Dear Friends,
It’s with the heaviest of hearts that I write to you confirming that South London’s favourite “playground” for adults is being threatened with closure at the end of the Summer. We just about made it to 10 years but more astoundingly we managed to navigate a pandemic and multiple lockdowns (and not without your considerable support and the financial input from the Arts Council of Great Britain). We managed to survive when many of our brothers and sisters in the industry didn’t. Unfortunately the one thing we can not compete with is an astronomical rent rise.
Yep, that’s right we are being priced out of our home.
It’s been a rocky road to recovery but in recent months we’ve seen the studio reaching full capacity as everyone from the pros, weekend warriors and the rising rockstars of tomorrow have been eager to create again. We are proud that from the very first day we opened our doors we’ve experienced a diverse range of artists, bands and performers, all from differing backgrounds and influences. Many of you have also become friends and comrades too. There are multiple associations and partnerships we’ve made including our favourite venue, The Windmill and local music charity Grounded Sounds who do essential work educating and engineering music related opportunities for the local youth population. BXHS is more than an industrial unit with some amps and drums stuck inside it, we’ve become a part of the community, a community it has been a pleasure to serve and support for the last 10 years.
As well as rehearsals we have made some fantastic records here, not only on tape and digital but there was also the time someone insisted we mixed their songs on to cassette. We’ve put on some unforgettable all dayers, Christmas parties and put out a few records of your awesome tunes. We held open days and band merch markets. We’ve housed music teachers and their aspiring students from the get go, making sure everyone has somewhere to make noise. Some of us remember the opening night party where we received a surprise visit from Pixies’s Black Francis. For many of us this place has been a constant in our lives since the days it was a single room studio at the back of Unit 2.
So what are we going to do now?
We are doing everything we can to keep BXHS running. If not here then at a new site. Even if we have to shut down for a little while we shall let you know with as much notice as possible so you can make alternative arrangements. It’s a big old job to dismantle and rebuild somewhere else. We only have 4 months in which to find somewhere suitable that is also within budget and sustainable for the next 10-20 years.
But this is something we need, right?
The few people we have shared this information with have already asked “is there anything we can do”? For now you can sign up to our mailing list (see below) and join the Brixton Hill Studios Preservation Society on FB. All progress will be posted there before the wider socials.
In the meantime if you would like to share some pictures and stories of your times here at BXHS please do so on our socials or tag us in in your stories and posts. All the emotional support given to us helps us to fight the good fight and, in every sense, go into battle.
“There is history in this place
There are dragons to be chased”
Skull by Sebadoh
Watch this space, as they say…
Before the pandemic we operated these studios as full band rehearsal rooms, but due to government guidelines about Covid-19, we felt unable to open them safely to more than one person. Now that restrictions have been lifted and having made some modifications to the air flow systems in these smaller rooms, we now feel confident to open them up for band bookings again. We even have some nice new amps and microphones to go with the original small scale drum kits in these rooms. Due to their size, these rooms are better suited to groups of three, but we have had more in there in pre-pandemic times. If your troupe doesn’t need the drums, we are always happy to take the drum kit out to give you more space, but please give us some advance warning that you need the kit removed, and also be aware that due to the fast changeovers, this may cut in to your rehearsal time by 5 minutes or so. Just head on over to our booking app>> JAMMED to select, reserve and pay for your rehearsal. The new rates for these room are: We are keen to continue to allow solo sessions to be booked in advance, and at least until we review in July, this will apply to both our quieter times AND our peak times which are weekday evenings and weekend daytimes. In this transition period you will be unable to make a reduced rate booking via the Jammed booking app, instead you will need to call 020 8674 3065 or email us to book at the reduced rate: In addition to this, If you want to book a solo session in advance on the week evenings, you will have to take a slot of either 6pm-9pm or 9pm-12am (or 6pm-12am). This is so we can allow two bookings per evening in each room and make the best use of the space. As always, you are welcome to ring up on the day to see if we have space available for a solo session, at which point there may be more flexibility on start time and length of your session. We will always try to fit you in where we can, it’s just a case of figuring out the best way to make use of our spaces. We will still be offering the solo rate to teachers. If you want to book a shorter time slot in the evening in advance, you can also use our new DJ and solo rate room – please be aware this is upstairs and does not include a drum kit. It does have a small vocal PA, but this room is designed to have quieter occupants such as acoustic instrumentalists and singers. As always, a massive thank you for bringing us your custom. We hope you still enjoy coming here and being creative, understand why we have taken these decisions, and can be patient with us while we try to work out the best way to get back up and running to full capacity. