All posts by Steve Gilchrist

We’re ready when you are: The road map out of COVID.

Hi all, we hope you guys are well and looking forward to the proposed changes that are planned.  It’s been great to see those of you who have returned to the studio since we re-opened in August and we look forward to seeing more of you as the days and weeks progress.  We thought now would be a good time to comment on the projected road map announced by the government in recent weeks.

Firstly there is a lot of confusion as to whether or not bands are currently able to return to the studio. The short answer is that if you are professional or working towards a professional engagement or writing/arranging for a commercial release then you are allowed to rehearse.  However, the definition of professional is quite broad, meaning that if you are paid in any way shape or form for your performance, be that £10 or £100,000 that is considered a professional engagement. It does not have to be pre-determined fee either so, for example, if you are playing at the Windmill and you are given a cut of the door at the end then that counts as a professional engagement. 

Step 1 – 8th March / 29th March

Professional Musicians

Any professional musicians / groups can rehearse if their rehearsal is for a paid gig. There is no time frame for when the gig has to take place so it can be for a gig tonight or months in the future. Perhaps you are preparing for next New Years Eve? It should be a good one!

Solo musicians

You are on your own, right?  So the only person you are going to be confined to a room with is yourself and that awesome new rig you want to test out at full blast. Don’t forget to keep the doors closed.

Recording 

This is considered a professional activity. Should you be recording a demo which will be used for booking shows, seeking professional contracts or recording for a commercial release this is considered work.

Talking of recording, why not check out our new recording website? http://brixtonrecording.com – we are offering 50% off all bookings for a limited time.

Broadcasting / Streaming 

Any live performance broadcasting is considered a work activity should it involve any possible reward at any point. This can include any payment from song writing residuals / royalties paid to you by a body like the PRS to donations made to your paypal account in respect of the said broadcast.

Private teaching

The Musicians Union’s published advice is that private tuition can happen if the lessons are “…for the purposes of obtaining a regulated qualification, meeting the entry requirements for an education institution, or to undertake exams and assessments“. Again, if your students are studying towards some kind of attainment then you are good to go.

We are also happy to announce we are now an RSL Awards examination centre, so if your students are studying towards an RSL award exam, then the chances are they will be taking their exam in the familiar surroundings of BXHS.

Amateur Musicians

If  you get together just to play for fun, a musical “kick about in the park” and you have no pretence towards playing a paid engagement then I am afraid that you are still subject to the rules regarding no internal mixing with members from another household. 

Step 2 – 12th April

Professional Musicians / Recording / Broadcasting / Streaming / Solo Musicians / Private Teaching

From April 12th at the earliest pilot events will be taking place around the country, and as such you will hopefully start to see work beginning again. There will be no changes, so carry on booking your sessions it will be business as usual at the studio.

Amateur Musicians

While you may be able to go back to the shops and make appointments at hairdressers, unfortunately you will have to wait until step 3 to come back to the studio.  Keep practising them scales and your stage craft in front of the mirror. Nearly there…

Step 3 – 17th May

Professional Musicians / Recording / Broadcasting / Streaming / Solo Musicians / Private Teaching

No changes, carry on business as usual.

Amateur groups

Welcome home the rest of you.  As long as the rules of no more than 6 people per room are not altered you should be ok to return. We have restrictions on numbers in each room currently* but we will be reviewing these as the government restrictions are lifted.  We will hopefully be able to increase numbers in each room but only when we feel it is safe to do so.

*Studio 1 = 5 persons, Studio 2 = 4 persons, Studio 3 = 3 persons, Studio 4/5 TBC

Step 4 – 21st June

Welcome back one and all. Hopefully we should have some sense of normality at this point. We shall of course keep a breast of any advice and restrictions as it is important that we retain a safe environment for you all to return to. We currently leave time between bookings to air the studios, have hand sanitiser available throughout the building and sanitise/clean studios and equipment thoroughly throughout the day.

There’s a lot of catching up to do so the quicker you book in, the better.  In fact to help you guys a little we are going to throw you a couple of discounts when you book your rehearsal with us online.

If you are booking a session in for between now and 11th April we are offering a 15% discount on all rehearsals. Just go to http://brixtonhill.jammed.app and when you book type in SPRING15 before you check out.

