A Brief, Slightly Biased History of Rehearsal Spaces

From back rooms to Pro Rooms: How musicians carved out space to make noise.

Before there were studios, there were back rooms. Garages. Church halls. Anywhere you could be loud without someone shouting at you. That was the original rehearsal room - a space that wasn’t perfect, but was yours.

So where did rehearsal studios come from? And why do they still matter, even now? Here's a look at how it all evolved.

1. The Back Room Era

Usually your mate’s house. One amp, two cables, no space to move. Drum kit wedged in beside an ironing board. Someone’s mum walks in with biscuits mid-verse. But, this is where it starts.

What it gave us:

• Confidence

• Calluses

• A healthy disrespect for volume limits

2. The Garage Years

A cold, echoey garage becomes home base. The birth of countless punk bands and suspicious electrical setups. No soundproofing. A bit draughty. There's a real kit. You blasted through borrowed amps while your neighbour's dog barked through every take. Extension cords everywhere. It was grimy, sweaty and 100% DIY - but honestly, kind of perfect.

Also gave us:

• Riffs that never left that garage

• Broken pedals

• A place to hide from life

Look Familiar?

3. Scout Halls & Church Rooms

An upgrade. Now you’re gigging. You need space. You find a scout hall. You pay £10 an hour. You've got folding chairs, fluorescent lighting and a stage left over from a pantomime. It smells like cleaning fluid. There’s a weird echo, but at least you can hear each other. You argue over setlists. Someone always forgets the power strip. There's maybe even a kitchen for mid-rehearsal cuppas.

Learned here:

• The politics of band dynamics

• That one mic stand always wobbles

• How to pack down in under 5 minutes

4. Real Studios

Still raw. Still about the music. But soundproofed. Treated. Quality gear that actually works. Decent chairs (hopefully), and owners who really give a damn about the music you make. You step into a studio and think: this is what it’s supposed to feel like. You can hear everything. You get more done in two hours than you used to in two weeks. A place that music is expected, not tolerated.

Why this matters:

Because space shapes sound. You can write a riff anywhere - but you test it in a room. You push it. Break it. Build it back louder.

Because music doesn’t happen on a laptop alone. It happens in rooms. Real, loud, sweaty rooms. Every band you've ever loved started in one.

Wherever you are in your rehearsal journey - ironing board phase or Pro Room veteran - remember: it’s not about how polished the space is.

It’s about what you do inside it.

Garages are cool, but if you want to book a 'real' studio, you can book one here...