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions/feedback. Thanks and best, Team BXHS 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 As we mentioned here last year, we received a Culture Recovery Fund grant from Arts Council England. This not only meant we could stay open for musicians who need a facility where they can work, but we have been able to acquire top notch equipment for a range of new services, which we are implementing over the next few months at a 50% OFF INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNT. Well for starters, a shiny new Audient ASP8024 HE mixing console and new monitors in our remodelled control room. Plus we are halving our normal recording by rates for the next few months, to help musicians get back on their feet during this time of financial strain. Whether you’re after digital or analogue recording, we can get you the perfect sound for your tracks. We now have the gear and people-power to take your music from physical format to digital (or different physical) format. So those demos you mastered to DAT tape, rehearsals you recorded onto MiniDisc, sessions you recorded to 2″ tape can all be lovingly transferred to WAV to be backed up on to a hard drive, or given a new lease of creative life in your DAW set up, or worked on here in our studio. We can even archive rare vinyl from your beloved record collection. Book now and get 50% OFF. Learn more… We can help you finish that song you’ve been struggling to mix, or get rid of extraneous background noise on a track. We can even take your stems and run them through any of our collection of vintage amps and synths recording them with your choice from our range of microphones. All you need to do is send over the files… Get in touch today to claim a 50% DISCOUNT. Learn more… We’ve also become the proud owners of a some RØDEcaster Pro integrated podcasting production consoles and professional broadcast quality Audio Technica AT2035 microphones, which go together to build two portable podcast studios with all the whistles and bells. Record here or hire them out (subject to deposit) to use in your own workspace. No matter how or where you record your podcast, we can edit it here at Brixton Hill Studios so you can get the most professional sounding audio – we can even write the theme tune! And remember, all packages are currently HALF PRICE Learn more… We’re also working on our very own podcast episodes, we’ll hopefully be chatting to some good friends of the studio who can help out with advice for musicians, from DIY releases to online shows, from gear recommendations to working from home. If you have any burning questions get in touch at hello@brixtonhill.co.uk and we’ll try to find the answers. There are other plans afoot too, but we’ll get on to those another day. For now – go peruse our new website www.brixtonrecording.com and let us know how we can help. We hope you’re all doing well. We’d like to thank you all for your kind messages over the last few months. It’s been difficult for everyone, especially those in the Arts sector, and we really appreciate your support. Keep on keeping on, you’re awesome Team BXHS xx Tel: 020 8674 3065 As of Wednesday 16th December, London will be in Tier 3 of Covid restrictions. Brixton Hill Studios are, and will remain, OPEN during this time, following government guidance and the advice of the Association of Independent Rehearsal and Recording Studios. However, we will be closing over the Christmas period, as is tradition, from the 24th-26th of December, and again on New Year’s Eve (from 6pm) and New Year’s Day. Please be aware that if you are making a booking with us you will need to adhere to our COVID guidance. Other than that, it is business as usual, check out our new hourly rates, and book online at brixton hill.jammed.app We are taking every precaution to keep you safe and reduce the chances of cross contamination, as we follow the advice from the DCMS and UK Music along with the newly founded Association of Independent Rehearsal and Recording Studios (AIRRS). We are adapting the studio as new advice is received and are working on some new and exciting innovations to our services, thanks to the generous help we have received from The Culture Recovery Fund. We shall be unveiling these shortly so WATCH THIS SPACE!!! We are taking BOOKINGS ONLINE NOW* through the new brixtonhill.jammed.app and we hope to see you through our doors again soon. Love & respect, *Payment will be taken online at time of booking, we are also waiving our 48hr cancellation policy , however please be mindful and let us know as soon as possible if you won’t be attending your booking Does my booking have to start on the hour? Do I still have to book a 3 hour slot in the evening? Can I call you to make a booking? Can I pay for