‘Red tape’ threatens Cobo’s balcony gigs
Wednesday 19th May 2010, 2:30PM BST.
Cobo Bay general manager Darryl Readings fears that the music has been stopped. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0971894)
A POPULAR live music event is being threatened by red tape.
Cobo Bay Hotel’s balcony gigs look like being stopped because police are refusing to close the road. And hotelier David Nussbaumer says he faces a £1,000 bill under new liquor licensing regulations.
It is ‘bureaucracy gone mad’, said Mr Nussbaumer, who wants a short section of coast road closed while bands play on the balcony and has been told he will now have to apply for an alfresco licence.
He has previously applied for a permit, but has been told that is no longer enough. A local law firm advised him that each alfresco application would cost more than £1,000, with no guarantee it would succeed.
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This island is getting very sad when the Police will not allow a road closure for this great event, after all it’s only once a year, and to have to apply for a new liscence for a one off event is bureaucracy gone mad.
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PATHETIC! They really do try their utmost best to ruin brilliant events for Islanders. There is an easy bypass of the section of the coast road that is closed and it only for a few hours and is cleaned up if any mess is left.
Surely they must have seen the number of people that have attended the events there previously to realise they are well supported and have a brilliant atmosphere.
I say we just get a thousand people down there anyway standing in the road. The police are hardly going to arrest everyone and if a car hits someone, they will be the ones being prosecuted!
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Do the motor racers now have to pay £1,ooo a time to get the Val des Terres closed for a hill climb?
Surely the principle is the same?
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This is ridiculous. As Andy has said, the diversion if the road is closed is just around the block. The press report goes on about it should only be closed for a ‘special event’ , and that shouldn’t apply to events that occur more than once a year – well how come Vazon coast road (with a very large diversion) can be closed off several times a year for the sprint ? Dave Nussbaumer should be encouraged, he is trying to provide entertainment for the younger generation, and one afternoon a couple of times a year isn’t going to hurt.
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Oh the irony of it all. In an Island where we have States departments
dedicated to endlessly shutting roads for weeks on end for no apparent
reason and to no discernable plan,
we can’t get a road shut for a couple of hours to enjoy some al fresco
entertainment.
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Those events are something to look forward to and as usual they are trying to stop it. Typical! It’s not as if they are causing any major disruption with that small section of the road closed
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Not quite sure if it’s ‘bureaucracy gone mad’or the inevitable result of budgets being tightened
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Exactly the same bureaucracy that has virtually killed the music scene in pubs and hotels in the U.K.
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Jon/Andy – I think you should read the article. This isn’t about a “one off event” but a series of musical offerings. However, please note that there is NO suggestion in the Press article that the music events won’t go ahead. More that the performers will face towards the Rockmount instead of the sea….so, same performers, same performance space, marginally different angle.
Martino – I don’t think there was any suggestion that each person standing in the road had to pay £1000, just that this was a legitimate sum that could be charged for the application for an alfresco license. If I am wrong, then please continue to use the same metaphor.
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Surely someone must be able to use a dose of common sense and not just blindly follow ‘the rules’ which seem to mutate to suit the circumstances
Don’t let them beat you David!
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Martino, I don’t know if you read the press but there was a list of different things which are allowed to have the roads closed, with the different prices.
It does get full of traffic when they close the road, but it earns the States extra tax so what’s the problem?
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How dissappointing Guernsey :(
Like Musicfan says how many roads are closed everyday for no reason other than to cause major dissruptions at 9am but we can’t have a tiny part of a road closed for a few hours when there is an alternative route a 5 second drive away!
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The states of Guernsey would prefer it if we all stayed in doors and didn’t have any fun! So lets make it a little more difficult and maybe people won’t bother.
They’ve ruined Liberation Day and now they’re are trying to upset the best part of the summer for a lot of us!
Just leave it alone, it has worked fine for many years and if you stop interferring it will continue for many more!!!!!!!!
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Dont worry Belinda I have read the article but I think you have made assumptions.