If you are booking a session in for between 12th April and 31st July we are offering a 10% discount on all rehearsals. Just go to http://brixtonhill.jammed.app and when you book type in SUMMER10 before you check out.

*Please note that this is all subject to governmental review and if you have any questions or queries please give us a call on 020 8674 3065, email hello@brixtonhillstudios.com or if you wish you can contact me personally 07780 701047 or stephen@brixtonhillstudios.com

Brixton Hill Studios – Main Site
Brixton Hill Studios – Recording Website

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Quy

Hello all, it’s Stephen here., alleged chief cook and bottle washer at BXHS.  I’m here to tell you about a benefit show we are hosting with our pals Jo Spratley (from Spratley’s Japs) & The  Windmill in Brixton this month in aid of the legendary percussionist Tim Quy who played with Cardiacs throughout the 80s.

There are a number of BXHS stars in attendance, the line up including Redbus Noface, Ham Legion, Familiar Action and, my lot, The Stephen Evens Band.  Other acts on board are Vonhorn, Crayola Lecturn, Wryneck and a special secret performance from a yet unrevealed act featuring members of Knifeworld, Lost Crowns and some ex-Cardiacs members. There is also going to be an auction of some rare Cardiacs related treats not to mention a full on Cardiacs disco at the end.

A BIT ABOUT CARDIACS

Cardiacs are one of those bands that can be filed under the “music’s best kept secret” category.  A band that some might describe as pure marmite. You either find them unpalatable or you cannot resist chomping down on their sonic delights at any given opportunity.  Like the legendary Velvet Underground, Cardiacs did not sell a great number of records during their time but pretty much everyone who bought one formed a band. Their influences can be detected in bands as diverse as Blur & Radiohead and artists such as Mike Patton of Faith No More and er….Steve Davis (he’s not just about snooker, y’know, Steve knows his psychedelia. Check out his band The Utopia Strong). 

Tim has been fighting cancer of the mouth, tongue and jawbone the past 2 years.  Despite receiving first class treatment from the NHS for his condition, being unable to work has left him in somewhat of a financial hole.  Therefore a small number of friends, family and devoted fans have been organising fundraisers to help Tim with his ever amounting costs to soften his financial stress so he can get on with the important business of recovery.

A BIT ABOUT TIM

Tim’s contribution to Cardiacs sound was the pure fairy dust upon which they separated themselves from many of their contemporaries.  The mixture of xylophone, catchy cowbell rhythms, big bass drums and china cymbals held aloft, Tim’s percussive acrobatics brought to mind the skills of Ruth Underwood or Ed Marimba (aka Art Tripp III) of Zappa and Beefheart’s bands respectively.  More like a small orchestra than a rock band, the classic era of Cardiacs were utterly unique and Tim’s place in it utterly essential.

Cardiacs have been my Elvis, Beethoven and Captain Beefheart, all rolled in to one for as long as I can remember.  The first time I heard the opening bars of their song “To Go Off & Things” being played at me (when I wandered into their gig by mistake aged 14) my first thought was “I didn’t know we were allowed to do this?” It was the first time I witnessed the rule book being given the 2 fingers, an attitude that has stuck with me to this day. 

Not every band’s success can or should be measured in record sales, venue capacities and award ceremonies. Whatever one may think about the musicians life it is rare that is accompanied by much in the way of financial reward.  Which is why something like this is important.  There is no safety net for those artists who’ve not made it to the big time, should they fall foul of life’s cruel fates.  So this is one reason why we are behind this event 100%.  If there is even a minuscule amount we can do to support those people who have inspired us, entertained us and kept our hearts full of love for music, then count us in.  We are a music community and we support each other because we know that there are things more important than money….that said, please give generously and come along on the 15th.

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Quy – Windmill Page

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Quy – FB Page

Just Giving Fund

BXHS Prices from September 2019

Due to the ever increasing costs of being situated in a popular  London borough, coupled with an imminent rent rise, a price review is essential to our survival.

We have not increased our prices in Studios 1 & 2 since February 2016 and in Studios 3, 4 & 5 since March 2017. We will endeavour to keep our prices as reasonable as possible whilst being able to continue to deliver the high level of service you expect from us.  

