Safe Amplification Site Society

Hey, remember that letter writing campaign we did? Well you might not believe this, but IT WORKED!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who wrote. 700 letters were hard to deny.

The decision came three days ago when Vancouver City Council unanimously adopted the following amendments to the Capital Plan:

"D. THAT, in the section Community Facilities: Libraries, Social & Cultural, funded from Emerging Priorities, an allocation of funding is available to undertake feasibility studies for new projects, such as new social and cultural group centres, including consideration of an all-ages live music facility, as well as to conduct a review of city-owned facilities to identify under-used space that could be provided at low or no-cost rates to community groups and projects that successfully demonstrate their feasibility to Council will be funded through the Emerging Priorities fund.

E. THAT Council direct staff to reallocate funds from Emerging Priorities to the New and Expanded Cultural Facilities category in the 2015-2018 Capital Plan, amount pending approval of Council.”

In case you’re wondering, there is $95 million set aside for the Emerging Priorities & Inflation Contingency fund.

The next step is for voters to approve the Capital Plan at the election next month while we work hard to demonstrate the feasibility of a legal, affordable, and accessible all-ages music venue in Vancouver.

Thanks again for your support… more updates to come.

For kids who want to kick out the jams, or watch their friends kick out said jams, the options in Vancouver are few. The vast majority of music venues in Vancouver serve alcohol and are only open to those 19 years and older, and what underage venues do exist are often less than legitimate.

That’s why a group of local community-minded musicians and music lovers have set out to create an all-ages music venue where budding musicians and young people could have a safe, drug- and alcohol-free environment to create and experience live music.

The Safe Amplification Society has been putting on all-ages shows at their rented Commercial and Venables location for the past year and a half, as well as workshops teaching kids how to put together their own magazine and screen print their own shirts.

The group’s directors are now hoping to find a permanent, subsidized home with the help of the City of Vancouver, and Vancouver voters.

Ryan McCormick is one of Safe Amp’s directors, and says the non-profit society is hoping the City of Vancouver considers including the group’s proposal for a permanent all-ages music and cultural centre in the city’s 2015-2018 capital plan, which will be voted on as part of the municipal election on Nov. 15.

Currently Safe Amp rents space at Astorino’s banquet hall from the Britannia Community Centre, and must pay market rental prices. As a result, the non-profit society has to rely completely on its 100-person-strong volunteer base to put on shows and run the space.

“Imagine a library, where all the librarians are volunteers, and the librarians then have to pay to market rent to keep the library open,” says McCormick. “The sheer volume of volunteer hours is really important to recognize, but you can’t rely on that forever.”

Safe Amp has put together a feasibility study for a permanent home, and it is the group’s hope the City of Vancouver will lease them one of the many city-owned buildings at well below market value.

McCormick said the ideal space would be close to secondary schools and public transit, and be in a neighbourhood where loud music would occasionally be tolerated.

Director Mark Pickersgill says having a permanent, affordable home would make the organization sustainable, giving Vancouver’s kids a safe place to experience music for years to come.

“The majority of the community see a benefit to what we do,” he says. “It’s a positive outlet.”

Volunteer coordinator Jessi Zapton says having paid staff would also allow Safe Amp to expand their workshop and after-school programming. 

Inclusion in the 2015-2018 capital plan is just the first step, however. The plan will need to be approved by voters on Nov. 15.

It’s important to note that this does not associate you or us with any particular political party – the Capital Plan is a separate question on the ballot from where you vote for candidates. Basically, we were told that the City wants to get young people excited about the election, and that including an all-ages music venue in the Capital Plan might just do the trick. So what have we got to lose? It takes 2 minutes to send an email… please help us out. Thanks!

Two options for writing:

1.     Copy and paste our letter below, being sure to fill in the blanks. Some examples of closed venues are Zoo Zhop, Red Gate I, W2, Hoko’s, Artbank, the Emergency Room, Nyala, the Sweatshop, 360 Glen, John, Goody, Goonies, Honey, Richards on Richards, and the Mansion.

2.     Write your own letter from scratch. Be sure to introduce yourself, state what you are asking for (an all-ages venue to be included in the Capital Plan), explain why this is important to you, note the issues with other venues past and present, mention Safe Amp’s Feasibility Study and venue proposal, and perhaps talk about venues you’ve seen in other cities.

Two options for sending:

1.     Email your letter to [email protected] and CC it to [email protected] so we can keep track of how many are being sent. Use a subject line that mentions All-Ages Venue and Capital Plan.

