Author Archives: Sadie Kelly

Vancouver Punk Calendar – Answering the 5 Ws

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For a city as big as Vancouver, it can be difficult to know what’s happening, who’s going to be there when, where, why… etc. It’s especially difficult when you’re trying to get into the local music scene.

How awesome would it be if there was an easy way to answer all of those questions? If only I knew of a site that could do just that… Oh wait, I do!

The Vancouver Punk Calendar is a free website available to everybody that will tell you all about the latest up and coming shows in and around Vancouver!

You want to know who’s playing, where it’s going to be, when it’s happening, what it’s attached too, maybe even why? Well there’s a pretty good chance it can answer all of those questions and more with a couple clicks!

You can check out the calendar here:
https://www.vancouverpunkcalendar.com/

It’s doesn’t just show what’s happening that month either, if there’s a show happening a few months in the future, it’s probably there. If there’s a show that’s going to happen that isn’t on the calendar? The Vancouver Punk Calendar is on Instagram and Facebook, and more than open to people informing them on new shows! On top of that, you can also add the calendar to your google account and access it from the Google Calendar application or website to make it even more user friendly.

The Vancouver Punk Calendar is a prime example of how the community operates. It shows how welcoming it is by making it as easy as possible for new and returning community members to navigate the bustling scene. It can be very overwhelming at times, but the calendar is here to counteract the stress accordingly.

Many people may look at the local music scene, punk or indie, and assume it’s a tight knit and closed off community, but it really isn’t. Tight knit, yes, but it is genuinely such a friendly place. It gives many a space to explore self expression, find like minded people, and learn about both themselves and others.

All and all, if you’ve ever found yourself curious and wanting to see what Vancouver’s local music scene has to offer, I highly recommend grabbing a friend and checking out the Vancouver Punk Calendar. You may find something that sounds interesting, so don’t let fear keep you from finding a new place to be your true, authentic self. You only live once, you might as well find a good way to enjoy it!

Take Your Time Back – Gone But Not Forgotten

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On March 12th of this year, fans and artists alike were given unfortunate news from a fan favourite venue: Take Your Time Back.

The city had gone and told them that they could no longer hold live events, in turn shutting down the heart of the operation. The building itself had been home to various other live music operations. Shows have basically been ingrained into the building since the beginning.

The official post announcing the shutdown can be read here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVztP8KlB9G/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The news came as a shock to many, despite it not being a new concept. Venues have had a difficult time existing as of late, with various closures happening all around the city. Still, it’s not something people like to hear.

This closure in particular is a tough pill to swallow though, as Take Your Time Back was a pillar in the community for various reasons. For one, it served as a pivotal stepping stool for emerging artists. The venue was the best place for new bands to step into Vancouver’s local music scene, with it being many artists and bands first big show.

Before the shutdown news, TYTB allowed Vancouver to have a very unique order of operations for new bands. Artists would start off with a classic house show, then move onto Take Your Time Back as their first proper venue, before finally moving on to larger independent venues like Green Auto or Red Gate.

The differences between TYTB and Green Auto or Red Gate were simple, but made a massive difference in the long run.

TYTB was much easier to book, as well as much cheaper. They lacked the usual deposit fees that came with booking. The venue was also all-ages, allowing bands to introduce themselves to a broader audience, instead of instantly blocking off a good chunk of could-be fans.

Among all of this bad news, there is still a positive. While the live music and Take Your Time Back is gone, Take Your Time Front is still active.

If you’re wondering what it is, don’t worry! I won’t leave you hanging. Take Your Time Front steps away from the loud kind of protest it usually led at TYTB, and traded it in for workshops, education, and community events. It still has the similar radical values it had prior, it’s just choosing to look at it from a new angle.

Personally, I haven’t gone to any TYTF events yet, but I’ve heard good things, and am happy they have found ways to continue giving the community a place to thrive. Shut down be damned.

The Return of “No Fun City” – Local Venues Fighting for Freedom

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Vancouver’s local music scene is a mixed bag. From underground hole-in-the-wall locations, to random shows in random parks, it is a rich community with something for everybody to love.

With that, it’s difficult for many to understand why the City of Vancouver seems so against the idea of keeping these venues open.

Despite this, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has actively said that he agrees that the cities nightlife scene isn’t the greatest. Even going as far to reference the old nickname of ‘No Fun City’ which was originally coined way back in the early 2000s.

Between the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Vancouver’s entertainment industry all around suffered countless threats of closures, many being acted upon accordingly. With the intense and uncanny amount of closures, it led the local indie and punk communities to seek musical refuge in illegal underground venues. That itself also didn’t last, as many were eventually raided by police.

Returning to present day, it almost seems like a worrying case of deja vu, as the crackdown of venues is returning slowly but surely. The catch? Officials look to be focusing on all the wrong venues.

Council Member Brian Montague has spent much of his time in office trying to crack down on illegal venues. It was said that he actively sent a list of venues to another city official in hopes that they would act accordingly. The problem with this is where that list came from, and that some of the listed venues already had the required city licences and liquor permits to hold shows legally.

Following this information being released, various venue operators chimed in, stating that the entire situation just added fuel to the fire of previous suspicions. Claiming that they believed bigger venues that are heavily established in the cities eyes are using that privilege to undermine what they deem to be ‘competition.’

Some of the groups Montague had contact with spoke out, confirming the contact, while another added that they had gone to various venues to try and get them to sell themselves out, effectively aiding in adding names to Montagues list.

A main point of interest that the government has to go after venues is the long standing record some have in disregarding liquor laws. Using it as their go-to reason to defend their actions. Having said that, lots of independent operators have fought this idea, saying it’s unfounded and just another excuse used to attack local venues and control of the nightlife industry economy.

The province allows people to apply for temporary liquor licenses, which in the long run is much cheaper then going through the process of acquiring a permanent license. Due to this, many smaller local venues choose to go the temporary route for specific events.

However, in the eye’s of Vancouver’s BarWatch program, a public and voluntary initiative that strictly enforces bans in the realm of violence within the cities nightlife world, claims that the venues who consistently acquire temporary liquor licenses are ‘cheating.’

To be quite frank with you, I believe that entire idea is completely flawed. From a business perspective, any local venues going down that route are simply doing what’s best for them and allows them to keep their heads above water, all while staying in legal parameters. The process of getting a permanent liquor license is both costly and time consuming, for small venues, it is simply too big for them to even consider safely. They are more then right for going down the path they are, why? Because their focus is the community.