A small farm in Wales gets converted into one of the first residential recording studios in Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm. Fifty years ago, brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward decided to convert their family farm outside of the town of Monmouth in Wales into a recording studio. The stables and pig sheds were equipped with state-of-the-art recording equipment and over the decades Rockfield attracted the likes of Black Sabbath, Robert Plant, Simple Minds, and Oasis.
Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm, directed by Hannah Berryman, tells the history of the Welsh farm that became known as one of Europe’s best-equipped recording centres, specializing in heavy guitar bands. Along with founders Kingsley and Charles Ward, the latter of whom took ownership of half the farm in 1987 as Monnow Valley Studios, Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm features interviews with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, Liam Gallagher of Oasis, and Chris Martin, all of whom talk of their experience recording at the studios, which often ended with going to the pub in Monmouth.
Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm is a must-watch for fans of British rock music if only to discover the number of classic songs that were recorded at this farm in Wales. From the guitars for “Wonderwall” being recorded on an actual wall to Chris Martin getting the inspiration for “Yellow” during a starry night, the film is loaded with stories from the artists that helped to make Rockfield into one of the most unlikely, yet iconic recording studios in the world.
Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm is streaming as part of the 2021 Hot Docs Film Festival
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