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Star opens new music studios

6:30am Saturday 28th February 2009


Former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe caught glimpses of some of Bradford’s musical talent at the official opening of a new recording studio.

The man who sang pop-punk classic Teenage Kicks was with Mr Sutcliffe at the opening of Factory Street Studios, in Dudley Hill, Bradford, yesterday.

Husband and wife Alex and Amy Eden created the studio in part of a former textile factory with help from Bradford support agencies Kickstart and Business Link Yorkshire.

Mr Sharkey, now chief executive of UK Music, an umbrella organisation for the UK’s commercial music industry, said music was an important part of the UK’s economy.

He said: “It’s rooms and places like this that are vitally important to give local musicians that opportunity to come to a facility like this and start something.

“I have no doubt Factory Street will prove a hugely positive addition to cultural life in Bradford and all its surrounding areas.”

Kickstart and Business Link Yorkshire helped the Edens secure loans from the Business Enterprise Fund and Partnership Investment to cover the bulk of the estimated £120,000 conversion cost.

The studios, complete with seven rehearsal rooms, recording studio, piece room, café hub and mentoring programme, will be open seven days a week from 4pm to 10pm for bands.

For more information visit factorystreet.co.uk.

e-mail: james.rush @telegraphandargus.co.uk


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Your Say YourBradford

strummerboy, Bradford says...
4:39pm Sat 28 Feb 09

Bit mean of you dogpie, though lots are saying its a very bold thing to do in this current credit crunch.
i think it looks to be a good place with a big studio set up - but pricey to cover the set up costs.

good luck factory street.

terrorvision always crop up on t+a, why dont they record some new tunes, instead of reunion gigs with old songs.

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Skatedude, Bradford says...
5:50pm Sat 28 Feb 09

I run one of the other studios in Bradford so I know how difficult it is to make a living in this industry. However, nothing on this scale has been seen since the ill-fated Flexible Response studios 20 years ago. So perhaps if Factory Street encourages more work to come in to Bradford from the surrounding area then the whole of Bradford's music industry could benefit, so they should be applauded for at least trying. I don't envy their task ahead though, been there, done that, bear the scars. Yet there are more routes to explore than the toughest one of being a purely commercial studio. There's education, courses, community work etc, so they may yet find a workable niche. Also they seem like nice people and they obviously love music, so good luck to them.

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spinnekop, shipley says...
8:31pm Sat 28 Feb 09

i tape op'd at flexi for a while, it was a hoot :)

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Mr Fender, Bradford says...
10:25pm Sat 28 Feb 09

Who said Factory Street was a recording studio? It is a hub for musicians. Where musicians can go about their creativity in an environment designed for them. It has rehearsal facilities designed by and for musicians. It has a recording facility designed by and for musicians. It has space for musicians to meet and socialise. It is a free market out there and those bands that choose Factory Street choose because they prefer to be there than anywhere else. It is about time that the word quality has come to Bradford and quality facilities for musicians especially. Can all the moaning minnies move to Leeds please and let Bradford take some credit for getting something right this time.

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dogpie, Bradford says...
12:04pm Sun 1 Mar 09

I appreciate what Skatedude says and it's good unselfish advice coming from a competitor, finding a niche is what survival is all about.

As much as I'd like to applaud their courageous ambition at Factory Street for opening a music hub in Bradford, it does seems to be a financial risk on this grand scale and in a very precarious industry - time will tell.

Music hubs are great, if they are occupied by paying clients, otherwise it's a drop in centre and bands are not exactly overflowing with cash in this city.

Nice Cornflake buns though.

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1chop, shipley says...
7:00pm Mon 2 Mar 09

Mr Fender wrote:
Who said Factory Street was a recording studio? It is a hub for musicians. Where musicians can go about their creativity in an environment designed for them. It has rehearsal facilities designed by and for musicians. It has a recording facility designed by and for musicians. It has space for musicians to meet and socialise. It is a free market out there and those bands that choose Factory Street choose because they prefer to be there than anywhere else. It is about time that the word quality has come to Bradford and quality facilities for musicians especially. Can all the moaning minnies move to Leeds please and let Bradford take some credit for getting something right this time.
Mr Fender, Bradford says...
10:25pm Sat 28 Feb 09
Who said Factory Street was a recording studio?

Did you read the article???

Just in case you missed them, here's the quotes: "the official opening of a new recording studio."
"The studios, complete with seven rehearsal rooms, recording studio"

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Juice Terry, Oakworth says...
10:18am Tue 3 Mar 09

I hope the rehearsal rooms are better than Flexible Response. Badly sound proofed, cold and dirty place with dodgy security.

Jam on Top in Keighley have got it right. If it's up to their standard it'll do well.

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Skatedude, Bradford says...
5:54pm Tue 3 Mar 09

Jam on Top is great...it's about time Keighley got something that good. I worked at Flexi and it was terrible...it took us two weeks to get the toilets working when we took it on! But I think you'll find the rooms at Voltage in Bradford are much nicer. Carpets, extractor fans, tea/coffee, it's very clean and secure, with alarms & CCTV and top quality fire-alarm, but it's still a very small profit margin, that's just the nature of the business I'm afraid. It's not an easy industry to survive in, so good luck to anyone who's brave enough to try.

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dogpie, Bradford says...
1:14am Wed 4 Mar 09

Skatedude wrote:
Jam on Top is great...it's about time Keighley got something that good. I worked at Flexi and it was terrible...it took us two weeks to get the toilets working when we took it on! But I think you'll find the rooms at Voltage in Bradford are much nicer. Carpets, extractor fans, tea/coffee, it's very clean and secure, with alarms & CCTV and top quality fire-alarm, but it's still a very small profit margin, that's just the nature of the business I'm afraid. It's not an easy industry to survive in, so good luck to anyone who's brave enough to try.
That's exactly why the plans to open a big recording studio and rehearsal facilities on a similar scale to Factory Street in Bradford was scrapped a couple of years ago, and it had nothing to do with the recession then, it was to do with realistic number crunching.

What exactly did Mr Sharkey and Mr Sutcliffe open apart from an empty shell, surely it would have made more commercial sense to wait until it was built and ready to open, otherwise it's letting the tail wag the dog.


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Feargal Sharkey with Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe Feargal Sharkey with Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe


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