2.     Handwrite or print your letter on paper and give it to us to deliver – you can drop it off at any Astorino’s event over the next couple weeks. We’ll also have letter-writing stations set up at our shows if you’d rather just write it there between bands.

Thank you so much. Below is a sample letter you could copy and paste.

<3 Safe Amp

Dear Vancouver Mayor and Council,

My name is _______, I am_____ years old, and I have been a[fan / audience member / performer / event organizer / etc] in Vancouver’s music community since ______. I am writing to ask that space be set aside in this year’s Capital Plan for an all-ages music venue in Vancouver. Live music venues are important.  ______[Say why are venues important to you]______. I have seen many beloved venues come and go. Some of my favourite defunct venues include ____[your favourite defunct venues]____. It seems the most stable spaces are either bars, which young people are not allowed to enter, or costly rental facilities, which most young people cannot afford to book. I firmly believe that Vancouver’s youth would benefit tremendously from a legal, sustainable, affordable and accessible all-ages music venue.

The Safe Amplification Site Society recently published a comprehensive Feasibility Study which determined that an all-ages venue need not be large: 120 m2 of assembly space would have a 200-person capacity. The study also sets out ideal venue locations based on zoning, demand, and local amenities.

For the past year and a half, Safe Amp has been operating a temporary venue at Astorino’s in East Vancouver. With earned income from events and generous donations the organization continues to break even, despite paying market rate rent. Unfortunately, with no money to pay staff, volunteer resources are stretched to the limit. If the City of Vancouver provided a physical space, regular income could be put towards staffing instead of rent and the project could sustain itself indefinitely.

Other cities have municipal support for all-ages venues; the Vera Project thrives in its Seattle Center location with rent subsidized by the City of Seattle. In the Midwest, Rhino’s All-Ages Club partners with the City of Bloomington to provide a music venue and youth center, while in the Southwest, Warehouse 21 is funded by the City of Santa Fe. In Canada, the Halifax Pavilion operates on city property with public support. I believe comparable government support is essential in Vancouver, which economists have determined to be the least affordable city in North America.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to voting for this year’s Capital Plan.

____[your name and home address]____________,

Vancouver's all-ages music scene looking at boost

by YOLANDE COLE on FEB 26, 2014 at 4:00 PM

Ryan McCormick is hoping that revamped B.C. liquor policies will translate to good news for the all-ages music scene.

McCormick, a director with the Safe Amplification Site Society, said his group is excited about a proposed new liquor licence class for facilities, such as stadiums, arenas, and theatres, that charge a fee for events.

The measure is among 73 changes recommended to liquor laws following a review by parliamentary secretary John Yap.

“The thing that’s most exciting about that is it says that minors should be permitted to stay until the event ends, so assuming we’re reading this correctly, that means that [when] a venue like the Biltmore [is] having a concert, then minors would be allowed to go to that concert,” McCormick told the Straight by phone. "We think this is amazing."

Other recommendations the organization received positively include allowing establishments with liquor primary licences to offer more liquor-free events for all ages, including concerts—a measure the group has been calling for.

“That’s exactly what we’re asking for,” said McCormick. “It seems that somebody in the government has changed their mind about their policy from last year, and yeah, we applaud them. It takes guts to admit when you’re wrong.”

According to information provided by B.C.’s Ministry of Justice, a “significant amount of policy work” is required before details on specific regulation changes are announced.

Some changes to the Liquor Control and Licensing Act will be completed this legislative sitting, while others are expected to come later as part of a rewrite of the act.

A couple months ago, a friend talked to me about sneaking into a 19+ show. Sounds classic, right? Teens have been sneaking into shows ever since the first caveman had risque subject matter on his wall. But as my friend went on, it became apparent that she would do next to anything to get into this show. Some of her schemes included snatching a relative’s ID, using makeup to make her look 5 years older, getting shoes to make herself look taller, and even infiltrating the venue. Criminal operations and government policy decisions are performed with less forethought.

Her fervor might be concerning, but what’s worse is that it was necessary. It’s incredibly difficult for youth to attend concerts in Vancouver. Thanks to BC’s strict set of liquor laws, there is an notable absence of all-ages shows and a complete absence of all-ages venues. Youth across Vancouver find themselves cut off from performances at major music venues, restaurants, bars, and basically anywhere where liquor is served. Unless you’re 19 or older, good luck catching Franz Ferdinand’s show. It’s a far cry from venues in other provinces and nations; in Germany a 14 year old can order a beer, but in BC an 18 year old isn’t allowed to go to a concert just because there’s alcohol nearby.