my share of the rehearsal separately? Can I still hire cymbals and/or a bass guitar? How many people can rehearse per room? Are you still offering recording? Will bookings already made stay the same or change to new pricing? We are beyond delighted to share the exciting news that we are one of the 588 cultural and creative organisations receiving a Culture Recovery Fund grant from Arts Council England on behalf of the DCMS and HM Treasury. BOOK NOW >>> https://brixtonhillstudios.com/?page_id=67 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 To mark the festive season, and highlight some of the excellent musicians in our little community at Brixton Hill Studios, we asked a select few artists who rehearse here to be a bauble on our musical Xmas tree by telling us a bit about themselves and answering some Christmassy questions… Mangö are an experimental cosmic quartet with a blend of psychedelic rock, soul and jazz on a musical journey to challenge new sonic possibilities. Brixton Hill Studios: What’s your Xmas tipple? BH: Tell us your own musical highlight of 2019 and anything exciting you’ve got coming up in 2020? BH: Best gig you went to this year? BH: Best gig you played this year? BH: Who should we go see in 2020? BH: Best piece of musical advice you’ve ever had? BH: Any tips for fellow music makers? BH: Fave thing about Brixton Hill Studios? BH: What’s on the front of your Christmas jumper? BH: Who would you play in the Nativity? BH: Best Christmas song? Festive greetings from all of us at BXHS x To mark the festive season, and highlight some of the excellent musicians in our little community at Brixton Hill Studios, we asked a select few artists who rehearse (and work) here to be a bauble on our musical Xmas tree by telling us a bit about themselves and answering some Christmassy questions… You’ve probably seen Jimi around the studio, he is a fixer of all things guitar, and can sometimes be seen on reception too. Amongst other things (Stephen Evens Band/Reals) he is guitarist for Gabi Garbutt and the Illuminations, sometimes garage rock, sometimes motown banger. Brixton Hill Studios: What’s your Xmas tipple? BH: What was your musical highlight of 2019 and what exciting things are in store for you in 2020? BH: Best gig you went to this year? BH: Best gig you played this year? BH:Who should we go and see in 2020? BH: Best piece of musical advice you’ve ever had? BH: Any tips for fellow music makers? BH: Fave thing about Brixton Hill Studios? BH: What’s on the front of your Christmas jumper? BH: Who would you play in the Nativity? BH: Best Christmas song? And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day! Festive greetings from all of us at BXHS x We hope to see you again soon in the New Year…
Studios 4 & 5 now open for band & solo bookings
With restrictions now lifted, we are happy to reinstate our smaller studios (4 & 5) as safe to use for more than one person. With the new addition of air exchange units, we’re ready to open these rooms to bands again.
You can book your band sessions now on jammed. For those wanting to book at the solo rates, these are still available, please email us or book with us over the phone [020 8674 3065] and we can book you in at the reduced one person rate.
Studios 4 & 5
Solo/teaching rates
New DJ/Solo Room
Thankyou
We’re ready when you are: The road map out of COVID.
Brixton Hill Studios – Recording Website
New and Improved Studio Services for 2021
So what’s new?
Audio Transfer and Digital Archiving
Online Mixing/Re-amping/Re-synthing
Podcast Production
Brixton Hill Broadcasting
Christmas opening hours
New Flexible Booking System
We are still OPEN and serving the local music community that we love.
We would like to THANK YOU all for adhering to the guidelines, so far there have been NO OUTBREAKS IN ANY UK REHEARSAL VENUES.
We understand that some of the restrictions we have put in place have taken some adapting to. So to encourage everyone to come and use the studio, we are trialling a new booking system with revised rates. This means you can book ANY STUDIO YOU LIKE FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE for ultimate flexibility. You can try Studio 1 during the day for just an hour to run through a set for £15, or Studio 4 all day for drum practise from only £7.50 per hour. It’s up to you.
Stephen & Team BXHSFrequently asked questions:
– No, if it is available you will be able to book on the half hour, or finish on the half hour, or even book for 3 and a half hours etc.
– No, you can book as many hours as you like in the evening. Evening rates start at 6pm.
– You are welcome to call us and we can check availability for you, but the booking will need to be made and paid for online in advance.
– Not yet, but our new booking system jammed.app are working on it and we hope to have it in place by the end of 2020.
– Yes, you can book anything you need for your session and anything you need from our pro shop too, like strings, picks and drumsticks at the time of booking.
– At the moment restrictions are still in place. On our new booking system brixtonhill.jammed.app you can see the capacity available in each room. Currently the maximum per studio is:
Studio 1 – 5 persons
Studio 2 – 4 persons
Studio 3 – 3 persons
Studio 4 – 2 persons
– Yes we are and our two fine engineers, Nick Howiantz and Alessio Costa are available to make your hits come true.
