Don’t Poke the Bear is a full service musicians hub in Geelong, providing world-class recording studios, acoustically designed rehearsal studios and sound hire. Forté chat with Don’t Poke the Bear about the artist hub.
Hey thanks for chatting to us. First up can you give us a run down on what Don’t Poke the Bear is all about?
Don’t Poke the Bear is an all-purpose music facility located on Gordon Ave. We cater for band rehearsals, studio recordings and we offer somewhere for bands to shoot their music videos or have meetings. It is a state of the art facility and like nothing Geelong has ever seen before. We offer rehearsal spaces Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and recordings seven days a week (subject to availability). We also offer sound hire for parties and events. We do it all!
Who would this facility best cater for?
The facility is perfect for bands and musicians who are recording an EP, demo, a single song or album, or for bands that have gigs coming up and need a space to rehearse. Not only is the facility an awesome place to refine your craft, it’s also a great place to hang out and network. The halls are always busy and bustling with a range of artists – some of our regulars include Residual, Revolution, White Bleachers, Storm Tide, Echos Hill and plenty more. We also get cover bands and people just looking to hang out and play with their mates for fun. The facility is very down to earth and everyone is welcome – once a band comes once, they almost always become regulars.
You have recently made a push to offer more studio time to the public, tell us more…
The studio space is incredible. The equipment was specially selected and imported from all over the world, there is too much to list here but if you’re a gear head, you can follow the links on our website and check out our set up. There is a large open space that could fit anything from a solo folk artist up to a school band of 25 people, a smaller isolated areas for solo recordings and capturing instrumentation and a comfy couch, full kitchen and hangout area down the hallway for those long days in the studio.
What can people expect when they come down for their first recording session, what’s the process like?
People can just call or enquire online and from there, we will assess the sort of outcome you are searching for, then we can schedule a time and date and we will work with you to ensure you have the engineer most suited to your project. We need to establish what you want and prepare in advance for mix down time if required. We are really flexible and will always try to accommodate your personal requirements. On the day, the engineer will be on hand upon arrival to help you load in, set up equipment and test levels, then it’s time to make magic happen.
If a band was to hire out the studio, what would they need to bring to the session? How would they need to prepare to get the most out of their time?
Bands just need to be prepared. You are going to be very well supported through your session, but you will be on the clock – so coming with a very good idea of what you want to achieve is critical. Everyone is different, some artists can capture a whole eight track EP in a day, some will take two days to just get bass or drums down, so we need to know how you want to attack your session to get the most out of it.
Thanks so much for your time, is there anything you’d like to add?
The Bear is an artist hub, it is constantly growing, get down and make yourself known and get involved. We also have some big news coming in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
The studio is located at 40 Gordon Avenue Geelong West.
Visit their website dontpokethebear.com.au for more info. Contact them on 1300 650 892 or email [email protected]