Can you point me to the comment where it says they will be facing the rockmount? No, I didnt think you could. And I would love to see 500+ people all standing outside the rockmount…dont think that is going to happen.
So as other people have commented, are they now going to charge the guernsey car club each time they want to hold a sprint or hill climb meeting. And what about the sand racing at vazon and banger racing at chouet?? Maybe the music event isnt a one off but niether are these types of meetings!
And Belinda, again you are making assumptions which we all know are bad things. Where has martino said that each person must pay £1K????
Surely the states are happy to see the atmosphere these events bring which are similar to the recent liberation day!
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Once again the states know how to stop people putting on popular events that bring us closer as a community.
The music scene is pretty spectacular in Guernsey and this event is always crowded.
I think they need to re-think their decision and allow Cobo road to be closed once in a blue moon. It is not like there are no other roads to be diverted to!
lets hope someone, at least someone in authority has common sense. We shall see…..
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Get out while u still can! Over here on Mondays
down my local £1.60 pint of carling
£1.70 guiness. Also two meals for £5!!
All served by a gorgeous smiling barmaid!
Over priced island. Better on M5 in my
Aston Martin.
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Does anyone else think it strange that Nussbaumer says he cant afford £1,000 application fee. I though he had much more trade than that!
And I can’t see how the Rockmount can say that theire desire to close the road, shoudl be allowed on a similar basis to the Liberation Day celebrations. The latter were to celebrate freedom. His balcony on a bar, is simply put on to maket the Rockmount and convince people to buy his beer.
This island is already overwhelmed with an alcohol problem, if Nussbaumer is serious about his wish to help the community, how about putting the gig on with no beer served?
No? didnt think so Dave!
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Thanks Andy.
I appreciate the £1,000 is for an alfresco licence but what’s to stop an application to the Castel constables (leave the licensing wallies out of it) for a simple road closure for a MUSIC event not a drinking event?
Ok, people won’t be able to take their drinks outside the pub but that’s a much smaller price to pay.
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John C
Over priced island…I can buy your car new for 17.5% cheaper over here, I pay around 13% tax a year once all deductions taken off and in most places in the UK, the BEER is more expensive as a trip to the North West recently found.
Get Out…with the CONDEM’s in power, mass strikes, and laws to make policing more difficult through less DNA, Camera’s etc…
RIP THE UK
On this topic….I would like to see Cobo made into a tourist attraction alfresco at various weekends over the Summer and close it every Saturday or Sunday. Diverision is not that difficult and encourage various activities similar to what they do at SPP
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Adrian – I cant see the fact where Dave says he cant afford the fee….could you point me to that comment?
And by no way is it to put the Rockmount on the market, I’m sure people have lived here long enoug hto realise where it is and that in the summer when you want to enjoy a few beers, it is the place to go to.
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On of the great things about the Cobo music events is that they are truly family events. It is great to see people of all ages having a great time without any hassle or unpleasantness.
They only take place a couple of times a year and I certainly don’t begrudge Mr Nussbaumer’s increased bar sales during these concerts. If the weather turns out to be bad then he is likely to be out of pocket but that is a risk he appears to be happy to take.
There have been some excellent shows there and there is no charge to the public unless they wish to purchase something at the bar. Keep up the good work Mr Nussbaumer!
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Adrian
I understand that its a charity fundraising event. If its costs £1,000 for a licence then that probably wipes out the profit for the charitable beneficiary. I’m sure its not a case of “can’t afford it”, more a case of it “not being viable” if the £1,000 fee has to be paid.
Another nail in the coffin for Guernsey’s way of live. Our civil servants have taken over the running of the island but strangely enough I don’t recall having elected any of them.
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Oh no, no more afternoons watching some cheesy covers band or 2nd rate tribute act whilst getting beered up on overpriced fizzy pop! Get a grip you numpties, you should be more concerned about the lack of original bands playing here – whilst Jersey has the Modfather coming our big music story for the summer is this?
