In Search of Lost Venues

Stephen Hamm played in Vancouver bands starting in the early 1980s, including Slow, Canned Hamm, Jungle, Tankhog and Nardwuar And The Evaporators. The Georgia Straight once called him ‘semi legendary.’ His current solo show is based around Theremin and Synthesizer. This conversation was recorded on April 16th 2024. John Barley’s, at 23 W. Cordova Street, has been a music venu

Gary Smith was a founding founder of the synthesizer-based Vancouver band Images in Vogue in 1981, after playing in various bands as a teenager. He went on to a later career as a music video producer and assistant director in film and TV. The conversation was recorded on March 14th, 2024. Luv-a-fair (1275 Seymour Street) started life as a gay dance club in 1975, but soon attracted

Bruce Dyck was the drummer in Fun 100, the B-Lines, You Say Party, They Shoot Horses and LeMaster. he is also the author of "Three reincarnations of the Smilin' Buddha Cabaret: Entertainment, gentrification, and respectability in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside 1952-84" a Master's thesis at SFU. Ryan Dyck was the vocalist in Fun 100 and B-Lines. He was the label manager at Mint Recor

Ida Nilsen has played in Beans, Cunt, Great Aunt Ida, the Buttless Chaps, Radiogram, The Gay and others. Ida was involved with The Sugar Refinery venue as a musician, employee and owner. The Sugar Refinery was a vegetarian restaurant and music venue from the mid '90s to 2003 at 1115 Granville Street. It was known for fostering local music projects which were experimental, collabora

Scott Morgan is best known as the electronic music project loscil. He previously played in Meet Daisy, Thee Crusaders, Destroyer, The Multiplex and others. The Blinding Light! was an underground cinema which ran from 1998-2003 at 36 Powell Street. Founded by Alex MacKenzie as a follow-up to his Edison Electric Gallery of Moving Images (1995-1997), the space housed a cafe, a gallery

Lindiwe Coyne performed as Wandering Lucy in the 1990s and her music came out on K Records. Her Discorder cover story is here. Her live set on CiTr’s Live from Thunderbird Radio Hell is here. The Malcolm Lowry Room was at 4125 Hastings Street in Burnaby, operated by the writer Michael Turner as a music venue in the mid-1990s. It was previously the North Burnaby Inn, a stripclub

Nicholas Krgovich has played in the bands p:ano, Burquitalam Plaza, Slavs, No Kids and also under his full name. This conversation was recorded on November 14th 2023. The Sugar Refinery was a vegetarian restaurant and music venue from the mid '90s to 2003 at 1115 Granville Street. It was known for fostering local music projects which were experimental, collaborative, and whimsical.

Larissa Loyva has played in p:ano, Kellarissa, Fake Tears, the Choir Practice, How to Dress Well, Destroyer, Dream/loss. Jonelle Aspa has been in the bands Sontag, Hen Party, Anybodys and Dream/loss. Both are involved in organizing Girls Rock Camp Vancouver. This conversation was recorded on December 29 2023. The Secret Location was a venue, rehearsal space and artists’ studios c

Harley Rothstein’s first band was the folk duo Russ and Harley. He then played in the psychedelic rock bands The French Hand Laundry, Pacific Nation and My Indole Ring. The conversation was recorded on August 30 2023. Russ and Harley played at The Bunkhouse, a folk music coffee house at 612 Davie Street in the 1960s. The rock bands played at The Retinal Circus at 1024 Davie Stre

Adrienne LaBelle has played in The Barcelona Chair, Aunts and Uncles, Movieland, Garbage Dreams, Supermoon, Lazy Bear. Venues visited: Red Gate (855 East Hastings), 121 Heatley, Hoko’s (362 Powell), The Astoria (769 E Hastings), Spirit Vegetable studio (876 Cordova Diversion), Ironworks Studio, the Zoo Zhop (223 Main Street), Chapel Arts (305 Dunlevy Other venues mentioned: La Ca