The Bowling Green

I didn’t want to expose The Bowling Green, Leicester for what it was but after months of a band not being paid for their work I’ve been left with no other choice. This is by far the WORST experience I’ve had with any venue in all of my career.

The first gig was me & Benn. They didn’t have enough cash to pay us at the end of the night so we just squared it off and allowed them to pay us what they could out of goodwill. There had only been about 3 people in the pub after all.

This should have been a massive RED FLAG but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Fast forward to the second band that played for them through Gig Base. As expected, the band arrived and carried out a professional gig.

I have been through HELL with this venue trying to collect the bands payment. The communication has been next to none. The area manager has conveniently ‘broken their phone’ and nobody is contactable.

On the occasions I have had contact I’ve been given countless empty promises of payment being made but still to no avail.

I have visited the pub and tried to speak to staff regarding this, trying to find answers. Only for them to express their shared frustration as they are currently WORKING FOR FREE and chasing their wages also. Disgusting.

It has now been nearly 2 months of no payment.

The pub is a Stonegate Pub Partners leased pub (nothing Stonegate can do because its leased, although I’m sure they’d be interested to know that the only way they can afford the rent is by stealing the staffs/bands wages). The affiliated company who is running it is called C&A BARS LTD and the operation manager/director is a MR CHRISTOPHER LYONS. The area manager I have been trying to correspond with is called FRASER.

It has also come to my attention that they are ILLEGALLY playing music in the bar, having live music, karaoke etc without a valid PRS for Music licence. For those that don’t know, any establishment open to the public who plays music must legally hold one of these. It’s no surprise that The Bowling Green doesn’t as they are clearly above the law and don’t have to pay any dues!

Most of the musicians I work with gig for a living. This is how we pay our bills and get by. Times are tough as it is, and then you get venues like THE BOWLING GREEN who think it’s ok to not pay their musicians or their bar staff. It’s not acceptable.

I guess the point of this post is to AVOID THIS VENUE. If you are a musician, pub goer, lover of live music then avoid this venue like the plague.

Students of University of Leicester and people of Leicester, don’t spend your money here, it’s going into the pockets of thieves who don’t care about their customers or staff.

Here’s hoping the band who did an amazing professional job will eventually get paid what they are owed.

C&A PUBS SHOULD BE ASHAMED!