open the heart, just a machine
HEY VANCOUVER,
It is with much anger and a heavy heart that I write this… It appears that “NO FUN CITY” has again become true. The Sweatshop has been shut down! The city and the landlord have terminated our licenses and our lease. We have to exit the premises as of Monday Feb. 16th. I have gone head to head with a couple officers for the past year and have been trying to work with city hall to meet their demands on us as a venue, skate park and gallery space. But in the end the $$$, fines and the cities demands are just too much to fight. They have closed us down!
I will be in contact with all the promoters, bands and events that are booked in the future at the sweatshop. I will do everything I can to find and relocate all of the upcoming shows.
This space has been amazing! And lets be honest this city sucks, venue after venue being closed, space after space being shut down and so many independent promoters, artists and performers being crushed by the corporate machine! This is a very sad day for me. And as much as the fight gets harder and more and more frustrating everyday. I don’t really know what else to do but fight and continue on. So stayed tuned… support the underground and I promise you! Another space will soon arise!!!! But for now we are done.
This past year we have had some of the most amazing performances, art shows and parties. And being true to form we are going to go out with one more… So for all of you who have been to the sweatshop and for those who always wanted to…. please come and join us this sat night. Feb. 14th Valentines Day with PRIDE TIGER, THE JOLTS, ADELAIDE and a few surprise deejays keeping the party going. Because in the end its always a party at the sweatshop!!!!
MALICE
Labels: no fun city, the sweatshop
11 Comments:
That totally sucks - it is really weird/sad I just found out about the K Records show in May scheduled to be at the Sweatshop and got really excited, 30 seconds later I find out the fucking Sweatshop is gone - I love this city I really do but they make it fucking impossible sometimes
By 
, at
4:39 p.m.
fuck you vancouver, you suck. :(
By , at
8:44 p.m.
Upon hearing this I threw up a little, and then got very depressed.
By , at
9:31 p.m.
the k records show WILL go on!!
By 
Unknown, at
10:27 p.m.
You pack a space with underage people and let them get hammered each and every night, then blame the city when you get shut down?
The space was rad, but to actually be pissed off at the city for shutting it down is beyond absurd. True, Vancouver is closing venues, and it does suck. However, as long as people have spaces that allow underage people to come in and get drunk, the city has a responsibility to act accordingly. Sounds like corporate bullshit, I know, but that's the way it is.
By , at
9:45 a.m.
hey, at least we'll all be able to gather in the 6000 sq ft bathroom lounge at the new seymour dick's.
"It's going to become a landmark amongst this empty scene that's here."
i think i just threw up a bit, too.
By , at
10:22 a.m.
I agree with the anon post to the extent that yes, illegal things get shut down and the city has a responsibility to protect citizens. I am not certain the issue is corporate bullshit either - I could be mistaken. I am more upset with the fact that city/police have taken measures to really stifle various scenes/promotions within Vancouver which could definitely be safe spaces for people (even in some way to include minors). Granted underage drinking (or even licensing venues to serve) and such is a problem, more to the point maybe, its illegal and I get why.
What I don't see the city doing and correct me if I am wrong here is fostering community by helping venues achieve a workable status. By making it prohibitively expensive and a barrier-laden process you are forcing people, kids, promoters to look elsewhere when it is within their (the city) power to nuture and protect by accomadating. This might be missing the mark, again I don't know the whole deal - my disappointment though is less about this notion of corporate fuckery and more about the city's lack of committment to serving the arts and community (that aren't of the Quatchi or Sumi variety). But I suppose that is not all that shocking
By , at
11:50 a.m.
Is anybody surprised here? The Sweatshop was nothing more than a boozecan labelled as a 'skatepark'. When will people learn? Yeah, Vancouver can be pretty lame, but NO CITY can stand by while a boozecan flourishes. Sounds like the neighbours had enough of the all night parties in their backyard.
I know that it filled a much-needed void here in Vancouver, but when you hear that the Sweatshop operators bailed on meetings with city councillors that were trying to help - That's pretty bad. They sealed their own fate with that move.
By , at
10:25 a.m.
On another note, Art Bergmann is playing a show on March 26 at Dick's. He hasn't played live in ages.
By , at
3:37 p.m.
does anyone know whats going on with the plaza? I've noticed a couple shows from there being shifted to either the plaza or the commodore.
By , at
3:56 p.m.
Plaza renos:
http://www.straight.com/article-177054/plaza-has-plans?#
