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In a steep stretch of New Westminster, where industrial and creative energy quietly collide, you can find Bully’s Studios, one of the last true outposts for underground music in the Greater Vancouver area. The kind of place where you can hear screaming amps, smell fresh sweat, and feel, viscerally, that the DIY spirit is alive and struggling to survive.
Long before it became a rehearsal space and venue, the building had deep musical roots. “I think it was late 50s, early 60s, the Tartini family opened the store,” says current owner Rob Leishman.”They were native to New West.”
“He played accordion, and they had lessons for the accordion. That’s how they started.”
As rock music exploded in the ‘60s, the shop became a regional destination, the first in the area to carry Fender and Gibson gear.
“It was the only place you could get Fender for a while,”
Leishman adds. “From the 60s to early 70s, it was kind of the biggest music store in the Lower Mainland.” Through the years, the shop passed through several iterations. From Jensen Music Store in the ’70s to a rumored stint as a pet store in the ’80s, it eventually became Bully’s Studios in 2003. Since then, it’s gone through five owners. Leishman got involved about six years ago, and officially took over three and a half years ago to save it from closure.
“I didn’t want to do it, but I was the only person who could,”
he admits. “So I ended up working for free and worked out some deals.”Keeping a place like Bully’s open in 2025 is no small feat. “I work a second job at night to basically keep the place healthy, and we make no money there,” Leishman says.
“Essentially, Bully’s operates as a nonprofit.”
“We’re trying to get the official status, but the city wants me to upgrade everything and I just don’t have the money for that.”
The economic reality for rehearsal spaces and venues is bleak. There used to be over 20 hourly rehearsal studios before COVID. “Now, there’s three main ones left and some smaller guys,” Leishman says. Mystic Rhythms in Langley recently shut down. Renegade’s gone. A lot of bands no longer rent space twice a week. They rehearse at home, through headphones, quietly.” The side effect is a fraying of community and a lack of physical gathering places for bands to cross paths, swap ideas, and form new collaborations.
“I started playing when I was 15. My first gig was at the Yale pub,” he says. “I’m very familiar with the Vancouver music scene. I had a unique experience, playing in a prodigy blues band, then old country, then jazz, then rock. I kind of played all the venues.” Over time, he watched many of those venues vanish.
“There’s just no venues left.”
“Especially for the heavier stuff.” he says. Bully’s has earned a reputation for being one of the few places left where loud, heavy, original music can thrive. But Leishman’s vision extends well beyond distortion pedals and scream vocals. He’s determined to make the space inclusive, varied, and essential for all kinds of artists and audiences.
“One type of show represents one community, and then we do another show the next night, and it’s a different community,”
“That’s what I love about it. We have all these different folks coming through and hopefully kind of link these groups up.”
All-ages shows have become a big focus. “It’s not necessarily the right financial decision, but I think it’s vital,” he explains. “When I grew up, I had music stores and places I could go where I could meet people and belong. As a musician, I don’t see those spaces as much anymore. Everything’s done online, which is great, but there are limitations to that.”
The venue regularly draws young fans and artists, many just entering adulthood or still in high school, who are searching for belonging. Leishman sees it in real time. “You can see these kids meeting for the first time,” he says. “I’ll be outside looking, and I’ll see two kids make eye contact, and you can see that glimmer of, ‘Hey, this person’s like me.’” These small moments are what fuel his commitment to the space, even as the financial losses mount.
There are added challenges now that the drinking culture around live music has shifted.
“The hardest thing with venues right now is the younger generation doesn’t drink. At all,”
“That used to be how we made our money. Now I pull special event licenses for shows, which cost me money, and I end up losing money because we’re not selling booze.” he says. Before the pandemic, bar sales used to provide a safety net. “When COVID lifted, we’d make a certain amount at the bar. Each year, it’s gone down to two-thirds, to almost nothing. I used to have a bottom limit on the bar to consider a show successful. That’s now our upper limit.”
Despite the hardships, Leishman remains optimistic, if cautiously so.
“I think we’re on the edge of a really cool heavy music revolution in Vancouver. Some of the bands are just excellent.”
But to build on that momentum, he says the space needs help.
“We are actively looking for anyone that wants to get involved. Especially booking shows.”
“It’s just me and my partner Victoria doing everything. Cleaning, promoting, hosting. If people want to build a scene, or even just have a regular night, we’re very open.” He’s especially eager to connect with younger organizers and artists. “Vic and I are older and starting to lose touch with the younger demographic,” he admits.
“But I personally think Vancouver is experiencing a really exciting groundswell. This post-hardcore kind of late-teens to early-20s group, lots of amazing bands popping up.”
Ultimately, he hopes more people see what’s happening across Vancouver’s underground venues, not just at Bully’s.
If you want to help shape that future, he’s ready to hear from you. “Just fire us an email,” he says. The best way to reach them is: bullysstudio@gmail.com.
Written by Alana Black | Evolution Media
Contact: ablack23@my.bcit.ca