| In line with industry trends, live music is the greatest | | | | numbers but the greatest impact came with the |
| draw: one in four publicans reported increases in | | | | advent of the iPod. Why select a track from a limited |
| takings of between 25%-50% on nights when they | | | | selection of CDs or 45s when you have the whole |
| have live music compared to other nights and seven | | | | library of the world's recorded music at your fingertips? |
| out of ten reported an increases of typically between | | | | However, iPods are primarily for private use and do |
| 10-25%. | | | | not bring people together or provide the same focus |
| Pubs and other grass roots music venues are a | | | | that a jukebox can. The Hawley Arms, a London pub |
| fundamental part of the music industry; a point | | | | frequented by Amy Winehouse for much of 2007, |
| underlined by Horace Trubridge of the Musicians' Union | | | | discovered that its jukebox was just as much of an |
| who said "Pubs play such a vital role in many | | | | attraction as its selection of fine wines and ales. |
| musicians' careers and provide an essential platform | | | | Properly programmed jukeboxes imbue a venue with |
| from which talent can grow. Demonstrating how music | | | | its own character. Central London venue, The Social, |
| can really benefit pubs underlines how intertwined the | | | | pushes itself as an arbiter of taste by featuring |
| two industries are. " | | | | unreleased promotional CDs. The Boogaloo, a North |
| It's not just live music that is bringing in and retaining | | | | London pub part-owned by Shane MacGowan, has |
| customers. After a period in the wilderness some | | | | jukebox playlists selected by well-known musicians |
| publicans are deciding to reinstall jukeboxes in their | | | | such as Johnny Marr and Pete Doherty. |
| venues in order to put the music selection back in the | | | | The positive commercial influence of background |
| hands of the people. | | | | music can clearly be seen but, it is important for |
| Named after black American juke (dancing) joints that | | | | publicans to ensure the music selection is appropriate |
| evolved from coin-slot phonographs, the Jukebox | | | | for their clientele. Rico Nagy who programmes the |
| came into being in 1910 with the mass production of 78 | | | | jukebox at London's famous Bradley's bar says, "We |
| records. However, it was after the introduction of the | | | | have anything from The Beatles to The Dead |
| 45 record in 1949 that the jukebox came into its own. | | | | Kennedys, but we find that the same songs tend to |
| Records were expensive during that period and the | | | | get played: at the moment it's '20th Century Boy' by |
| best way to listen to hard-to-find American imports of | | | | T-Rex and 'It Must Be Love' by Madness." This is |
| the latest Elvis or Bob Dylan hit was to insert a coin | | | | given even more weight by findings in a study |
| into the slot of the local jukebox. | | | | concerning background music in pubs: over |
| The jukebox held its own all the way through to the | | | | three-quarters of drinkers said that background music |
| late 80s even surviving the arrival of the CD. The | | | | would encourage them to go there more often, and |
| fashion during the '90s to control the pub atmosphere | | | | 82% of drinkers said they would buy another drink if |
| and the rise of dance culture led to a severe decline in | | | | music people enjoyed was being played. |