Fortunately, there are people looking to open up live music to young audiences. The Safe Amplification Site Society, known commonly as Safe Amp, is a nonprofit collective dedicated to creating a venue for people of all ages. This would allow youth performers and listeners to see live music without being forced to go Ocean’s Eleven on the venue. Reid Blakley, a director of Safe Amp, says that a youth music venue could also become a community hub.

“Music has a proven track record of improving the lives of young people, especially those who are struggling in various aspects of their lives” says Blakley. “As of now a permanent, safe, democratically-organized, fully inclusive, legal, all-ages venue does not exist in Vancouver, and I think that’s a real crime.”

As of now, Safe Amp is already taking it’s first steps. They’ve set up a temporary venue at Astorino’s, a hall near Venables and Commercial. Thanks to Safe Amp’s organization and a dedicated team of volunteers, Astorino’s has already become a hub for youth musicians, indie artists, and alternative acts across the city.

Still, Blakley remains optimistic about what Astorino’s has proven.Sadly, the victory may be short-lived; Astorino’s is owned by a separate party, who has already marked the venue to be destroyed to make way for condos in a few short years. Such is the life of real-estate in Vancouver.

“The goal with Astorino’s is to prove both to the city and ourselves that we’re capable of running the kind of venue that we envision.” explains Blakley. “Within the next couple of years, we hope to make progress in getting a venue of our own, and we’re always working towards making Vancouver a more comfortable place for young musicians and music fans.”

While Safe Amp is well on it’s way to establishing a permanent venue, one has to ask; why exactly aren’t other venues available to youth? If it’s a concern over access to alcohol, can’t venues just check ID, just like any bar or restaurant?

Apparently, it’s not the access that youth have to alcohol, but the revenue alcohol sales generate. Music venues pull in most of their profit from the sale of alcohol, which makes them them “liquor-primary” businesses—by law, they are not allowed to host all-ages shows. Although venues would almost certainly love to let youth in the building, especially since youth are a main demographic for many bands, they simply can’t afford to compromise the profit they earn from liquor sales. Venues could choose to host all-ages shows, but they would be hemorrhaging money while doing it.

“In the past few decades, the live music industry has largely become subservient to the liquor and food service industry.” says Blakley continues.

Blakley also believes that there are other reasons why all-ages shows are kept on such a tight leash.

“All-ages events tend to be viewed with suspicion by local authorities, because of the perception that unruly teens will get drunk and cause trouble at them” he said, “Though they don’t seem to want to make bars illegal to prevent trouble from unruly adults.”

There is another victim of all this: the artists. Boatloads of performers have found their first support among youth, from Panic! At the Disco (who recently played a 19+ show at the Commodore) to Vancouver’s own Said the Whale. Youth bring a love of the artist and tremendous energy to a show—which is perhaps why Said the Whale is famous for their all-ages gigs.

Fortunately, there are some signs of change. Recently, Christy Clark has stated that families will soon be allowed to dine in bars, a case of “liquor-primary” businesses beginning to admit minors. But there is no progress about youth being permitted into liquor-primary performance venues, or even any talk of venues. The “Family First” agenda evidently doesn’t cover young people who love music.

There’s no easy solution to the venue performance problem. While all-ages gigs would be a boon to venues, bands, and audiences alike, they comprise the income from alcohol sales that venues depend on. Safe Amp is working to set up a permanent venue for youth performers, but they too struggle with expenses; as of now, the society has no full-time employees, and is supported solely by volunteers.

On Friday, the B.C. Government published a report outlining 73 proposed changes to our province's liquor laws. Liquor laws have a profound impact on the ability to hold live music events in our province. The Safe Amplification Site Society, a non-profit that is dedicated to music for people of all ages in Vancouver, would like to respond to the seven recommendations that we feel most affect all-ages music. Below, we comment on each of these and grade them, report card style.

BC: “55. The provincial government should introduce a new licence class and streamlined application process for facilities (e.g., stadiums, arenas and theatres) that charge a fee for an event (e.g., a sporting event or play). Minors should be permitted to stay until the event ends.”

Yes! We are very excited about this recommendation, and sincerely hope that all existing music venues will switch to this new class of licence, ditching their age-restricted liquor primaries forever. The only reason this is not an A+ is because the examples given do not include musical events. Assuming venues that charge a fee for a musical event will be given the same rights as those which charge a fee for a play, this could be a game-changer. A.

BC: “34. Minors, if accompanied by a parent or guardian, should be permitted in certain liquor-primary establishments. a. Government should establish a reasonable time (e.g., until 9 p.m.) that respects both the family’s choice to include minors in some events and the establishment’s responsibility to ensure an appropriate environment for all.”

