In Search of Lost Venues – Details, episodes & analysis

Kristjanne Vosper's current project is KMVP. She has played in  Smearlord, Bash Brothers, Repukes, and OK Vancouver OK. She lives in Nanaimo.

Venues visited:The Black Lab ( E Hastings) was a "DIY, collectively run, volunteer-based punk space"  on Hastings Street , just east of Main, in the Downtown Eastside, from about 2014-2024.

Other venues visited: Pat's Pub, The Secret Location, Red Gate, Iron Road Studio, Fingers Crossed, Bullet Farm.

Other venues discussed: Jam space at Main and Powell, Crace mountain

Bands mentioned : Time Cops, Flat Bed, Shearing Pinx, Wameki, OK Vancouver OK, Red Circle, Screaming Queens, Bad Sister, Hag Face, Jo Passed, buddies, Felonious Parker, Freak Dream, Garbage Dream, Bereaved, Mansion Music, Imaginary Pants.

This episode features the following music:

KMVP: Anarchist Superstar from NUCLEAR FREE NANAIMO VOL III ( 2023)

Bash Brothers: Party Hat from BASH (2014)

KMVP: Swimming //without frogs from KMVP "goes Ribit" WITHOUT FROGS ( 2024)

Jerome is the founder of the band M01E, and of UBC Cry Club, which took place weekly, at one point, at the Fraser River Parkade at UBC. Cry Club started in 2021 and continued, usually weekly, for a couple of years, and then less frequently. It is unrehearsed and open to participation from everyone who attends. Cry Club is on hiatus but hopefully will return.

This conversation was recorded on April 1st, 2025.

Venues visited: UBC Cry Club @ Fraser River Parkade.

Other venues discussed: The Emergency Room, Pit Pub, SUB Ballroom, Red gate, Take Your Time, Grey Lab, Under the Bridge.

This episode features the following music:

M01E:  Make Space from The New Youth (2025)

UBC Cry Club: VOLUME - Kit, Hansen, Jerome - October 15, 2021 (From UBC CRY CLUB 2021-2022 哭中作乐 / best consumed at volume: 60% - 100% )

UBC Cry Club: DRUM - Sarth, Rafe, Jerome - July 22, 2022 From UBC CRY CLUB 2021-2022 哭中作乐 / best consumed at volume: 60% - 100%)

Lisa Marr played bass and sang in the beloved Vancouver band Cub. She started by playing in the Evaporators. She continues to play music, make films, and do all kinds of other art and activism. This conversation was recorded on January 28th 2025.

Venue visited: Cub House (1992-1997) at 837 west 19th Avenue.

Other venues discussed: Pop, Studio J, the Cruel Elephant, the Commodore, Notorious, the Arts Club, the Malcolm Lowry Room, the Starfish Room, Powell Street Festival, Hastings Community Centre.

Musicians mentioned: Neko Case, Hard Rock Miners, Sebadoh, Rancid, They Might be Giants, DOA, Maow, the Smugglers, Modernettes, Pointed Sticks, the Bombshells, Coal.

This episode features the following music:

Cub: My Chinchilla from Betti-Cola (Mint 1993?)

Lisa Marr: A Bit of a Fight (2020)

The Beards: Sidewalks from Funtown (Sympathy For the Record Industry 2002)

Phil Smith began in the awesome Vancouver punk band Wasted Lives, whose few recordings were recently released by Supreme Echo. This conversation was recorded on December 18 2024. He went on to musical projects like Snow Geese, Blanche Whitman, Bud Luxford and the long-running band Corsage.

Venues Visited:

Starvin' Marvin's was a nightclub on Burrard and Broadway which closed in the late 1970s.

Quintessence Records (later Zulu) opened at 1869 west 4th avenue and often had in-store performances. It moved to 1972 w 4th where it still exists today.

The Indian Center was built as a church (initially the Kitsilano Presbyterian Church) in 1911, and eventually became the Vancouver Indian Centre (now the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Society) at this location (1855 Vine) from 1970 to 1979. Now called Devon Court, the building contains luxury condos.  The Subhumans played there in June and July 1978, and the hall had at least 2 additional shows.

The Russian Community Hall on 4th and Arbutus has had events over the decades, but most famously was The Afterthought, where psych and hippie shows happened in the '60s before the Retinal Circus opened. 

Rohan's opened at a record store at 2865 West 4th Ave (it was an old house!), and then relocated to 2723 west 4th as the venue, Rohan's Rockpile, in 1972 or 1973. According to BC Business Online The Who came to play after an arena show.

