Naman Shrestha
In Netflix’s ‘Building the Band,’ we get acquainted with 50 talented aspiring musicians who only listen to each other in pods in order to build a band with them without even seeing each other. As the contestants make choices solely based on connection, chemistry, and musical talent, they form bands with a shared objective — to impress the judges and emerge victorious against the other bands in the competition. However, when the bands are formed, other aspects come into play, such as choreography and performance style, which eventually become the cause of drama and tension between the band members.
With the aim of becoming the next big music band, all the competing bands showcase their musical talents and connection in front of three music experts, Nichole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, and Kelly Rowland. Meanwhile, AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys serves as the host, adding suspense and humor to the mix. From the isolated cubes where the contestants hear the vocal talents of other potential band members to the stage where they eventually perform as a band, the music reality competition show makes use of some illuminated and lively spaces to put the musical talents into the spotlight.
Building the Band Filming Locations
‘Building the Band’ is filmed in England, particularly in and around Manchester. According to reports, the principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the music competition mostly took place in the last week of August 2024, making it the final appearance of the late One Direction artist, Liam Payne, who tragically passed away a couple of months later. AJ McLean, one of the Backstreet Boys singer, opened up about the friendship he had formed with Liam on set. He told TV Insider, “A lot of our past lives were very mirrored, even though there’s an age gap, it doesn’t really matter. We kind of lived very similar paths, kind of that uncomfortableness in our own skin, but feeling safe when we’re on stage and when we’re doing what we love to do. He was just an absolute sweetheart.”
Manchester, England
Almost all the pivotal sequences of ‘Building the Band’ were lensed in the city of Manchester, which is situated several miles northwest of London. The production team captured various establishing and aerial shots, highlighting the versatile landscape of the city. So, you are likely to spot many landmarks and places of attraction in the backdrop, such as the Manchester Civil Justice Centre, the Midland Hotel, the Manchester Town Hall, the Manchester Cathedral, and the Manchester Central Library. When it comes to the musical performances of the talented contestants, they were taped in the Aviva Studios on Water Street in front of a live audience.
With the ability to host all kinds of projects, including intimate theater shows and multimedia performances, the studio facility has a 21-meter-high space that can accommodate about 5,000 people standing. Aviva Studios also consists of the Warehouse and the Hall, both of which can house a larger number of people. Since most of the singers had to be flown to the United Kingdom from the US without letting them see each other, the biggest challenge centered around logistics. In the above-mentioned TV Insider interview, AJ McLean added, “I got to be there in real time and kind of watch the whole process, so to be on set the day they actually met each other for the first time, like, I got chills. I got emotional. Some of them couldn’t even get the words out when they sang with each other because they were just so excited they got to finally meet their bandmate for the first time.”
