{"id":82918,"date":"2021-01-21T09:17:57","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T09:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=82918"},"modified":"2021-01-21T16:32:54","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T16:32:54","slug":"van-morrison-seeks-legal-action-over-live-music-covid-ban-in-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/van-morrison-seeks-legal-action-over-live-music-covid-ban-in-northern-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Van Morrison seeks legal action over live music Covid ban in Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Image Credit: Bill Oxford<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans have been put in place by Van Morrison to challenge the live music pandemic policy in court. <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Van the Man is at it again. Over the past year the \u2018Brown Eyed Girl\u2019 singer has tried to rally musicians to fight what he refers to as \u2018coronavirus pseudoscience\u2019<\/a>, released three anti-lockdown songs,<\/a> and now he\u2019s planning to take the Northern Irish government<\/a> to court over rules that are in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at live music events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Northern Ireland\u2019s current six-week lockdown all entertainment and hospitality venues in the country are closed. Van Morrison however is seeking to challenge a return to pre-lockdown rules, which saw live music prohibited in all indoor licensed venues. It\u2019s this he has issue with. He points to England as an example, where the previous tier system allowed Covid-secure live music. He played several gigs in the country himself last year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Morrison’s solicitor Joe Rice<\/a>, the focus of the legal action will be on the \u2018particular blanket ban\u2019 which applies the same rules to a solo harp recital or a heavy metal concert. They will ask the High Court in Belfast to review the policy. Morrison argues that the ban is \u2018unsustainable in law\u2019. He apparently would very much like to see the science behind the policy, which is \u2018not based on credible scientific or medical evidence\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morrison is \u2018supporting many artists throughout this pandemic and is determined to ensure that, as we endeavour to emerge safely from this lockdown, artists and musicians will have a proper opportunity to play their part through live music to restore the cultural, social and economic wellbeing and success of our society,\u2019 Rice said. Which is all very well until you take into account the message behind his anti-lockdown songs,<\/a> \u2018Born To Be Free\u2019, \u2018As I Walked Out\u2019, and the subtly-titled \u2018No More Lockdown\u2019, which were released in two-week intervals last autumn. The latter track takes aim at the UK government, scientists and, somewhat ironically, celebrities \u2018telling us what we\u2019re supposed to feel\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For as long as Sir Van Morrison has been a music star, fans and critics have accepted his abrasive personality<\/a> because of the legendary art he has produced. A well-known curmudgeon of the music world, the obvious issue with his latest gripe is that his grumpy old man-schtick has potentially fatal consequences. It\u2019s even more jarring when vaccines are in sight, it hopefully won\u2019t be too long before live gigs are back on,<\/a> and he himself doesn\u2019t need the money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to Morrison\u2019s legal challenge a government spokesperson simply said:<\/a> \u2018It is an accepted scientific fact that Covid-19 can spread when people are brought together in enclosed indoor locations. Stopping the spread of the virus is a priority for governments across the world \u2013 to save lives and stop health services being overwhelmed.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plans have been put in place by Van Morrison to challenge the live music pandemic policy in court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":82958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[21388,16498,17068,17150,21390,21387,21391,21404,21389],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nVan Morrison seeks legal action over live music Covid ban in Northern Ireland - RouteNote Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/van-morrison-seeks-legal-action-over-live-music-covid-ban-in-northern-ireland\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Van Morrison seeks legal action over live music Covid ban in Northern Ireland - RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Plans have been put in place by Van Morrison to challenge the live music pandemic policy in court.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/van-morrison-seeks-legal-action-over-live-music-covid-ban-in-northern-ireland\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-01-21T09:17:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-01-21T16:32:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/bill-oxford-OXGhu60NwxU-unsplash.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1061\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Madeleine Amos\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"RouteNote\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/routenote-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/routenote-logo.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"RouteNote\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RouteNote Blog\",\"description\":\"The World of Digital Music - 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