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St Totteringham Day, I believe you have forgotten Toyah and The Beat.
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That might be relevant if this was an episode of Ashes to Ashes but really, Toyah? She was regarded as a bit of a joke the first time around but if that plus the remnants of the Beat floats your boat then good luck to you!
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although it’s been mentioned that its a ‘charity event’, im pretty sure the bulk of the money raised that day will be via the bar and i doubt that will be going to charity. maybe some buckets being passed round but that will be it.
and if that is the case then i think mr nussbaumer should pay the £1,000 as he will more than recoup that in sales (both cobo bay and the rockmount). why should he get a huge amount of extra trade at no cost to himself?
if it’s all for charity then just put it on elsewhere where a road doesnt have to be closed.
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This must be one of the easiest roads to bypass on the Island!
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This is just the sort of thing the narrow minded goofs of Guernsey do to encourage people like myself to move off the island and seek pleasure elsewhere , they just hate the thought you may enjoy yourselfs so charge you for it .
Geriatrics
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St Tot Day
If you dont like it, dont go, simple.
Pieces I hear is a good place to watch original Guernsey bands, and is ample big enough to hold the “sizeable” crowds that want them.
Or pop up to the chaos festival next month.
However if its reputable acts from the uk that you want, then the dearth of decent venues over here has put paid to that.
However you may just may persuade a half decent act to come over with a big crowd overlooking Cobo bay, however we are now not allowed to close the road!!!!!!!
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The drinkers at Cobo are a pain and a danger to motorist’s, as soon as a bit of sun comes out , they are there in the road on the walls, in fact all over the place, they are not even on the licensed premises, which I think they should be, and not on the beach as some of them do, OK , have the Gigs, but BAN the drinking on the street, I don’t think there would be all that many going to it, You don’t need drink to enjoy yourself:::
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oh come on vuvvy, it’s not that hard is it? it is a 25mph zone with two whopping great speed bumps. how fast to you want to drive along that 100 yard stretch of road? slowing down to calmly pass the drinkers is not exactly going to ruin your day. you should try driving through Covent Garden or central Manchester on a Friday night. Cobo on a sunny evening or a weekend afternoon is a perfect way to enjoy this marvelous island. chill and peace to all.
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Buracuracy gone mad. Why spoil young people’s enjoyment on a few afternoons a year. The road can be easily bypassed using Bouverie road.
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Just heard on the radio that the town seafront is going to be closed on numerous dates throughout the summer….for what exactly? hardly to enjoy the sun in the evening on the town seafront.
Methinks the authorities have got the knives out for Dave N at Cobo because he didn’t ask permission for his alfresco dining area in front of the CB hotel.
A lot of the comments on here just show how intolerant people have become, it’s a small island with a lot of people, well said TL, too many people with a “I don’t like it so nobody else should” attitude
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The local music scene is full of young original bands who write their own music, in various styles, did anyone here attend the vale earth fair event on north beach the day after libday, there were local acts there playing original songs and quite frankly it was awesome to see pretty much every style was covered from folk, to funk to indie, to metal.
Pieces is an exceelent venue, and when a band plays is almost always brimming. Also the chaos festival this year looks like being the best yet, Spunge headlining the Saturday, and for those that dont know Spunge have pretty much done it all in terms of music. The chaos festival will cater for everyones tastes without doubt.
There is a massive problem with the music scene in Guernsey, all the people that moan there is no decent gigs to go to, never bother to turn up when there is one. If you want better bands here the local scene needs to be supported by the public therefore english bands will be encouraged to come over and play.
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No doubt this has more to do with the terrace outside the hotel than anything else. Seems a shame to railroad a decent event, but am not sure why Nussbaumer thinks he’s owed special treatment.
He’s probably one of the richest men in Guernsey, and his bar takings would more than cover the license fee, so I think he should probably pick his toys up and put them back in the pram.
If you live in a greenhouse, you really shouldn’t throw stones….
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