While this would be an improvement on the status quo, we do have a few criticisms of this recommendation.

First, it is not always practical for teenagers and parents to go out together. Older teens may live apart from their parents, while some parents simply have different interests. The goal is to allow young people to safely and legally experience cultural events held in liquor-primary settings, and this change only helps those with parents or guardians who are available to attend those same events. We believe that a chaperone requirement may make sense for those aged 16 and under, but don’t think the requirement should apply to 17 and 18-year-olds.

Secondly, it is not specified what "certain liquor-primary establishments” means. Are they talking about allowing teens in the Best Western lobby bar, while still banning them from important concert venues like the Biltmore and Astoria? We are disappointed by the ambiguity here.

Additionally, the “reasonable time” is also left vague. 9 p.m. is given as an example, but it’s unclear whether that is the actual proposed cut-off time for minors inside liquor-primary establishments. We believe a 9 p.m. ending is too early to allow for functional all-ages events. An 11 p.m. cutoff for minors would be more reasonable, and would allow for true all-ages events where humans of all ages can interact and enjoy the same event together.

While recommendation 35 could certainly be improved upon, this is a good start. Considering the status quo is an F-, it’s great news that this recommendation is a solid C.

BC: “48. Remove the regulation that requires non-profit organizations to apply for an SOL for concerts and events. This will allow promoters who actually manage the event, to be responsible to meet all requirements of the liquor licence.”

This proposal, along with recommendations 7b and 43-46, makes it easier to acquire a Special Occasion Licence, which allows the sale of alcohol at a temporary all-ages event. While the SOL system is definitely broken, and we certainly appreciate any effort to improve it, we believe there is something missing here. One of the biggest problems with the existing SOL rules is that they are based on a distinction between public and private events. It's easy to licence a 'private' event where all guests are invited or sold tickets in advance, but harder to get a licence for a 'public' event that anyone can walk into off the street. Size is not important, so it's easier to licence a 500-person rock concert that everyone buys advance tickets to than a tiny piano recital that anyone could walk into off the street. This penalizes accessible community events that don’t have the capacity for advance ticketing, and encourages exclusive corporate events instead. We believe that if there is going to be an ‘easy to get’ licence and a ‘harder to get’ licence, the distinction should be based on the size of the event. While we appreciate these efforts to make all SOLs easier to get, there is no recommendation to abandon the public vs. private categorization, which is completely outdated and needs to be eliminated. C+.

BC: “15. Applicants and licensees seeking a review of LCLB decisions should have access to a new and separate decision-making body outside the licensing branch. The Ministry of Justice should review current processes and determine how best to provide independent decision-making for those seeking appeal.”

We hope the Ministry of Justice follows through with this recommendation and creates a way for people to appeal LCLB decisions. An appeals process like this could have saved Hoko's, which we believe was unfairly targeted by LCLB enforcement officers back in 2009. A+.

BC: “37. Food-primary enterprises that wish to fully transition away from food service after a certain hour (e.g., 9 p.m.) – if, for example, they wanted to operate as a nightclub – will be able to apply for a licence endorsement, allowing them to operate like a liquor-primary licence during those hours only. a. Minors would not be allowed in the establishment after that time.”

The aforementioned Hoko's was fined an unaffordable amount because they were operating contrary to their purpose - ie: as a "community centre" (actual quote from LCLB enforcement officers) instead of a restaurant. On one hand, this recommendation would legalize that business model, as restaurants would be able to legally shift to being concert venues after dinner time ends. On the other hand, the recommendation states that "Minors would not be allowed in the establishment after that time." This is disappointing. We love restaurant venues because they can legally allow minors! This proposal seems to remove that possibility. F.

BC: “66. Allow liquor-primary establishments to offer more liquor-free events for all-ages (e.g., music concerts).”

Boom! Death to Policy Directive 12-09! We've already explained why that policy was wrong and why it should be overturned immediately. It seems that the BC Government agrees with us all of a sudden. A+.

BC: “51. Except where it is not suitable from a public safety perspective, permit whole-site licensing for public events, eliminating “beer gardens.””

Currently, some outdoor events must restrict drinking to special areas that are fenced off from the rest of the event. This creates an ageist segregation where drinking adults are physically separated from non-drinkers of all ages. While there is a loophole here (it's not clear just "where it is not suitable from a public safety perspective"), the recommendation does suggest a literal tearing down of age barriers. B.

The non-profit Safe Amplification Site Society has published a massive 176-page Feasibility Study meant to guide Vancouver arts organizations towards the creation of local music venues.

