The Self Storage Band - Practice Pads on the Cheap

Aspiring young musicians have been getting the dreaded practice space boot ever since the first commercially available guitar amplifier was produced by Fender in 1947. For bands that are passionate about their music and have the drive to spend hours practicing their skills, nothing is more demoralizing than having no place to play. And to add insult to injury the cost of a specially designed practice space is often out of reach, especially for hobbyist musicians.

Enter the Self Storage Facility

Self-storage units are known as a place for people to store their belongings, but self storage facilities have recently begun to gain popularity as a place for bands to practice. That’s right. You can actually rent a storage unit for band practice. Here are a couple reasons your band should consider renting a storage unit for band practice. 

• Availability – Self storage facilities are located in every major city and many smaller towns. They’re generally spaced out evenly amongst the population centers so wherever you live, there’s probably one near you. Generally speaking, you won’t have a hard time finding a unit.
• Price – Compared to the other options currently available to bands for practice space, self storage is an inexpensive solution. On top of that, bands with multiple members can split the cost of the unit up amongst themselves and create a situation that is affordable for everyone.
• Convenience – Why lug your equipment from your house to your garage, from your garage to your car, and from your car to the studio when you can just set everything up in a storage space and leave it there? For many bands simply having a place to play is enough, but having the option to leave their equipment in one place is a wonderful convenience they can’t refuse.
• Climate Control – One big perk to renting a storage unit is that you’re able to find units that are climate controlled and located indoors. This is the best option for bands who are considering self storage as a practice space solution because it gives them the comfort of climate control, with the security of having their equipment indoors.
• Security – Storage facilities are extremely secure. With a big lock on your door and cameras around every corner the security at a self storage facility is quite a bit higher than your average building. On top of that you’re able to insure your stuff for a couple extra bucks per month.
• Solitude – For the most part self storage facilities spend the majority of their day void of people. This means that unlike your apartment or garage you won’t receive those pesky noise complaints from neighbors who can’t sleep. This is a win-win because you can practice in peace, and by the time you’re ready to play a show your family won’t have heard your latest and greatest hits.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like everything there are a few points to remember if you’re planning to rent a storage unit for band practice. First and foremost speak with the facility management and ask whether or not they’re music friendly. Some select Uncle Bob’s self storage locations are music friendly as you can see from their blog post, but to be sure check with management. If they are you’ll also want to know when you can practice, and when you can’t. Some facilities are open 24/7 while others may have a close time each night. It’s also important to remember that if you choose to use a storage unit as a practice pad that you keep it solely for practice (this means no parties!).

Posted by Jenn Young a freelance writer working with Uncle Bob’s storage. When not writing about storage and the ways it can help you, Jenn can be found rocking out to her favorite bands online or in person.

Comments

[Propagandroid]

My own experience is pretty much the exact opposite of this. contacted upwards of 10 storage units, both National chains and mom and pop shops, all the major chains including Uncle Bobs gave me an emphatic "NO"! and some even a "Hell no", only one local outfit contemplated it but then indicated they didnt think they had an appropriate unit for what i needed.

this is of course side stepping one of the biggest things a band should consider, and that's facilities. most storage units don't have electrical in them so you can say good by to mics, amps, mixers, or other equipment, and also most storage units have no lights in them, so also say goodbye to late night or winter time practice.

and on a final note from an operation standpoint these buildings are generally not constructed to residential or commercial occupancy standards and therefore due to local city or state code can not have people occupying them so the company can face fines or sanctions from the city they operate in.