How your Co-op Could be!

 The members of Lancaster Musicians’ Co-operative have put forward a plan for their vision of the Co-op’s future, which they hope, will ensure it’s survival and improve the facilities for the hundreds of local musicians who pass through it’s doors.

 The plan involves submitting a planning application which details numerous improvements in the facilities including purpose built rehearsal and recording rooms, a café and a shop to cater for local musicians needs. A 300 capacity venue, designed to fill a niche in Lancaster’s entertainment is also being proposed.

 The venue has been designed to complement existing nightspots such as the Gregson and the Sugarhouse – providing live music – but the Co-op aims to cater for up and coming circuit bands which would be too big for the Gregson but would only half fill the Sugarhouse. It would also provide new Lancaster bands with an opportunity to play in front of a larger than normal audience.

 The existing facilities, although very practical and ingenious in their use of soundproofing, do require major improvements. It’s hoped that a regeneration of the Co-op would provide modern standard, purpose built areas, meeting all current recommendations on soundproofing and customer comfort.

 In a recent article Cllr Heath, the leader of the council, told a meeting at the Gregson Centre: “The decision has already been made by the present cabinet that we are not going to sell that land for box retailing.”

She also said that there were no plans at present to sell off the building used by the Musician's Co-op, and said the cabinet would consider any request for a longer lease, which would allow the group to bid for outside funding. The current lease is for a term of only 3 weeks thus preventing the Co-op from applying for grant or lottery funding.

Lancaster Musicians Co-op is a non-profit making organisation dedicated to providing musical services at affordable rates for all.

Formed in 1985 by seven former university students the venue is now entirely self-financing, opening seven days a week and more than 50 bands a week travel from as far afield as Manchester and Cumbria to use the facilities. As Ian Dicken, one of the Co-op’s members, points out, with no advertising budget or external funding, this has been achieved entirely through word of mouth.

Bands have travelled from London to use the studio facilities, the BBC have recorded band sessions there, they have recorded CDs for string quartets through to punk trios and some notable names got their earliest breaks thanks to the co-op.

Top producer Paul Tipler, who now works with everyone from Stereolab to Idlewild, cut his musical teeth at the co-op, while members of bands including James, Travis and 3 Colours Red all started out at Lodge Street. Then, of course, there, are the homegrown talents of Lancaster bands like The Milltown Brothers and Angelica. Both went on from shaky early practice sessions and demos recorded at the co-op to secure record contracts and festival appearances.

 If the Co-op is granted planning permission and the council agrees to renegotiate the lease then the future of the Co-op looks bright. Many would see this as the Council’s golden opportunity to show the residents of Lancaster their commitment to the District Local Plan Development Brief.