The latest information released by The Scottish Government presents a worrying proposition for customers and operators alike. Amongst the list of *potential* protective measures which are being considered is the banning of all music within pubs, restaurants, and bars- even atmospheric background noise. Whilst these measures are not yet confirmed, we felt compelled to write on behalf of ourselves and others to implore on a proactive basis to Nicola Sturgeon and The Scottish Government to seriously consider the impact that this would have. 

As Operators of some of Scotland's best-loved venues such as The Corinthian Club, The Scotsman Hotel, Social Glasgow, Three Sisters and more, we are extremely concerned that this proposal would seriously impact our customer's experience, and as a result, will have a direct and very damaging impact on footfall and indeed revenue in a time when every penny counts. Should this particular restriction be put in place, we would need to seriously reconsider our current proposed schedule of re-openings and indeed perhaps move some of those back further. We are so concerned that this may ultimately lead to further job losses within our estate that we have decided to take the decision to raise this petition, the first time we have done so in our 30 year history.

In an ever-changing arena where so many of us are willing and eager to commit to a whole host of enhanced measures in relation to social distancing and enhanced tracing, signage and cleaning measures, we really do feel that music is an integral part of an evening out, and that this particular measure could perhaps have a fundamental impact on our own businesses, as well as countless others, and their ability to generate revenue and thus remain profitable and indeed open. Music is not a "nice to have" for us, but a hugely important draw which we feel we simply cannot do without, especially when the tide feels so very against us in so many other ways. 

Music is food for the soul and is a central piece of the puzzle for us. Imagine a girls night without Beyonce, or a date night without Ed Sheeran. People associate music with certain events, people and places, please don't take that away from an industry and a customer base who want to start making some good memories again