‘I COULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED SO I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE’
Recording studio owner saw business blaze on Facebook
THE owner of a recording studio which held workshops for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds has described how he found out through Facebook that the building was burning down.
Gareth Leaman, who founded Social Soundwaves in Cwmbran in 2014, says he considers himself “lucky to be alive” after he left the studio early on February 11.
The studio was among buildings at the Avondale Business Park left gutted by a fire later that evening.
The 28-year-old, from Newport, said he is “devastated” by the incident but is fully focused on rebuilding the studio and getting it back up and running.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to The Football Factory at the Cwmbran industrial estate at around 6.50pm.
Damage was caused to the sports centre, as well as to the two neighbouring businesses, including the Pinnacle Fitness gym and Randomz youth initiative, which housed Social Soundwaves.
The fire service said no-one was injured in the blaze, which was still alive well into Sunday. The cause of the fire is still being established.
Gareth said he had left early on the day of the fire after mixing a track by a young band from South Wales.
He said: “I found out through Facebook. Someone messaged me and tagged me in a video of the building burning down.
“I saw it and went down there. I phoned my business partner to see if it was OK but he told me it was bad and totally gone.
“I left the studio in the afternoon. Every Saturday I normally leave the studio at 1am to 2am after finishing my mixes.
“There’s no window in the studio and I have got the music up loud so I wouldn’t have known about it.
“I would have been trapped in there – so I just consider myself lucky to be alive.”
The studio was about to hold its official launch in the coming weeks and £15,000 had been spent on renovation, studio equipment and instruments.
Speaking about the impact of the fire, Gareth said: “It’s absolutely tragic. We have had the studio for two years and have been developing it slowly.
“We have been building relationships with different schools and youth clubs and we were about to release it to the public.
“It’s terrible, there’s no other way to put it. No words can describe it.
“A lot of the stuff we have lost is material but there was sentimental stuff as well. You can make money again but you can’t replace guitars which have been passed down from your grandparents.”
Social Soundwaves served as a community interest company which delivered workshops across South Wales to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It was created with the aim of inspiring young people to take up music or writing, to give them a sense of identity and ownership of their creative work.
Gareth said: “I have a small amount of equipment but a lot of the projects have been cut.
“We do a variety of workshops but our DJ and band workshops we have had to cut.
“It’s not going to have a good effect on the vulnerable young people.
“It’s a home for some of them and sometimes it’s all they have got.”
Gareth is now hoping to get the studio back up and running as soon as possible and has been “overwhelmed” by the support he has received.
He added: “We’re fully focused on rebuilding the studio. In some ways it’s been a blessing in disguise because of all the support we’re getting.
“I’m confident we’ll be up and running again in no time.”
Social Soundwaves is looking for donations of any spare instruments or recording equipment to help them continue.
Visit www.facebook.com/ SocialSoundwaves to get in contact