The Legion Hall at 2611 west 4th avenue was known at Lion's Gate Hall, and was legion #79. There is an ad from 1963 listing it for rent for events.

Bands mentioned: Alan Horowitz Band, Heart, Dishrags, Subhumans, Jonathan Richman, DOA, Modernettes, Iggy Pop, Ramones, Talking Heads, Helium, Actionauts, Pointed Sticks, U-J3RK5, Steely Dan.

Other venues discussed: Luv-a-fair, Sub Ballroom, the Plaza (punk house), the Snake Pit, Viking Hall, Nat Bailey Stadium.

This episode features the following music:

Wasted Lives: Wirehead from s/t EP 1979 (reissued by Supreme Echo).

Corsage: Royal Couple from CORSAGE (originally released on cassette 1988) 

Corsage: September Song from Ancient Songs (2023)

Selina Crammond has played in the bands Movieland, Supermoon, Kiss Painting  and currently, Midnight News and Roswit. She also runs Monotapes with Gal av Gay. This conversation took place on December 7 2024.

Horses Records was an independent record and bookstore on Hastings and Nanaimo (on 2447 E Hastings Street) from 2014-2016, opened by Katayoon Yousefbigloo and Dan Geddes. The store frequently hosted music show in those years.

Other venues visited:  What's up Hot Dog (2481 E Hastings St), TD bank atm, Roy G Biv

Other venues discussed: Art Bank, Nyala, Railway Club, WISE Club, Zoo Zhop, Selectors, Records, the Moontower, Deep Space, Red Gate, the Astoria

Musicians mentioned: Chris-a-Riffic, Gal Gracen, Nice Apple, TV Ugly, Elf PIty, Search Parties, Dan Geddes (Peace, Lt Frank Dickens), Arbutus, connect_icut, Jock Tears, Cindy Lee, Kellarissa, Weed, lie, Apollo Ghosts

This episode features the following music:

Lt Frank Dickens: Concrete from Sour Bubblegum (2017)

Supermoon: Unsaid from Playland (Mint Records, 2016))

Midnight News:  Sucker Punch from Bad News Days (Monotapes, 2024)

In this bonus episode I talk separately with Rachel Melas and Conny Nowe, who played bass and drums in the all-female, post punk band the Moral Lepers, in the early 1980s. Rachel was also in the art punk band animal slaves among many others and Conny played in Tin Twist, and Junco Run. They now live together in Toronto where they play music in genres like cajun zydeco, swing, ragtime, folk and klesmer. This conversation took place on a video call, so you'll notice a different quality of sound and ambiance compared to the usual episodes!

These conversations took place on November 11 & December 13, 2024.

In Vancouver, Rachel Melas was in The Vistors, the Moral Lepers, Animals Slaves and the Might Club.

Conny Nowe started in the Moral Lepers, and also played in Tin Twist, Junco Run and The Work Party while in Vancouver.

Venues discussed: City Space (343 Railway Street), the Smilin' Buddha, the Balmoral, Odd Fellows Hall, O'Hara's, The Windmill, the Town Pump, the Lotus, the Archimedes Club, the Japanese Hall, the Railway Club, the Arts Club Backstage Lounge, Luv-a-fair, the Egress.

Bands discussed: Private School, the Zellots, K-Tels, Young Canadians, the Modernettes, Oh Susanna, DOA, Melodic Energy Commission, Images in Vogue, 54-40, Art Bergman, the Dishrags. 

This episode features the following music:

The Moral Lepers:  Suicide from Turn to Stone (Mo-Da-Mu 1982)

Animal Slaves: Save Me From Ruin from Dog Eat Dog (Mo-Da-Mu 1985)

Tin Twist: Stupid Cars (Mo-Da-Mu 1980)

This is a remote report, a conversation conducted virtually rather than in person. In these episodes I speak with musicians who have moved away from Vancouver about their experiences and the venues they loved.

Mar Sellars started playing in bands as a teenager in Vancouver, including The Riff Randells, The Ewoks  and the Engaged. She also played in bands while living in the UK, and worked at the CBC and the BBC. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she runs a Music PR, Consulting & Management Agency and is also a booking agent and label manager.

 Venues discussed: The Rage, The Starfish Room, The Brickyard, The Picadilly Pub, The Good Jacket, The Marine Club, The Railway Club, The Sugar Refinery, Ms T's Cabaret, Submission Hold House, Video In, The Waldorf.

