If you're a film or music buff, chances
are you've come across the stunning Sound City documentary. The film
is Dave Grohl's love letter to a studio which nearly went to the
wall, a building which has played host to some of the most famous
musicians in history. Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield, Buckingham
Nicks, Nine Inch Nails, REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty and, of course,
Nirvana have all graced the studio.
As we were planning a trip to LA, one
of our party (thanks, Kirri!) decided to get in touch with the
original owners to see if we could visit and take a look around. All
we were told was to turn up before mid-day.
So we did.
They've kept the famous painted sign
which welcomes you to the studios. Driving beneath it, you feel a
sense of calm and anticipation. How many people have driven through
that driveway? How many of them are the same people you now see
screaming around a stage in front of 80,000 people? How did they feel
when they first arrived? Were they excited? Nervous? Inspired?
We chose to drive up the ramp and onto
the parking lot on top of the building, before we realised that
actually, we probably should have parked right outside the studio. Oh
well...
First port of call was to knock on the
door of Fairfax Recordings. The building, unlike the rest of them, is
now blue (The others have retained their famous cream colouring). The
door was answered by a nervous looking young man who had no idea who
we were looking for but kindly allowed us to use the bathroom and
clear a few bottles of water from the fridge. Finally, we discovered
that Sandy, our contact, hadn't yet arrived on the site.
It was just before 11am. We were
closing in on our deadline of mid-day so we decided to take a walk.
We found a Denny's a short way up the road and debated what to do. We
were hot, tired, and jet lagged. We'd driven for 4 hours. If we
didn't get in we'd at least been on the property. We'd driven, and
walked, beneath the famous sign and we'd seen a wall of records from
many of the artists who'd worked there.
But... There's always a but. What if we
didn't try again? We'd regret it for the rest of our lives.
We made the decision to go back and try
again. Besides, there was no harm, right? So we trudged back and took
another stab at the door. This time it was answered by the wonderful
Sandy and we were welcomed in like long lost friends! Suddenly we
were standing in the offices and looking around in awe. There were
photographs mounted on wooden plaques (what people would be given
before the invention of the gold record) and too many other things to
take in. Much to our delight, Tom, the founder and owner, was around.
Again, there was another big welcome and any nerves we'd been feeling
melted away. We were happy and excited. We'd travelled half way
around the world for this moment and it felt like every crazy dream
you've ever had was coming true.
It was time and, with fluttering
hearts, we made our way back to the blue building. The film gives you
the sense that the offices and studios are in one building. They're
not. You drive under the sign and find yourself in a parking lot with
buildings on three sides. The front buildings house the offices while
the ones in the back contain the studios. Facing the U-shaped
building, the part with the drum room is to your left, while the ones
straight ahead and to the right are now leased to other companies
(Sandy made the comment that they've gone from leasing studios to
leasing property).
We went back through the large, frosted
glass door and met the young man we'd originally spoken to. Gone are
the brown, carpeted walls. A few of the non-supporting walls have
been knocked down to open the space up. You find yourself in a large,
white area with a kitchen to your right and a snug, containing books,
records, and couches, straight ahead. To your left is a large door.
You're taken to the door and let in.
Your head snaps back and your jaw hits the floor. This is the room
you've heard so much about. This is the room which is famed for
recording drums in (bands, most notably Metallica, have done “blind
tests” on such rooms. A piece of drum sound is recorded and sent
back to the band. They then choose where to records based on that
sound. Metallica recorded “Death Magnetic” at Sound City based
purely on the snippet they heard).
And it's not changed. From the black
and white photos you've seen, to the film, to actually standing in
it, not one inch of it has been altered. No one knows exactly why the
room sounds like it does. Some attribute it the building once having
been used for making amplification. Others say it's because of
whatever was used in the brickwork. Whatever it is, the room has a
presence.
The door's closed behind you and a
pressure closes around you. Your ears pop. Part of it is to do with
it being a studio and it needing to be somewhat soundproof. The rest
of it I can only place on the people who have passed though it. Their
essence, their blood, sweat, and tears have soaked into the walls and
left behind an undeniable presence. You can feel them in the air and
see their ghostly images wandering back and forth. As my brother
said, rooms like that have a personality all of their own. It's an
inspiring place and I'm not sorry to say that I cried while I was
there. I could have spent many days just sitting in that room and
soaking up the atmosphere. I feel that some of my best work would
have come from just being there and I'm desperately trying to cling
on to the feelings and emotions which barreled through me.
Typical f-ing drummer. Just stands around and lets everyone else set up for them!
The control room, compared to many,
feels basic. It was refreshing, a beautiful break from the constant
glare of computers. Again, it's remained the same as it's always
been. The famous Neve desk is no longer there, having been bought by
Grohl when the studio was closing down. They do have another analogue
desk and, much to my excitement, a two inch tape machine. I hadn't
seen one of those since my early film-making days and I stared at it
like a long lost friend.
We were blessed to be witnesses to a
hundred different stories of the people who've been through the
studio. We learned a lot and I'm forever grateful to Sandy and Tom
for letting us invade their space for an hour. Tom returned to see us
off and handed out hugs and smiles like they were candy. It was an
experience which I hope, one day, to relive. Fingers crossed, our
musical family will wind up there one day. Until then, I'll hold on
to my photos, my Sound City shirt (Thanks, Sandy!), my DVD, and my
precious memories. Next time, I hope to be working there, with the
people who feel like a home away from home. A family, bonded together
by their love of music.
In 2011, Sound City ceased commercial
operations. Thanks to the film, and the resurgence in interest, the
studios are now operated by Fairfax Recordings. The famous drum room
is still there. It's still analogue (but they do have a ProTools
rig). The Neve desk, which features so heavily in the documentary
it's pretty much the main character, is now owned by Grohl. So you'll
have to go and knock on his front door if you want to use that.
If you haven't seen the film, go and
watch it. It really is a love letter, not just to the studio, but to
music in general.
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