The fate has been sealed for one of Singapore’s most iconic independent music venues. Blu Jaz Cafe will no longer be allowed to hold live performances after its appeal against the cancellation of its public entertainment license was rejected.
The independent body that arrived at the conclusion, the Public Entertainment Appeal Board (PEAB) was said to have considered factors such as the cafe’s contribution to the local arts and music scene, its track record and the severity of its offenses. As much as the venue nurtured local creative talents such as singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, comedian Fakkah Fuzz and hosted pretty bangin’ parties like Good Times, the grim decision was made. From Feb 1 onwards, Blu Jaz will no longer be a live music venue.
It’ll still exist though as a bar and restaurant. But its reputation as an iconic music hotspot in the Haji Lane district will be null.
‘Poor track record of compliance’
Last year, the Singapore Police Force decided to terminate Blu Jaz Cafe’s public entertainment license due to offenses related to noise issues and overcrowding in the space. The authorities found that Blu Jaz failed to “ensure windows and doors remained closed” on two occasions, as well as two instances when the venue hosted patrons over 20 percent of its capacity.
“The fact that the overcrowding occurred on the upper level significantly compounded the danger to everyone in the premises,” SPF wrote in a statement. “It was very irresponsible of the management of the Café to have allowed those situations to occur, putting so many lives at risk.”
SPF also added that they were concerned that the venue’s management did not address the breach (despite warnings) and allowed severe overcrowding to recur without putting in place any mitigating measures.
The local arts scene got pretty riled up, of course. Here was yet another iconic music venue — where musicians, DJs, poets, comedians and more were welcome to hone their craft — being shut down by The Man. Singaporean creatives took to social media to raise awareness about the case and urged the authorities to not let the music die at Blu Jaz Cafe.
Less than an hour before the venue’s license was due to be terminated on Oct 22, the cancellation was postponed after the PEAB noted that it would be reviewing the appeal.
The end
It was merely a delay. SPF confirmed that PEAB rejected the appeal on Dec 31, 2018. The outlet’s director, Aileen Tan, told The New Paper last year that she would have to shutter the venue if they no longer have a public entertainment license.
“The rent here is astronomical. Without entertainment, we will not be able to sustain it and will eventually have to close shop,” she said back in October.
With the end of live performances at Blu Jaz Cafe, local creatives have been mourning the demise of yet another arts venue in Singapore.
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