Music
Quebec cops are taking on karaoke bars
by Richard Howard
September 22, 2016
Quebec bars are being told they need to buy live performance permits to host karaoke nights.
I like to think of Quebec as the progressive, sexy-European friend to to Ontario’s tight-arsed ways, and while the province generally lives up to that reputation, they seem to get uptight about the weirdest shit. Prime example: bar owners in Gatineau have been complaining about a recent crackdown by police who have issued warnings to a number of establishments with respect to a violation of liquor laws due to the lack of a live music permit. Sounds legit – except a number of the bars in question were targeted because of hosting a karaoke night.
See, although we see it as the promised land because they allow liquor in corner stores, Quebec doesn’t play when it comes to liquor laws.
Apparently, bars must have an add-on to their liquor license if they want to host live performances, and a second one if patrons will be dancing at a cost of $426 a year each (come on guys, even Japan chilled out on their bummer no-dancing laws). The police say the regulations are tied to noise levels, which makes sense if a venue has a band onstage. However, bar owners are arguing that including karaoke as a ‘live performance’ is ridiculous. Nadyne Rompré, manager of the bar La Brass, actually thought the cops that came into her bar were joking when they informed her she would need to suspend her five-year-running karaoke night until she acquired the license add-on. Gatineau police spokesman Jean-Paul Lemay’s response? The classic we-let-you-off-easy cop line: “We could have issued actual infractions.”
Hey, Gatineau. Quit spoiling my sexy-freewheeling-Quebec dreams and lighten up, man.
