By News Editor Declan Wilkes

The Metropolitan Police are set to racially profile gig goers by asking promoters to fill out a form on what acts are playing and what ethnicities are likely to turn up.

Form 696 compels licensees who want to hold live music events in 21 London Boroughs to report to the names, addresses, aliases and telephone numbers of performers, and controversially, the likely ethnicity of their audience.

Failure to comply with the eight page long form could result in fines or imprisonment. It was quietly introduced in 2006 but is now coming under legal attack as its use may be extended.

'Targets black music'

Fergal Sharkey, the head of umbrella group UK Music, which campaigns for musicians, is set to deliver a judicial review into whether local authorities can make the 'Risk Assessment' form part of a publicans licence application.

In a letter to the former Met chief Sir Ian Blair he wrote:

"In explicitly singling out performances and musical styles favoured by the black community we believe the use of Risk Assessment Form 696 is disproportionate, unacceptable and damaging to live music."

The form has been referred to the Equality and Human Rights Commission as the initiative may unfairly target black and Asian youths. The form asks if the night is "bashment? R'n'B? Garage?" Another question states "Is there a particular ethnic group attending?"

Committee appearence

Speaking to a parliamentary committee review of the impact of the 2003 licensing act on live music, Sharkey said that some local authorities were misusing the powers and it was having a negative impact on the grass roots.

He reported that that all London authorities had adopted the Met's form as part of their licensing process, and paperwork asked more questions than were required by the law.

Some of those questions were worrying in that could lead to licensing decisions being made based on racial discrimination.

Target resources

Cops claim the information will help them target resources more effectively. Many in the music industry expect this will just see more officers at rap, hip hop, dancehall and 'PA' club nights that are attended in the large numbers.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Martin, head of the Met's pubs and vice squad, said that in reality it will apply only to performances likely to draw large crowds - but there are reports of other forces around the country that are asking licensees to sign the 'protocols.'

Martin claims that Form 696 was making live music in large venues safer after several shootings and violent incidents in clubland in 2006. Ambiguously he says the form only applies for “when the performance is being put on to draw people in.” He continues:

"It's not about being risk averse, it's about managing the risk…..We will never assess somebody just on the genre of music they are performing. There is a whole raft of factors that are taken into account."

There have been several gig and club related shootings and stabbings this year but with the introduction of knife arches, bag searches and shakedowns the number has plummeted. Most incidents now occur outside venues - something organisers can not be held responsible for, yet clubs are being shut, especially in Croydon.

Musician’s union - reaction - petition

The Musicians Union has also weighed in by saying its members may refuse to hand over information they consider private, they are consulting their lawyers.

Speaking to the Independent, Creation Records' founder Alan McGee called the legislation ‘outrageous’ and just ‘reinforces racial stereotypes’, continuing:

"I think it's absolutely shocking that anyone is doing this – it reinforces racial stereotypes and creates a Big Brother state. What I worry about is the totalitarian aspect, people knowing what the likely audience will be. It's another step in the CCTV, fingerprint, eyeball scanning direction."

Of equal concern, he claims, is the assumption that audiences' race is relevant to security.

"Why should they need to know the ethnic background? People's freedoms are being eroded. It's scary. No promoter is going to be able to predict their audience. They'll be forced to stereotype, say 'oh all black kids like hip-hop and white kids like rock' when really those aren't accurate.

"It's the absolute antithesis of rock'n'roll."

Jon 'The Reverend' McClure has set up a petition on the Prime Minister's webpage - Number10.gov.uk - to scrap the form which McClure describes "racial discrimination".

The chat forum discussing Form 696 at - http://www.met.police.uk/events/forms/form_696.pdf - has since been disabled.