At the start of this week Scotland Yard confirmed it was tweaking Form 696, the controversial paperwork it introduced last year to supposedly make London music venues safer. In essence, Form 696 asks venue owners to provide contact details for promoters and performers, as well as the style of music to be played at future events.
Scotland Yard wants to head off accusations that its policy towards clubs is “potentially racist,” as has been suggested by musicians and politicians in an open letter to the Equalities & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) requesting that it step in . The current 696 specifically asks if venues are set to play “bashment, R&B, garage”, sounds popular with Asian and Black communities; but a statement released by the Yard on Monday stresses that this question will now be dropped, and a independent ‘scrutiny’ panel set up to ensure 696 is not abused by police.
It’s not the first time Scotland Yard has backtracked. An earlier version of its flagship form demanded info on which ethnic groups were expected at club nights, before widespread criticism led to the section being removed. But, for many, all these revisions just aren’t enough.
“Form 696 should be scrapped, as it is being used by the police to provide a barrier to putting on urban music events at a time when income for these scenes is most important” DJ Magic explains, promoter of legendary grime night Dirty Canvas and No Hats No Hoods label boss. “Whilst Dirty Canvas never had any problems from the police, other promoter friends of ours did; they weren’t able to book certain performers because of Form 696 and were forced to remove Jamaican colours from flyers. The main problem is that there’s no police accountability; no dialogue between them, promoters, and the club scene.”
Rahul Verma, an urban music journalist, echoes those sentiments according to a recent newspaper interview. “It is very difficult to find a grime night in London now because of the use of this form. It has been used to stereotype certain urban music events which are being unfairly associated with violence and trouble.”
The Yard, of course, has defended its use of 696, saying the form has helped reduce violence and criminal activity at certain London music events and contributed to an 11% drop in serious violence at venues in 2008. Nevertheless, the feeling clearly (and strongly) remains outside of the force that it is bad business for clubland and the live music scene.
Grime, garage and bashment have always endured a torrid relationship with the authorities; not least because of their development through illegal raves and pirate stations, but mainly through the police’s over-amplified bracketing of certain nights with violent, unrelated crimes. But without further challenge Form 696 threatens to destroy what little relationship there is left, and seriously damage clubland.
It’s perhaps a good sign that the rest of the UK hasn’t yet adopted a similar policy. Back at Scotland Yard, too, officials are promising a further, fully comprehensive review of 696 this autumn. Whatever happens, the next few weeks will be pivotal for dance music as we know it….
