Police object to Bowie gig
Police failed to stop a late night opening for an Ayr club bash starring Scotland’s “number one DJ.”
George Bowie will hit the decks at Madisons as part of a West FM gig for the station’s 22 birthday on November 15.
The venue applied for permission to stay open until 3.30am to allow the busy Clyde 1 host to make it.
But the club was met with resistance from councillors with one politician announcing he’d never heard of the Bits and Pieces maestro. A council meeting heard the closing time would put pressure on police staffing levels.
Inspector Brian Anderson told the meeting a late closure means officers must be around until 4am to monitor Carrick Street.
The South Ayrshire area commander put forward an objection in the interests of preventing crime, disorder and public nuisance.
He disagreed that Bowie having to travel from Glasgow that night to play justified the Ayr club getting an extra operating hour on the grounds of it being a “special” event.
Ma d i s o n ’ s b o s s Marguerita Taylor said: “The whole night has been planned around him ( Bowie).”
She told councillors on the South Ayrshire Council Licensing Board the DJ had a gig in Glasgow followed by a charity event that night. He is to arrive at 1.45am.
She said the number of officers on patrol was an “internal issue for police rotas.” and added: “Surely Scotland’s number one DJ falls into a special event.”
She warned if the 3.30am finish wasn’t approved it could be seen as “discriminatory.”
Pouring cold water on Bowie’s appearance, Labour Councillor Andy Campbell said: “I don’t know who he is. Anyway I’m not happy at that.”
SNP Councillor Craig Mackay, licensing board chairman, said: “We need to be careful of having a level playing field here.”
Weighing in to support Madisons, the majority of them gave the late licence the go- ahead.
T h e b o a rd a r e undertaking a review on later openings for events branded as special by premises.