MONTREAL—The new operators of a suburban Montreal bar promise to showcase the big hair of 1980s tribute bands, stacks of jumbo chicken wings and, perhaps, even a mechanical bull.

But to ensure the watering hole could add the critical component of booze to that list they had to promise to do away with one thing: live hip-hop and rap performances.

Quebec’s liquor-control board told the incoming managers of Le Pionnier, or The Pioneer, to outlaw the two music genres if they wanted any hope of acquiring a licence to serve booze.

An anti-racism group says the move smacks of discrimination against black people and a Facebook page is calling for a boycott of the bar. But the venue’s co-owner, who took over the bar last fall, said she had no choice but to agree because the joint needs to serve suds to survive.

“My first reaction was (that) it’s very discriminatory,” said Diane Marois, who co-owns the bar with her husband, Ron Bracken.

“I don’t think it’s right in the first place, but... I’d rather be up and running with a limited venue as opposed to being closed.”

A spokeswoman for the liquor board said it’s “normal” in Quebec for permit applications to include conditions that forbid specific types of musical acts, like hip hop or rap.

In the case of Le Pionnier, Joyce Tremblay said local police asked the regulator to include a clause that called for a ban of live hip-hop and rap performances.

She did not have a problem with the condition when asked whether it was a form of discrimination to single out a specific type of music.

“Not at all,” said the board’s Tremblay who, when pressed on the subject, referred any further questions to local police.

“We are the guardians of the permits — a permit is not a right, it’s a privilege.”

Montreal police were not immediately available to respond to an interview request to discuss the matter.

Marois said police first expressed concerns about gang activity to her when she booked a well-known hip-hop artist to perform at Le Pionnier in late January.

“We saw no problem in it,” said Marois, adding the local performer has a good image. “Apparently, the problem was that (performer) also promotes newer bands, and one of his newer bands was the root of all evil.”

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Marois said the regulator revoked the bar’s licence, telling them they did not have a valid permit. At the time, she was in the process of transferring the liquor permit from the venue’s previous licence holder.

Le Pionnier has since obtained a temporary licence and began serving alcohol on Thursday for the first time in two months.

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