Oh What a Night!!
Date: 5 Feb 2008 at 21:52
PRESS RELEASE
The Musicians’ Union reports its dismay at the failure by the producers of the touring production of Oh! What a Night to employ a live band and calls on the theatres where the show appears to ensure that people buying tickets are aware that a recording is being used as a substitute for live music.
Although a live band has been used in previous tours of the show, the producers Handshake Ltd have confirmed to the Musicians’ Union that the shows on the 2008 UK tour will be performed using a recorded backing track.
Paul Burrows, MU Regional Organiser, says:
"The Musicians’ Union approached Handshake with a view to resolving this issue and the MU was even prepared to consider a compromise solution which would account for their economic needs. The producers made it very clear, however, that they had no intention of employing professional musicians during the tour contrary to the traditions of live theatre in this country."
Horace Trubridge, MU Assistant General Secretary, added:
"The Musicians’ Union has used their famous slogan ‘Keep Music Live’ for over forty years and more recently launched the Honesty Code campaign with a view to ensuring the public is fully aware of what exactly they are buying tickets for. In this case, there is a real risk that ticket buyers will be unaware that they are being short changed until it is too late. To make matters worse, to date, this show’s production website has contained a video montage that features live musicians, not just in sound but clearly in vision. This is exactly the kind of misleading promotion that results in disappointed audiences. The Union believes that a live performance should be just that - live - and that any move to replace the live music element of a live performance with a recording whether it be in a pantomime, a gig, a dance show, a musical or an opera, devalues the product."
The Musicians’ Union (MU) launched an online petition at www.honestycode.com to encourage the public to support a campaign which calls for honesty in the use of recorded music. The use of both recorded music and digitised music devices in live productions and the use of playback by artists performing or miming in TV programs have become relatively commonplace. The Code aims to enable consumers to make informed decisions before parting with money for tickets, as well as to acknowledge the true nature and inherent value of an artist’s TV appearance. The Code is also intended to recognise and reward those artists, producers, promoters and programme makers who continue to value and support live music performance.
The Musicians' Union was established in 1893 and represents over 32,500 musicians working in all sectors of the music business. As well as negotiating on behalf of its members with all the major employers in the industry, the MU offers a range of services tailored for the self-employed by providing assistance for professional and student musicians of all ages.
For further details please contact:
Paul Burrows MU Regional Organiser, tel 020 7840 5537
paul.burrows@musiciansunion.org.uk