only a couple of establishments in Indiranagar have received the notice. The rest are relying on word-of-mouth information and are playing it safe.
And with only six places legally allowed to conduct parties in the city, people are thronging these venues. When BT visited two star hotels with a discotheque attached last weekend, there were over 1,000
guests vying to get in at both places. The queue outside the discotheques extended all the way to the parking lot.
Also, DJs in the city, who had hitherto been sending SMSes to regular party-goers, have now started to add another line to their texts — “It is safe to come and it is legal” — in an effort to draw patrons to the venue and assure them of non-interference from the law.
DJ SPEAK
This ruling is hard on DJs. We are suffering because of it. We are hard-working people trying to earn a living. At this rate, we will either have to find alternative careers or move to other cities. This is very disappointing for us.
—– DJ Rohan
FEAR FACTOR
Owing to the many raids that have been taking place on a regular basis, party-goers are now apprehensive about going out to party. Many cite fear of harassment from the police and the sheer embarrassment they face thereafter. Talking about a recent raid, Suchita S says: “My friends were traumatized after they were rounded up by cops. It seemed as though it was a criminal offence to party in a club. I would not want to be subjected to such treatment.”
Cop notice stops party scene in its tracks
A new police notice bars loud music, bright lights and alcohol
Party-goers have never had it so hard in Bangalore. It’s bad enough that night life in the city is practically non-existent. Even the little that we have is fraught with so many restrictions.
A recent notice sent by the Indiranagar police to various lounge bars and restaurants that come under their purview has warned these establishments that they cannot be too brightly lit, play loud music or have their patrons spilling out onto the streets.
The notice in Kannada, a copy of which is available with Bangalore Times, sent out on September 18, and when translated indicates: We (the police), would like to inform you that your bar and restaurant is lit with harsh and unusual lights, is playing loud pop music and the people who’ve had alcohol from your shop and misbehave on the streets are disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. This has come to our notice. If this continues, henceforth we will be taking strict action and the matter will be taken up with authorities to seek cancellation of your operating licence.”
The establishments that received the said notice have licences to play music and to have people partying on the premises. But in recent weeks, the Central Crime Branch has been raiding every place in Bangalore that has even a square inch of space to dance, in response to the Police Order 2005, which bans live bands. Insiders say that the police has used the term ‘live bands’ to bring all forms of dancing and music under its domain, when it was actually meant to affect only places that run dance bars. To this effect, now most places in Bangalore have been raided and sent notices to stop all kinds of live music playing, including DJs and actual live acts from inside and outside the country.
This comes as a big blow to the music industry — musicians, DJs and business establishments that promote live acts — as it will now have to move to the backburner. An owner of a popular lounge bar on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, says he has cancelled all live acts at his place. “I have stopped all kinds of music
being played at my lounge bar, including live acts and DJs. We have been asked (by the police) to play only soft music recorded on a CD. My regular patrons are very upset about this decision. We are currently deliberating on a strategy to overcome this situation. As of now, we have to abide by the sent notification,” said the owner who did not want to be named.
Currently, only a couple of establishments in Indiranagar have received the notice. The rest are relying on word-of-mouth information and are playing it safe.
And with only six places legally allowed to conduct parties in the city, people are thronging these venues. When BT visited two star hotels with a discotheque attached last weekend, there were over 1,000
guests vying to get in at both places. The queue outside the discotheques extended all the way to the parking lot.
Also, DJs in the city, who had hitherto been sending SMSes to regular party-goers, have now started to add another line to their texts — “It is safe to come and it is legal” — in an effort to draw patrons to the venue and assure them of non-interference from the law.
DJ SPEAK
This ruling is hard on DJs. We are suffering because of it. We are hard-working people trying to earn a living. At this rate, we will either have to find alternative careers or move to other cities. This is very disappointing for us.
—– DJ Rohan
FEAR FACTOR
Owing to the many raids that have been taking place on a regular basis, party-goers are now apprehensive about going out to party. Many cite fear of harassment from the police and the sheer embarrassment they face thereafter. Talking about a recent raid, Suchita S says: “My friends were traumatized after they were rounded up by cops. It seemed as though it was a criminal offence to party in a club. I would not want to be subjected to such treatment.”
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