[Dixielandjazz] Wedding music shut down at 9PM

[Ministry of Jazz]

Shalom Jazz Fans,

I just came home from a wedding -- not my gig, I was there as a guest --
where the venue shut off the electricity on the DJ while people were dancing
at 9:00PM. Apparently a neighbor complained, and the police told the manager
of the venue the music has to stop. Since it was not my gig, I deferred to
the DJ to handle it, but hung around for moral support and to see what
happens in case this ever happens to me.

The venue was the Jerusalem Botanical Garden. The neighbor could not have
been closer than half a mile away. The music was turned up, but I've heard
much louder at weddings and also from people's home at private parties.

The law in Israel is that people are allowed to make "noise" -- i.e., music,
loud talking, honking horns, construction work, or anything else that is
noisy -- from 7:00AM to 11:00PM. There used to be an enforced quiet time
from 2:00 to 4:00PM, and I have been shut down in town for playing then, but
only if someone complains. The DJ and I and others tried to convince the
manager that the law was on our side, and that he should take the police
call as their simply doing their job reporting a complaint. The manager of
the venue put the DJ on the phone to someone, not sure if it was the owner
or the police, and insisted that he had turned the PA down so it was no
louder than a car radio, that they moved the PA to another location and
aimed the speakers away from the complaining party. But the complainers
called again, and the police insisted that the music must stop.

It turns out that the venue has a license only to operate a restaurant, but
not to have music, which requires a separate permit in Israel. Apparently
the venue neglected to mention this little detail to the couple.

Too late now to do anything about this event, but has anyone run into this
sort of issue, and what have you done about it that worked?

I was shut down once at a wedding, but it was at 11:00PM, not 9:00. But the
venue once again failed to mention to the customer that there could only be
music until 11. Short of going to court, any ideas?

Elazar
Dr. Jazz Dixieland Band
Tekiya Trumpet Ensemble
Jerusalem, Israel
www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz
+972-2-679-2537