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Slacking off at work? Bored? Here's something to compound the boredom...... 30 + things you never needed, or probably wanted, to know about Bally Studios!! 1) It officially started trading on 10th October 2005. Before this Ron Niblett and Nikki Rossetti ran Sync City, located where Bally Studios now is. It was a 2 room complex, with a 3rd room having just been opened for long term rental. This was turned into a short term, by the hour letting room, in Feb 2007. Our Studio 4 was opened in June 2006, with the fifth room opening in June 2009 2) Each year, we go through at least 3,000 tea bags, 40kg of sugar, 5kg of coffee, and our urn boils about 2,500 litres of water a year 3)In 2006, we had 2 rehearsal studios, and averaged 2.1 sessions per day. In 2007, now having 4 rehearsal rooms, we averaged 4.7 rehearsals a day. In 2008, we averaged 4.9 rehearsal sessions a day. In 2009, we opened our 5th room, and averaged 5.6 rehearsals sessions a day, and so far in 2010, we are set to break the 6 rehearsals a day barrier. Only for by the hour sessions, not including long term rehearsals, of which we also have quite a few 4) Before we started tying drumkeys to chains and Pens to lengths of string, we used to lose 40 drum keys and over 150 pens a year. 5) In 4 and a half years, we have blown 29 PA speakers. All for them were blown by miking up the bass drum or putting backing tracks/synths into the PA. We now have amplifiers for synths/backing tracks, and don't put them through the PA 6) On one day, in July 2009, on the same day, we had band members from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Nigeria, Angola, Senegal, Cameroon, South Africa, Canada, USA, Australia, Hungary, Denmark, Germany, Spain and Catalonia in, in just 5 bands. 7) We have had, about, 120 pizzas delivered to the studio in 4 years. But not one Chinese or Indian takeaway delivered. 8) We have had 21 amps repaired in 4 and a half years. 9) We get on average 68 friend requests a day on MySpace, and have over 100,000 MySpace friends. Only now, in May 2010, are we setting up a Facebook and Twitter account. 10)In the first 4 years of the studio up until June 2010, Fran and Jimmy only had 89 days off, including Weekends, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Christmas Day, etc. 11) We go through 1 kg of Incense a year, as well as 600 bin liners of rubbish. 12) Fran and Jimmy have attended the following bands gigs that have rehearsal at the studios: The Incisors, Girls Girls Girls, The What, After The Ice, The Charlie Parkers, The Starts, Klunk, Behold A Pale Horse, The Kurtz, Chapter 24, Caribou, The Super Nashwan Kids, Time.Space.Repeat, Pirate Robot Dinosaurs, 13) Fran and Jimmy had to sell 3 of their guitars to get the studios going. 14) About 50% of bands comment how the building the studios is located in looks like a) A Hospital b) A School or c) They ask what the building used to be. As far as we are aware, it is what is has always been; a purpose built building for various business', a business centre 15) Bally Studios is called Bally Studios as Jimmy comes from Ballyheigue, in county Kerry, Ireland. 16) At least 11 bands that we know of have done video/photo shoots in the corridor of the studios, or just outside. The What, The Outbursts, King Robot, Zalinski, Neil's Children, Klunk, Room 9, Caribou, After The Ice, Miss-Use and Spider Redundant. There's probably a lot more though 17) We get on average, 1 band a week asking to print out lyrics from the office computer 18) Most popular reasons for cancelling a session: is that the drummer has injured his wrist. About 50% of the time a rehearsal is cancelled, that's the reason given 19) Latest a band ever finished a session at Bally: 4:30am. They were originally only meant to go until Midnight. 20) Longest shift Jimmy ever did at the studios; 36 hours straight. Upon getting home, due to tiredness, he turned on the TV and proceeded to commit the cardinal sin of asking what teams were playing, even though it clearly said in the corner of the screen. (It was Liverpool and Reading in the FA Cup.) 21) When Studio 4 was built, Jimmy and his Dad carried all of the materials from the local B&Q about a third of a mile away, by hand. About 2 and a half tonnes worth over 6 weekends. 22) Most people ever in a rehearsal room at once: 72, in the old Studio 1 for a Drum and Bass video shoot. Temperature inside the said room reached 130f. This was 3 days before we fitted Air Conditioning. 23)Types of Tea we have at the studio? A minimum of 32, sometimes we have up to 45, Including Lemon and Ginger, Green Tea and Camomile. Check out the office photos for proof. 24) Band with most members who have rehearsed at Bally? A 24 piece African Afro-beat band. 25) Bands that have stolen items from us in 4 and a half years; 4. Thanks to CCTV, all 4 were caught, all of the items were retrieved. 26) 2 bands have split up during a rehearsal at Bally. Neither of them, may we add, were due to the studio. We accept no responsability. One was due to 2 members not turning up, the other was 2 members "being fucking tight c***s who never pay for their rehearsals", according to the drummer of that band. 27) The wall between the office and Studio 4 has a layer of lead in it, to further soundproof it. We're not sure if it protects people from nuclear attacks though. It might, who knows. 28) We once had a rehearsal where a chap in one band ran into his ex girlfriend in another band. Apparently he'd ran off without explaining anything to her, owing her lots of money. It turned into quite an entertaining argument. 29) The rooms get vacuumed about 150 times year 30) Once, when walking home from Wood Green, Fran and Jimmy saw 2 brown chairs being thrown out of a house. They were placed next to a skip, so Jimmy nipped back home, grabbed the famous "Bally Blue Trolley" and carried them home on it. When we moved to a smaller flat, we couldn't accommodate them in our flat so we put them in Studios 2 and 4. 90% of people who sit on them comment on how far you sink into them. 31) About 10-15 cups get broken every year at the studios by bands. 32) We have done a Bally Studios Sweepstake for both Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. The teams were picked in a random fashion by the bands, from a hat, and these were the results Euro 2008 Group A Portugal - After The ice Turkey - The Forth Czech Republic - The A Train Switzerland - Girls Girls Girls
Group B Croatia - Blackjack Germany - The Hard Luck Club Austria - The Tracie Hunter Band Poland - The Charlie Parkers
Group C Netherlands - Rococo Fair Italy - Sci Fi Circus Romania - Zalinski France - My Echo
Group D Spain - Ice Station Zebra Russia - The Starts Sweden - BlackCar Greece - The Capris
World Cup 2010
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