russd1978

Thanks for the replies. I wouldnt mind getting my stuff tested if the venues had the same care and attention with THEIR electrics. Quite often you find plug sockets hanging off walls etc, and they ask US for certificates!! Madness.

[quote name='peted' post='115789' date='Jan 7 2008, 09:27 PM']I've just been reading some of the Musicians Union literature and it does recommend that venues ensure that all equipment is properly PAT tested I assume this is just to cover them in any legal proceedings and not compulsory. They also talk a bit about Public Liability Insurance Again, appears not to be a legal requirement. More a 'good practice' recommendation in case you find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit.[/quote] So no one has heard about this "Public Entertainments License" the Ramada was on about?

[quote name='Tinman' post='115237' date='Jan 7 2008, 09:11 AM']I need something clearing up on the subject of liability, namely, I was always under the impression that if you are employed by a venue then it should be their responsibility to provide cover. Am I totally wrong in this?[/quote] I think legally the venue would have to be covered anyway - any musicians insurance company would probably look to the venue for part of the blame anyway depending on what happened (ie if someone is drunk and fall on your gear, its the venues fault for serving too much alcohol). Most of the weddings I do, Im employed by the couple not the venue tho.

[quote name='BlueBear' post='114829' date='Jan 6 2008, 06:16 PM']Funnily enough, we played the Ramada hotel in Farnham recently. Although they didn't mention any Entertainments licence, they did insist on the PAT testing and Public Liability Insurance (£5 Mil though). With all the things happening, we had to set up just before lunchtime and found one of the mains sockets had an intermittent output, probably dodgy wiring. I moved along to the next socket where they'd used huge pan-headed screws instead of countersunk ones on the face plate. Because of this, we couldn't get a plug fully home and so couldn't use that one either! I informed reception who said they'd get their maintenance man to look at it later in the afternoon. We return at Five to finalise things and apparently, the maintenance man has checked the sockets and they're fine. On testing, they're still the same, exactly as they were beforehand and the response was... "Well it's too late to do anything about it now" Luckily we got hold of an extension with a plug that would actually fit into the dodgy screw socket and the gig went ahead all fine, no thanks to the hotel.[/quote] Thanks for the info! Interesting about the £5m liability - surely THEIR liability should cover guests if they get drunk and fall on the bands speaker, not the bands! I only have £1m but im a solo act. Amazing that they get away with the PAT certificate requirement when they are so inept themselves!

[quote name='gilmour' post='114718' date='Jan 6 2008, 02:56 PM']I was alos under the impression that a publice ents license was down to the venue?[/quote] Yeah Ill mention that to them, just wondered if anyone thought different?

Hello, new here Sorry to revive this thread from the depths of time, Im not a bass player but I worked as part of a bass/sax duo for some time if that helps me! Hehe, I work mostly as a solo act since the bassist I worked with gave up the gigs to run his own business. I have a gig at The Ramada hotel in Maidstone and theyre asking for Public Liability (I have £1m with my MusicGuard gear insurance) and also PAT Testing (no probs have that all sorted) but theyre also mentioning whether I have a "Public Entertainments License" - surely thats down to the venue isnt it? Or is it another thing to add to the list? It always amazes me how they get away with asking for this stuff when often I get to a hotel and their plugs are hanging off the walls with expose wires, it really suprises me that they want to check if my stuff is safe. Also surely if someone gets drunk because they served them too much booze and falls on my speaker why should my insurance cover it - surely their Public Liability would be responsible!