AN ACOUSTIC guitarist was stopped from playing in the Lower Pollet yesterday lunchtime after someone complained about the noise. Mark Guillou was entertaining diners outside Riva Bistro and Bar at about 1.30pm as part of the Lower Pollet alfresco dining experience when police pulled the plug.
‘It’s a joke,’ he said. ‘I had to check on the date to make sure that it wasn’t 1 April.’
Shortly before he was stopped, Mr Guillou said, he had asked a couple of diners about 5ft away if his music was too loud for them and they had said it was ‘perfect’.
‘I can be loud if I want to, but I wasn’t,’ he said.
Mr Guillou said he had not had a problem with the police but if the organisers were trying to promote a nice, relaxed, jovial, Continental-style atmosphere, it seemed a strange thing to do.
Riva general manager Ricardo Faria said the Town constables had given permission for the guitarist to play outside. When he told police that, they said that did not matter, as he did not have permission from their chief.
‘It took the mood and the atmosphere completely away,’ said Mr Faria. ‘The music wasn’t loud at all and Mark was very upset.’
He said he would try again today when Paul Tongs is due to entertain.
‘We’ll just have to see if whoever it is who complained likes pianos,’ he said.
St Peter Port senior constable Jenny Tasker said permission had been given for live entertainment in the road, but not for recorded music.
‘The police would have been aware of it because the alfresco licence application that was approved said on it that there would be live music.
‘But as far as I’m aware, the police can decide whether or not it happens in the first place.’
Culture and Leisure Department events group chairman Mike O’Hara was disappointed to hear of the closure and said he would look into it.
‘I think it’s a shame, but if they haven’t had permission from the police, they are not allowed to play outside,’ he said.
Phil Capper was due to perform outside Claddagh from 4pm, but Mr Guillou said he had told him he would not be allowed.
‘This sort of thing makes people look stupid and the couple in front of me were just aghast,’ he said.
Nobody from Guernsey Police was available to comment.
Article posted on 7th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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