I've always been intrigued by Jam on Top studios, because several bands I've chatted to have made a point of telling me they rehearse there. At Rock and Rail festival last year I met the owners and they invited me to go look around. It's taken an unbelievably long time but at last I made it.
Jam on Top is very close to the railway station in Keighley, it's on the third floor of an industrial building, hand painted signs point you in the right direction as soon as you enter the the building. I am met upstairs by Brian and Tracy, the owners.
There is a lovely reception area which also serves as a shop with refreshments, you can also buy cables, guitar picks, etc.
They take me on a tour of the building which you can tell they are extremely proud of - hardly surprising, a lot of care has been taken to make a great environment for musicians. The first room I'm shown is used for recording and for rehearsal. Brian tells me that all the rehearsal rooms are fully equipped with PA system, vocal mics, drum kit, guitar and bass amps. An engineer sets up the band until they are happy with the sound. Bands can of course take their own equipment if they prefer.
I'm quite fortunate to be there in the afternoon, as the evening is fully booked, so I can have a good look around all rooms. Even at this hour there are people popping in with gig posters or to help out and you get a real sense of community.
There are rooms for guitar and drum tuition and an instrument repair service is also offered. I notice that all the walls are covered with original artwork and am told this is all provided by Aireville school, there are some amazing pieces here.
Next I see the rest of the rehearsal rooms, I really like that they have glass windows which means bands can see each other and it encourages collaboration and friendship.
There is also an ample green room with a pool table for that chill-out time that is essential when you're working.
The Jam On Top Studios also house the community radio station Jam-Radio, whereas the studio is a business the radio is run by dedciated volunteers. It currently broadcasts 7 days a week from 7-10pm. Although a relatively new project it is quickly building up listeners and providing Keighley with a community station.
There are a couple of shows that play local music and they would be pleased to receive music from unsigned bands across the region.
Check out the website at http://www.jam-radio.co.uk for contact details.
After the tour, we sat on the famous red sofa and chatted about bands we knew and music in general, I felt really at home here and can understand why its so popular. Well worth a visit.
