Dave Berry - Valve Studio Completion

Dave Berry - Valve Studio Completion

Project 2015-11-30 14:59:50 +1300

Dave’s 40 year career has taken him through countless bars, halls and studios, playing in dozens of hard-working anonymous bands.  He has also recorded or toured with Shona Laing, The Holidaymakers, The Drifters, The Platters, Johnny Devlin and Bo Diddley. He has produced or performed a plethora of jingles, soundtrack pieces and tracks for a huge range of artists including Shihad, Weta and the cream of Wellington’s ‘90’s rock set.

In 1990, after 15 years working in the Musical Instrument business, he started the Kiwi Music Company Ltd, which rapidly became one of New Zealand’s most iconic instrument dealerships. KMCo was twice awarded Peavey Dealer of the year for NZ and in 1995 Dave was invited to Peavey HQ in Meridian Mississippi to receive specialist training in sound reinforcement and engineering.

In addition he built and operated Wellington’s nicely notorious Valve Bar in the late ‘90’s. During his tenure the Valve hosted an eclectic selection of local, national and international artists.

Fifteen years ago, tired of endless soundchecks and the general mayhem, Dave escaped to the quieter pastures of the Kapiti Coast near Wellington, New Zealand. During this period he transitioned two successive photo labs into the digital area.  Six odd years ago, folks started tracking him down with their trickier guitar repairs and he decided to not waste this part of his skill-set any longer.  Dave Berry Guitar Repairs went from a kitchen to a double garage, and finally the site at 123 Kapiti Rd - just up from Paraparaumu Airport. 123 consists of a photo lab (with film processing), guitar manufacture and repair, a coffee counter, video edit suite and audio recording facility (Valve Studio) which doubles as a gallery and performance space.

This Pledge Me pitch is to help repair the financial damage caused by a lengthy, unnecessary and near fatal regulatory process, due largely to the local council’s difficulty in understanding the nature of the operations at 123 Kapiti Rd, in relation the the area zoning. The project is nearly finished, but the centrepiece studio/gallery/performance space requires completion.

Dave has contributed a huge amount to New Zealand music and musicians during his career and we are asking you if you’d be able to make some appropriate contribution towards his wonderful, community-centric vision. The money will go toward the final touches to Valve Studio - the completion of the main space acoustic treatment, plaster, paint, headphone distribution, some ancillary cabling, PLUS… TAPE!!!!

The cost of this work is $NZ12,000.  Dave’s support team includes…

Brendon King, an ex Saatchi heavyweight, current CEO of Creative Coast & Board member of the Creative Kapiti Charitable Trust.  Brendon is also at the cutting edge of Virtual Reality content development in New Zealand. He and Dave are developing a synergy between their enterprises with the intention of forming a creative hub benefitting the Kapiti Coast and wider community.

Michelle Scullion (Melectra Music) composer, flute player with whom Dave has worked on many dance and theatre soundtracks.

Richard Bluck, international award-winning cinematographer on projects such as Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong and the sequel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Ben Fulton, CEO of Red Witch Electronics, makers of boutique guitar and bass effect pedals used by many international industry A-listers.

Bridgette CJ Carde (aka Tiffany Techwitch) sacrificed an Australian career with US multinationals to join the team.  She assists in the workshop, controls the finances, and will utilise her editing qualifications to commission the video edit suite.

Leo Ramakers, CEO of Teardrop Audio, makers of cutting edge high end hi fi speakers. Leo inspired Dave to construct a unique sound system from recycled components to deliver world-class audio in the main space.

Marcus Wilson, owner of Audio Analysis, sound guru and collector of vintage recording equipment.  Marcus has loaned an eclectic selection of rare and interesting microphones to support the project.

And last, but certainly not least.  Bill Yokum, Californian artisan, man of letters and a high school colleague of the late Jim Morrison (The Doors). Bill materialised without notice and proceeded to craft the major structure of the main space, after construction was halted due to lack of funds.

So far, the photo lab, coffee counter and repair workshop have been completed and commissioned.  The video edit suite is complete and ready for commission. The audio control room is cabled, complete and equipped with an eclectic selection of recycled vintage analog and digital equipment.

A small push is all it needs to bring this project to completion.

Dave’s support team thank you for your interest - peace, love and respect from us all.

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