Sound Space Studios is the new practice space and recording studio for bands in Splott…read more Before Richie, the daddy of Sound Space, set up his new studios he rented out a static caravan to bands in the wilds of Lamby way, and I have to say that I loved that rickety old thing. So I was slightly cynical about coming to practice in his new shiny studio. However my desire to play in a space with a bit of personality was satisfied when I approached the new studios, having passed seven juggernauts with a sleeping giant in each cabin, bellies out and tasselled curtains half closed... The practice spaces themselves were bigger than the caravan, not massive, but big enough to fit us seven dwarfs in. There were two rooms available when we visited, but a third has now been finished. The PA and equipment did the job, but have used better. Richie and his mate, who's name has currently escaped me are both musicians themselves so they were very understanding of our needs and always on hand to help if was is a problem. A great space run by a couple of nice guys - try it! Equipment hire for rehearsals Standard Drum kit (without Snare + Kick pedal) - £1 per hour Snare - £1 per hour Kick pedal - £1 per hour Guitar amp - £1 per hour Bass amp - £1 per hour

I like Manic Studios a lot. Having played in various bands for the last 9 years I've been to many a…read moregrubby rehearsal room, charging high rates because they know you don't have too much choice if you need a space to jam. Manic is fairly new and they've got some of the best equipment available to rent that I've seen in a rehearsal space. Normally rehearsal rooms provide the musical equivalent of the spare PE kit at school but Manic have decent equipment. The rooms are large, with big fans in to keep you cool if you're of a more energetic ilk. The guys who work here are decent and they will make the bands tea and coffee free of charge just for practising there. The prices vary between £7 and £10 per hour depending on what time of day and which day of the week you need. I've never recorded there but there are samples of the quality on their website if you're looking.

Nigel and the team are excellent. The studios are clean well kept with excellent equipment. It is…read morethe best rehearsal studio set up Special Brew have used and the cups of tea that regularly turn up during the sessions are very much appreciated. Highly recommended

A brilliant venue for up and coming artists to use and forfill their creative talents. The spaces…read moreavailable are pretty good, from rehearsal rooms for bands to some quite large spaces for theatre groups to use to rehearse in. The price is extremely reasonable as well fo rent spaces. The one downside is that if you rehearse late at night then the heating isn't good, so wrap up warm. I'll usually turn up with a t-shirt, jumper, hoodie and coat as well as a scalf, hat and gloves, and if I stand still for 2 minutes i'll still feel the cold!

The Island is absolutely without a doubt my favourite venue in Bristol…read more The Island is run by Artspace Lifespace, an artist led initiative that recycles vacant, under-used and problem properties. They have sone a stunning job at revamping this old fire station. The walls of the Boneyard Bar are painted a bright cerulean and their are some stencils by the art tart above the door and day of the dead artwork on the walls. Artwork dons all the walls and every event is done differently. The Island is a huge complex, not all of which opens up. For some of the larger events, stalls are built in the large courtyard. Every event I go to, the experience is different. The Island is the HQ for The Invisible Circus, who undoubtedly put one of the most creative and interactive nights in the UK. I have seen the best fireshow, the best arial performance and had the best crumpets at the Island! Its a fantastic space and worth keeping an eye out to see what nights are happening here, from the spectacular carnyville, heavy metal acid panto to klezmer craziness, the Island is an amazing creative hub in the heart of the City.

Great rehearsal space. Jonny's very welcoming and a great laugh. Very reasonably priced, especially…read morewith gear hire being £3 per item for the whole session, rather than being hourly. Can't recommend Green Rooms enough.

From the owner: 4 Practice rooms and a licensed live lounge in Treforest Industrial Estate. We offer 4 clean, well…read moremaintained rehearsal rooms, plush lounge and licensed bar all under one roof. Well looked after gear from the top names inc Blackstar, Mapex & Shure

This is a fantastic facility to have just outside of Cardiff. As part of the Media Center, housing…read moreITV Wales and other major media names, the studio is just right for small, musical endeavors. Run by a BAFTA award winning composer and arranger and his partner in crime, a well qualified and experienced sound technician, there is a wealth of expertise available. And what is best is that as much as it is run by specialists, it is a really friendly and down to earth environment. I've never seen so much shiny equipment, and there are facilities for recording, mixing and syncing with film and video. The main studio is fully equipped with some state of the art instruments, as well as some fantastic vintage gear. If you're looking for somewhere to record you next album then this would be a great place to start your search!

John Rea runs this fantastic recording studio out in the business park wilderness that is Culvers…read moreCross. Situated in the ITV Wales building, it shares its corridor space with the movers and groovers of the media scene. If you're a band, and you want to rehearse and record an EP, then John will be able to help you out for a reasonable fee. You can feel safe in the knowledge that you are in good hands here, as John is a BAFTA award winning composer. I don't know a lot about musical instruments, so am not going to pretend I do. What I saw was all very pretty and shiny, some of it was massively funky looking, in fact I feel a sudden urge to learn piano....

For bands in Cardiff looking for rehearsal space, equipment hire, affordable but high quality…read morerecording facilities, or storage space for their own equipment, Musicbox offers a comprehensive range of services and facilities. Bands such as Lost Prophets and Los Campesinos rehearse there regularly, apparently. They're probably best known for the six band practice rooms (with air con) available from as little as £5 per hour during off peak periods (10am-6pm) with a single person discount, and up to £11 per hour during peak period (6pm until midnight). Bands can also book out rooms for a whole day from about £110 - although they have a special all-day Saturday deal for £50 at the moment. The smaller Cardiff Rehearsal Rooms in Roath are cheaper (with 3 hour sessions from £20) but have fewer rooms. Musicbox also offers high quality recording facilities and have experienced engineers and producers on hand to help bands get the best sound - plus their equipment hire is useful if some of your kit gets broken just before a gig! Word gets around quickly on Cardiff's local music scene, so reputation is everything with a business like this - and Musicbox seems to have built up a good one, and offers genuinely good value for money.

I've ended up rehearsing in most of the rehearsal studios in Cardiff at one point or another in my…read morelife, and I can safely say Musicbox is the pick of the bunch. Time was, before it went bankrupt and suddenly closed down, Clearline was the place to go; it had big enough rooms for all kinds of bands, equipment to rent if you needed it for the evening and opening times that suited the slightly nocturnal among us. And Musicbox is just like Clearline except, you know, moreso.... Sessions are booked in three hour blocks, with blocks going for £30 for the session. They open from 10am to midnight for their main practice spaces, which consist of six colour coded rooms each big enough to fit a thirteen piece band in with enough room for spectators. Musicbox is the tops, and the big Welsh bands seem to agree. My Chemical Romance, Los Campesinos and lostprophets are semi-regular visitors to the place and you'll often see them unloading their gear as you're entering.