Musicians band together to save rehearsal studio (From Southend Standard)

Musicians band together to save rehearsal studio

8:00am Wednesday 10th March 2010

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MUSICIANS have spoken out against plans which could see one of Southend’s best known rehearsal studios scrapped.

Maple Studios is one of a number of businesses still flourishing on the Grainger Industrial Estate.

But they would have to go if the Inner London Group’s plans to build 149 homes gets the go-ahead.

The developer, which own the site, wants to demolish all the buildings on the estate and build two blocks of flats up to five storeys high.

Dance legends the Prodigy and former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson are among the many artists who have rehearsed and recorded at Maple.

The studio is owned by Glyn Morgan, who also runs the Chinnery’s music venue, on the seafront.

He said: “I’ve written an objection to the council about it.

“We’ve been here since the Eighties and have had lots of different bands come here and go on to great things.

“Everybody rehearses here before playing at Chinnery’s.

“We have about 100 musicians a week come through here.

“This also comes at the time Southend made a bid to be City of Culture.

“There’s nowhere for us to go to. It’s absolutely essential for us to be close to rail links, because people store equipment here and then travel by rail.

“Most of the units here are taken by small businesses which will just disappear with no other accommodation.”

Mr Morgan said the studios were also used by students from South Essex College and Essex University. Musician Billy Wright, 21, of band Redtrack, added: “If it goes, it will be terrible because Maple is a brilliant place.

“It’s a hub for the Southend music scene. and we recorded our album there.”

Jane Wilkes of arts group Metal used to be based at Mediashed on the estate, but they moved out in September to Chalkwell Hall.

She added: “It’s a shame because the estate houses a lot of independent businesses.”

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