A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Rock Garden jam space closing its doors permanently, much to the chagrin of many in the Halifax music community. Well, good news, everyone – a new practice space is being put together in the same Hunter Street location. The other day I got ahold of Pete Green, who will be running the spot along with his partner, Sande Jordan. Although details are still rough, he says the new place—-tentatively dubbed Rockopolis Rehearsal Studios—-will feature four equipped rooms to be rented hourly, while the other four rooms will be rented on a monthly basis. A pile of new equipment is being procured, including new drum kits, guitar and bass amps, and a new PA. Green says each of the rooms will be identical, and he’s working on soundproofing three of them ahead of the space’s proposed opening, sometime around December 13. The space’s hours will be 4pm-midnight, Monday to Friday, with some weekend hours. Green is clearly eager to take on this new venture. “When the Rock Garden closed, a lot of musicians wondered ‘What am I going to do?’ I know I was saying that,” he says. “It’s one of those services that Halifax needs.”
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2010.