British entertainers have blasted Manilva’s crackdown on live music, branding it a ‘slap in the face’ after years of fundraising work that has generated tens of thousands of euros for local causes.
Speaking to the Spanish Eye this week, ‘Rocking Johnny’, 70, and Steven Anderton, 45, demanded the measures be reversed and accused the local authorities of failing to provide just explanations.
It comes after business owners were called to the town hall for a meeting towards the end of May, in which they were told they could only have 12 live performances between June 1 and August 30.
The decision came as a shock and has sparked a wave of gig cancellations, while bars have been forced to reduce staff and working hours.
Johnny, a former guitarist with Mersey Beats who has lived in La Duquesa for 22 years, warned the restrictions would not only hurt performers and bar owners, but also some of the area’s most vulnerable residents.
‘When I perform, I get a mix of audiences from young children to people in their 90s,’ he told the Spanish Eye.
‘You see elderly people dancing with three and four-year-olds. The joy on their faces is something to behold.’
Johnny said many older residents rely heavily on live music events for social interaction and companionship.
‘It’s become apparent that a lot of these elderly people depend on these gigs. Without them, they don’t go out. Some of the events start at three or four in the afternoon and finish by seven or eight in the evening.
‘It’s a really important social occasion that keeps them sane.’
The restrictions, which limit bars in La Duquesa Marina – and across Manilva – to just 12 live music nights between June and August, have already resulted in cancelled bookings.
‘I’m married with two children and it will affect me directly. I’ve had two cancellations, but others will lose more,’ Johnny said.
‘The bars were having four live music nights a week. Now they’ll only get 12 nights across three months.
‘That means at least three musicians losing work every week.’
He also questioned why all venues were being punished for the actions of a minority.
‘What seems to be happening is they’re holding every bar accountable for maybe one venue that’s breaking the rules.
‘That bar didn’t get a music licence, so why not just punish them?’
Johnny said local performers have contributed extensively to charitable causes over the years, raising thousands of euros for community projects and disaster relief efforts.
He recently helped raise €33,000 for victims of the Valencia floods, with the money distributed through St George’s Charity to purchase essential supplies.
He also organised a fundraiser at Castillo de la Duquesa which generated thousands of euros for local firefighters.
‘We raised money to buy microwaves and improve their facilities after fighting fires.
‘That could have been provided by the council, but it wasn’t, so we stepped in.’
During the Covid lockdowns, Johnny streamed performances from his balcony through the Collective Calling charity, helping connect struggling residents with emergency support.
‘As soon as I went live, messages started coming in from people saying they hadn’t eaten for three days and needed help paying their bills,’ he recalled.
‘Even now, four or five years later, people still message me saying those streams saved their lives.’
He fears the new restrictions will have devastating consequences.
‘The knock-on effects will be terrible. I want to see this crackdown reversed, especially for the sake of the local community and the elderly.’
Fellow British performer Steven Anderton, 45, who has been playing across the Costa del Sol for nine years and lives just outside Duquesa Marina, echoed those concerns.
‘We’ve got social security to pay, we’ve got bills, and we’re trying our best to do everything properly, but they keep putting barriers in the way,’ he said.
‘Now everyone’s having to compete for less work. It’s no way to run a household when you don’t know where your next income is coming from.’
While Anderton has diversified his work beyond the marina, he is still expecting cancellations.
‘I’ve seen similar attempted crackdowns before, so over the years I’ve learned not to rely solely on Duquesa, but I’m still expecting some of my dates there to disappear.’
He also criticised what he sees as a lack of transparency from the authorities.
‘There’s been no decent or acceptable explanation,’ he said.
‘They’re talking about peaceful coexistence, but that’s not an explanation as far as we’re concerned.’
Anderton said the impact extends far beyond musicians.
‘There are waiters, waitresses, businesses and suppliers who all benefit from these events.
‘If there were huge numbers of complaints, I’d understand it, but we just don’t know if that’s actually the case.’
The guitarist described live music as an essential part of life in the marina.
‘People have gone to work and then gone out to unwind since the dawn of time. It’s a vital part of human nature.
‘All of my fellow entertainers have lost bookings, and many of us regularly play for free at charity events.’
He agreed that it felt like a ‘bit of a slap in the face’ and called on the authorities to seek a compromise rather than imposing blanket restrictions.
‘Have they taken all of these things into consideration? Is there any compromise?
‘If residents want absolute silence then there won’t be anything left for tourists.
‘If they want it to be a sleepy marina, then they should just come out and say it.’
The Spanish Eye has contacted Manilva Town Hall for comment but has received no response.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
