A NEW music club has been launched by DJ Rob da Bank in Eastleigh.

The Common People and Bestival festivals co-founder has partnered with SoCo Music Project to launch the monthly club, at The Courthouse.

A launch of the Rob da Bank Music Club, attended by the DJ, gave youngsters a taste of the workshops on offer in singing, Afrobeat jam with the Sea Slugs, music production and technology, MCing with LST, spoken word, rap, song writing, video production and instrument lessons.

The club – which will meet once a month, is based on the successful model that started on the Isle of Wight, which continues to go from strength to strength.

The Eastleigh-based club offers an exciting opportunity for young people to gain access to inspirational artists through diverse music making activities.

Supported by Youth Music and Bestival Foundation, the club is free and offers a variety of music-making activities for young people to get involved in, led by professional musicians and guest artists.

Speaking to the Daily Echo Rob, 41, said he was “truly excited” to be opening a club in Eastleigh.

“It is one of my biggest passions – it doesn’t matter if you‘ve never played an instrument or sung a bar. We are not elitist.

“I started a club on the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago because I saw when clubs were closing there were not enough places for young people to engage with each other. I grew up in Southampton and I thought something needs to be done here too.

“My greatest ambition would be to grow Rob da Bank music clubs around the city. I feel it’s essential for people struggling with ambition and don't know what they want to do.”

Daily Echo: Rob da Bank, sitting centre, launches the music club at The Courthouse in Eastleigh. 

Rob is also concerned that music has become sidelined on the school curriculum: “It’s about that very elementary thing of playing music. Music in schools is on the down turn and there’s not enough music taught there.

“At my Isle of Wight club I saw kids that after three months were playing to a room of 300 people. So for insular and terribly shy kids they discover something that brings them out of themselves. Even if they don’t want to take part they can just come along and a have a squash or a coffee.”

Rob added: “It’s a great tribute to Southampton that everyone is pulling together and doing this voluntarily, thanks to SoCo. I’m very envious of the space, and the jail rooms and court room have great acoustics!”

The buildings are due to be demolished at the end of the year but Rob says his music club will continue elsewhere.

“Rob da Bank music club won’t end after that! There are lots of disjointed and fragmented youth clubs on offer but if you can bring everything together and raise the profile it’s very appealing to young people: we want to make it a beacon to young people.

"You can meet amazing musicians here and have a laugh in a safe environment – it’s not rocket science “At the Isle of Wight club Kate Tempest, Mark King from Level 42 – pop stars new and old, come down and they love it as much as the kids: they get much more back than from a normal gig and it’s very much up close and personal.”

It is an exceptionally busy time for Rob who now lives on the Isle of Wight with his wife Josie and three sons who are nine, seven and four.

“I do love what I do. There are four shows this year: Common People, Bestival in Toronto, Bestival and Camp Bestival. I’m very excited about Common People. I think people thought we were mad doing it on our doorstep! But it is looking amazing!”

But he is very much aware of the support he receives from his wife Josie who he met in his first term at university in London.

“My wife runs Bestival more than I do – she started it with me. We’ve been together 22 years and she’s the unsung hero: behind every successful man is a woman...it’s true!