The current ban on music in pubs and clubs is actually “more dangerous” than responsibly controlled background music, according to one of Scotland’s most popular night club and live music venues.

Sneaky Pete’s argue that government regulations banning music will “drive people to seek music in uncontrolled environments instead such as house parties.”

Sneaky Pete’s Nick Stewart, who also acts as Scottish Coordinator for the Music Venues Alliance, says that the Scottish Government needs to “act fast” and make a “u-turn” on policy, insisting that following research alongside acoustic experts, “a music ban is not safer than having properly controlled background music.”

“Like many music venues, we’ve managed to pivot our operations to reopen as a seated bar with physical distancing and all of the mitigations in place to make sure we are a safe place to visit,” he said.

“We think bars and restaurants should all be paying close attention to the rules, as venues that flouted the rules caused the temporary lockdown in Aberdeen, and we really don’t want to see that happen elsewhere.

“Public safety is a huge priority for us,” Stewart insisted, “and we wouldn’t reopen if we didn’t think we could be safe.

“But, a music ban is not safer than having properly controlled background music – this is because background music at a reasonable level is not the driver of people speaking more loudly, hearing other people’s voices is.”

Stewart believes that the Scottish Government’s ban doesn’t make sense scientifically, insisting that “music isn’t what makes people shout”; rather, it is other people’s raised voices which causes the problem. other people’s voices that does.

There is another route back to live music with the announcement that Ash are to play a show at Sneaky Pete’s as part of ‘Passport: Back To Our Roots‘ campaign, which will see bands across the UK play gigs to raise money for grassroots music venues at risk of closure.

A prize draw opening on Monday 17th August at 10am at crowdfunder.co.uk/passport-back-to-our-roots will see the Northern Irish trio join Elbow, Everything Everything, Public Service Broadcasting and The Slow Readers Club as the first artists confirmed to perform one-off, intimate shows at grassroots music venues on dates to be confirmed, when it is safe to perform with no social distancing.