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My Response To An Email Researching The Displacement Of Creative-Types In Vancouver Due To Condos And City Policy

By Cameron Reed

Tuesday September 9, 2008

In terms of the music community there is really no one to blame but ourselves. Bar owners are free to choose what kind of business they want to operate. They may want a lounge, a club, a bar that serves shitty beer to pensioners and welfare recipients; It’s their choice. All we can do is complain and throw illegal shows in warehouses. The city has no responsibility to make sure the local rock scene has a bar to play in. I’d say skip the music part if you are going to cover it. All you can do is complain about it and that’s just boring and sad. In the case of local music, the best thing you can do is get excited (and get people excited) about local bands and go to shows. That’s the only thing that’ll keep venues open for live music. No one is responsible to that community but those that are a part of it and more people have to start thinking that way.

We could complain about the emergence of the dance club scene, but then that just sounds pathetic too. When I moved here, if you want to do something “cool” you’d go to a live show or an art opening. Now you can bypass that completely and go to a club…and be “cool”. At least the former you were supporting a creative community and exposing yourself to some the great talent that the city has to offer. The latter you get to hear awesome mashups.

That’s why I do Music Waste and the Block Party (and for a time Only). To try and make local music cool and get people excited by exposing them to it.

No more complaining. That’s why everyone leaves. They’ve either worked too hard and saw no one else helping, or they didn’t work at all and felt things should be easier for them.

Rant.