VOX AC 15 VRs for hire @£5 per session

We have published the prices on the rates page and we’ve posted them up around the studio, as you might have already seen. We are still offering full backline in our premium studios (1&2) but are now only able to offer 1 guitar amp in our standard studios (3, 4 & 5). However we are only charging £5 for a standard amp per session if you need to double up.


There is some good news. We’ve managed to make some savings on the weekend evenings meaning that you can try our premium studios at knocked down prices or get a 3 hour session in one of our smaller rooms for the price of a round!

We thank you for your understanding & look forward to serving you for many years  to come & continuing to make this a hub for our local music scene.

Team BXHS

Customer Data Privacy Statment

Customer Data Privacy Statement

Introduction

Brixton Hill Studios (“we”, “our” or “us”) promises to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we get from other organisations and keep it safe.  We aim to be clear when we collect your data and not do anything you wouldn’t reasonably expect.

Where we collect information about you from

We collect information in the following ways:

When you give it to us DIRECTLY

You may give us your information in order to make a booking or use one of our services, take a survey, purchase products or communicate with us. When you give us this information we take responsibility for looking after it.

When we collect it as you use our WEBSITE

Like most websites, we use “cookies” to help us make our site – and the way you use it – better. Cookies mean that a website will remember you. They’re small text files that sites transfer to your computer (or phone or tablet). They make interacting with a website faster and easier – for example by automatically filling your name and address in text fields.

In addition, the type of device you’re using to access our website and the settings on that device may provide us with information about your device, including what type of device it is, what specific device you have and what operating system you’re using. Your device manufacturer or operating system provider will have more details about what information your device makes available to us.

When you BUY A PRODUCT from us

To place an order with us online, registration is required. At the point of registration, we request certain information including your name, delivery address and email address. This information is required to enable us to process your order and notify you of its progress. Once an order has been placed, we may contact you by email to confirm your order details and again once your order has been accepted and despatched. Should we need to contact you for any reason regarding your order, we will use the email address registered to your account, or the telephone number where provided. BHXS  does not store any sensitive card data on our systems following online transactions. BHXS utilises payment processor PS Connect (Payment Sense Ltd) to handle these matters.

What personal data we collect and how we use it

The type and quantity of information we collect and how we use it depends on why you are providing it.

Our Customers

When you use our services we will use this information to provide the best possible standards of administration and communication.

We may ask for information such as:

    Your bank details to facilitate payments

    Your name & contact details to process your booking

We will mainly use your data to

  • Provide you with the services, products or information you asked for
  • Keep a record of your relationship with us
  • Ensure we know how you prefer to be contacted

How we keep your data safe and who has access

Personal data collected and processed by us may be shared with BHXS employees and under strictly controlled conditions the following groups where necessary:

    Contractors

    Service provider partners

When we allow access to your information, we will always have complete control of what they see, what they are allowed to do with it and how long they can see it. We do not sell or share your personal information for other organisations to use.

We undertake regular reviews of who has access to information that we hold to ensure that your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff and service providers.

Some of our suppliers run their operations outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Although they may not be subject to the same data protection laws as companies based in the UK, we will take steps to make sure they provide an adequate level of protection in accordance with UK data protection law. By submitting your personal information to us you agree to this transfer, storing or processing at a location outside the EEA.

We will only ever share your data in other circumstances if we have your explicit and informed consent.

Marketing & Communications Preferences

Controlling what you want to hear about

We make it easy for you to tell us how you want us to communicate, in a way that suits you. If you don’t want to hear from us, that’s fine. Just let us know when you provide your data or contact us on 020 86745 3065 or email us at hello@gooseberrymoose.com.

Your right to know what data we hold about you, make changes or ask us to stop using your data

You have a right to ask us to stop processing your personal data, and if it’s not necessary for the purpose you provided it to us for (e.g. to provide our service to you) we will do so. Contact us on 020 86745 3065 or email us at hello@gooseberrymoose.com if you have any concerns.

You have a right to ask for a copy of the information we hold about you. If there are any discrepancies in the information we provide, please let us know and we will correct them.

Subject Access Requests

If you want to access your information, please contact 020 86745 3065 or email us at hello@gooseberrymoose.com with a description of the information you want to see and a proof of your identity. If you have any questions please send these to Brixton Sonic Ltd, Unit 1, 126 Brixton Hill SW2 1RS or email hello@gooseberrymoose.com  and for further information see the Information Commissioner’s guidance here (link is external).