– Bookings made on appointed are already paid for and will stay at the rate they were when booked.
Culture Recovery Fund
The funding is a lifeline that will mean not only are we able to keep operating, but we can also upgrade and enhance our services to keep up with the changing landscape of the music industry.
We thank our loyal customers for their support over the last few months, we are so pleased we can continue to provide you with a place to create and hone your craft. We hope to encourage more musicians from the local scene to come and make the most of our rehearsal and recording facilities and we embrace the opportunity to remain a supportive hub for the live music community as it recovers.
We’re also busy working on plans to engage a wider audience of music consumers, supporters and enthusiasts over the coming months.
WATCH THIS SPACE!!
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Quy
BXHS Xmas Bauble no.6: Mangö
Mangö: Baileys on the rocks
M: In 2019 we released our first EP and also a Single ‘Demons’.
A great year of accomplishments & can’t wait to go full steam ahead into 2020.. where an album is waiting for us to finish it…
BH: Fave album of 2019?
M: White Denim- Side Effects
M: Black Midi at End of the Road Festival. Just pure bonkers!
BH: Black Midi appear on the Brixton Hill Xmas album ‘It’s Briiiiiiixmaaaaaaas’ – (see details below)
M: Our Demons Single Release!
M: Mangö! Tundra Love! Bulldada! Ham Legion! No Me Coman! Lime! Dog of Man! Hurtling!
M: Make it groovy baby
M: Serve the music, not yourself. If it needs a Keytar solo, serve it!
M: All the lovely people, and the homely live room decor! Good vibes all round. Guaranteed milk in the fridge
M: Rudolf protruding out my stomach
BH: !
M: We’d be a band of donkeys, every single time
M: Ham Legion – We’d Better Start Dinner
BH: Brixton Hill Studios alumni such as Black Midi, Hot Sauce Pony, Scud FM, and the aforementioned Ham Legion (Nick Howiantz’s ban) and more have made a Christmas Album? You can check it out/buy it online, or ask at reception and we’ll sell you a copy. Profits go to Brixton Soup Kitchen. 
We hope to see you again soon in the New Year…
Book online – Or call us to book a session 020 8674 3065
Did you know we’ve started hiring backline too? Give us a call to find out more
….And you know about our super cheap weekend evening deals right??
BXHS Xmas Bauble no.5: Jimi Scandal
Jimi Scandal: Pisco Sours (chilean lemon liquor w/lemon juice & egg whites) or a good Whiskey Old Fashioned
JS: Supporting the Libertines on tour across Europe, and especially playing the Columbiahalle in Berlin to a sold out audience.
BH: Fave album of 2019?
JS: Hurtling’s ‘Future From Here‘
JS: Edwyn Collins at the Shepherds Bush Empire, Edwyn’s brassy baritone voice was stunning as was all of his band.
JS: I think being main support for the Libertines in Paris at L’Olyimpia and having the band’s name in lights in the french capital was pretty special. There was a lot of love for everyone that night.
JS: Go see Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something, NO SRSLY GO AND SEE THEM!
JS: Not so much advice, but gave me the attitude to become the musician I am today.Eric Clapton ‘what’s that awful fucking noise get it off’ (me recording guitar at Olymipic studios when I was about 20)
JS: Don’t do it! If you’ve got a passion for anything else, do that instead.
No but really music has been the subject of the highest highs and the lowest lows for me and friends of mine.
JS: OBVS that the staff rock, but mostly because Rudy the Labrador is there sometimes too!!
JS: It’s hot pink and has an all seeing eye on it
JS:I’d be one of the heavenly hosts, swinging around the sky in a big white dress.
JS: Pogues – Fairy tale of New York No matter where I am, I always know Xmas is coming when I hear that song being rolled out.
Are you aware Brixton Hill Studios alumni such as Black Midi, Hot Sauce Pony, Scud FM, Ham Legion and more have made a Christmas Album? You can check it out/buy it online, or ask at reception and we’ll sell you a copy. Profits go to Brixton Soup Kitchen.
Book online – Or call us to book a session 020 8674 3065
Did you know we’ve started hiring backline too? Give us a call to find out more
….And you know about our super cheap weekend evening deals right??