FOLK musician Graham Dixon has organised an 85,000 signature petition against government plans to force venues wherever music is played to pay for an entertainment licence.

Graham, from Hoghton, and lead vocalist and guitarist with local folk band, Trouble at t'Mill, launched his petition last year.

And it has already attracted support from a host of celebrity musicians including former Beatle Paul McCartney and band members from Blur and Jethro Tull.

More than 82,000 people have signed the petition on the internet while thousands more have pledged their support by signing copies in person.

Graham, 49, a quality controller with British Aerospace, now plans to take the petition to Downing Street.

Under current legislation, licensed premises without an entertainment licence are not allowed to have more than two musicians or a duo performing in one night, which is known as the 'two-in-a-bar-rule'.

But under the new Licensing Bill, which is currently before the House of Commons, it will make it illegal for any number of musicians to perform in unlicensed premises or at an unlicensed event.

This includes anywhere alcohol is served, including educational establishments, community centres, public land and parks, even private homes and gardens where private parties and weddings are being held.

Its opposers fear that if this law is passed it will affect everyone involved in making music, and could be totally detrimental to music culture in England and Wales.

And Graham fears that the proposed legislation could attract "a minefield of hidden costs".

He said: "One landlady I know was told it would cost her £27,000 for the cost of the fire exits, toilets and wiring she would need done in order to get a public entertainments licence.

"Don't get me wrong, I think that safety is paramount, but it can get really over-the-top sometimes.

"I think this started off with the introduction of backing tapes which meant that premises didn't need a public entertainment licence, so they let them slide.

"But then they realised the public wanted to hear proper live music and they went to reapply. Now they are beginning to find out what it is going to cost them."

Graham, whose two sons also perform in bands, said: "The reason I got involved in the petition was that I realised it could get to a stage where my sons would have nowhere to play."

Take a look at the Trouble at t'Mill site...