Bands discussed: Flash Bastard, The Buzzcocks, Gob, Pluto, Thee Goblins, The Evaporators, The Organ, Fun 100, Lederhosen Lucil, Pulp, Blur, Elastica, Weezer, Moist, Crowded House,  Sheryl Crow, the White Stripes, Operation Makeout, the Von Blondies, Phillip Boa and the Voodooclub, Library Eater, The Disgusteens, New Pornographers.

Thank you to Kellarissa for the original theme music.

This episode features the following music:

 The Riff Randells: Who Says Girls Can't Rock from Riff Randells 7" (Mint Records 2000)

The Racket: British Bands Release Cult Records

The Evaporators: Aside From All This, Is There Anything Else? from I Gotta Rash split 12" (Nardwuar Records, 1998)  

Lyndsay Sung is a musician, writer, filmmaker and cookbook author. She was in the bands the Sob Story, le Petit Mort, Radio Berlin and Pink Mountaintops, and now plays in KCAR, Foxgloves and Strawberries and Cream. This conversation was recorded on November 5 2024.

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 and a 110-seat cinema. It showed new and classic underground and avant garde films, hosted nights to bring your own 8mm films and hosted experimental bands with a visual element.

Ms T's Cabaret was at 339 West Pender. The building began life as it started life in 1906 as the Myers Hall and later held the city's first purpose-built bowling alley, the Canadian Cycle and Motor Co, the Canadian Legion, the Boilermaker's Hall, and the Marine workers' Pender Auditorium.  During the 1960s the Auditorium was booked by music series, including the Afterthought, and was the site of an early Grateful Dead concert. The building was home to Vancouver's earliest drag bar, BJ's, open from 1970 to 1983, and later, the Vancouver Club Baths also opened in the basement area. After being sold, it took on a western theme as Saddle Tramps before converting to a lesbian bar, Ms. T's, which also had music shows. It was demolished after a fire in 2003.

Other venues visited: Pic Pub, The Brickyard. Also discussed: Submission Hold House, Dynamo Gallery

Bands discussed: Three Inches of Blood, Hot Hot Heat, Erase Errata, the Need, the Get Hustle, Young People, A Luna Red, Womankind.

Thank you to Kellarissa for the original theme music.

This episode features the following music:

KCAR: I Don't Know from Up Top (2023)

The Sob Story: WTO

Radio Berlin: DES from Glass (2003)

prOphecy sun is an artist, musician and educator who divides her time between Vancouver and Nelson, BC. She has been perfomring experimental music in Vancouver since the early 2000s. This conversation was recorded on November 3, 2024.

Sixth Fest happened on 6th Avenue between Ontario and Manitoba beginning in 2009  and latest for several years.

Video In (later VIVO) began life as The Satellite Video Exchange Society, founded in 1973. It excited in three other spaces before moving to 1965 Main Street in 1993. It promoted the uses of non-commercial video software as an information and communications medium, and the international exchange of non-commercial videotape material and information as well as providing educational resources and arts space. It moved to Kaslo street in 2014.

Blim is still an independent art and craft facility which began in 2003. Between around 2008 and 2010 it was at 197 East 17th Ave.

Musicians discussed: Bush tit, Chris-a-riffic, Kellarissa, Robyn Jacob, Polymer Dance, Dance Troupe Practice, Her Jazz Noise Collective, Constantine Katsiris (Scant Intone), Unreliable Narrator, Role Mach.

This epsisode features the following music:

prOphecy sun: Follow Me from Sleep Fever (2013)

Spell: Guided Highways from Lull (2012) 

prOphecy sun: Opening from SkyCat  (2021)

Jesse Gander grew up playing music as a teen in the band d.b.s. (1992-2001) in North Vancouver. He went on to play in numerous other bands, currently Uptights.  He started recording bands while still a teenager and has done music production for over 500 bands and artists from around the world. 

Seylynn Hall was a community recreation centre in North Vancouver which held shows for about fifteen years starting in 1996. The last shows was in 2009, though a couple of one off shows happened after that. It was the centre of a diy punk scene for those years, mostly run by youth for youth.

Other venues mentioned: The South Wall was a small room in the Lonsdale Recreation Centre which held youth music shows for several years in the 1990s.

Bands discussed: Brand New Unit, Fugazi, Reserve 34, Strain, AFI, The Weakerthans, DOA, the Evaporators, Middle-aged Queers, The Cost, Pansy Division, Tranzmitors.

This episode features the following songs:

d.b.s.: Way Out from Catch 22 (1993)

d.b.s.: Your Apathy is Killing the Both of Us from  Live At Seylynn Hall. Last Show Evah! (2001)

Reserve 34: Estivation from Reserve 34