In recent years, Vancouver music venues have been notoriously unstable, with dozens of spaces appearing and disappearing each year, often for regulatory and financial reasons. The constant losses and temporary gains in local music space have taken their toll, as musicians have either fled or become jaded and disconnected from their workspaces, knowing that a single noise complaint or a series of poorly attended shows could spell the end for yet another precious facility. And every time a venue dies, it takes with it tens of thousands of dollars worth of infrastructure, and does immeasurable damage to the human initiative that created and managed that space.

Since its inception in 2009, the Safe Amplification Site Society has sought to address these problems by establishing a permanent, legal, sustainable, affordable and accessible music venue for people of all ages in Vancouver. This January, they are proud to be publishing a Feasibility Study, meant to guide their organization (and other like-minded groups) towards the establishment of such a facility.

Three years in the making, the Safe Amp Feasibility Study was completed with over a thousand hours of volunteer work and a $5000 budget, half paid by the City of Vancouver. The study answers four basic questions about the establishment of a Safe Amplification Site. The ‘Why’ chapter delves into municipal planning documents and academic literature to justify the need for such spaces. The ‘When’ chapter is a strategic plan that outlines realistic steps necessary for the creation of the space. The ‘Where’ chapter is an in-depth location analysis that looks at zoning laws, neighbourhood demand and other factors to map ideal venue locations in Vancouver. And finally, the ‘What’ chapter goes into great detail to determine what physical characteristics a legal, accessible and functional venue would require. Forthcoming ‘How’ and ‘Who’ chapters will include the financial and human resources plans necessary to determine budgets and financial sustainability.

Astorino’s

Photo via Yelp

How many permanent all-ages music venues in Vancouver can you name? Trick question. There aren’t any.

But a four day music event called “Safe Fest” aims to change all that. The proceeds will go toward securing a permanent, alcohol-free spot for underage concertgoers.

“I work as a music teacher and I have a lot of underage students that love music and they, all of the time, are complaining about not being able to see shows,” says organizer Daniel Ruis.

The event is being put on by the “Safe Amplification Site Society” or “Safe Amp” for short. Until now the group has been putting on shows at Astorino’s restaurant at Commercial and Venables.

“The issue with that is that it is only temporary because they have to give up their lease because [the building] is going to be developed eventually.”

More than 75 bands are playing 13 different venues between now and Sunday.

SafeAmp formed in 2009 with the idea of presenting music to people of all ages and establishing a permanent legal, sustainable, and accessible all-ages venue in Vancouver.

Today, the Safe Amplification Site Society is working with the Britannia Community Centre to promote gigs at Astorino’s on Venables Street. For the next year, the organization hopes to build momentum towards its goal.

“If we are able to prove that this is something Vancouver needs, then we are hoping to get further funding and develop a permanent site either where we are or elsewhere,” says SafeAmp’s Ryan McCormick. “It’s really easy to become a member and present whatever you want as we don’t have any curatorial play in this.

“Fill out the form, pay $10 or do two hours of volunteer time and you can book a show.”

The organization also provides workshops on how to stage a show that respects bylaws, and lobbies the city, province and other stakeholders to attain its goal of making sure the kids can rock.

McCormick, 30, is old enough to legally attend licensed performances, but remains dedicated to the cause because he remembers how little there was when he was an underage fan as well as a performer.

Lynzaii Made of IndieStar Live got into the biz for the same reason.

“I started promoting shows when I was 15 in Red Deer, Alta., because bands were always going through town between Calgary and Edmonton and not stopping,” Made explains. “So I started doing shows there, where it was a lot less restrictive than it is here. I continued with it when I moved out to Vancouver.”

A MULTI-DAY FESTIVAL aimed at helping to secure a permanent all-ages music venue in the city will take place in Vancouver next month.

Local band BESTiE is presenting the four-day, all-ages music festival #Safe Fest, which will run from October 10 to 13 at venues around the city.

According to band member Rob Cameron, the festival is intended to offer an inclusive experience for all ages, and give young people a chance to participate in the local music scene.

“We have a great, really strong, vibrant music scene in Vancouver, and unfortunately, the way the liquor laws are right now it’s incredibly difficult for anyone under the age of 19 to go see a show, or access that music scene,” Cameron told the Straight by phone. “So we’re trying to make it accessible for kids.”

The festival will feature a mix of under-age bands and established local artists, including the Boom Booms.

The pricing scheme for the event is also aimed at making the event accessible for young people. Full festival passes will cost just $15, while all shows at Astorino’s, Red Cat Records and Neptoon Records will be by donation. Other showcases will cost in the range of $5 to $10.

“I know if you’re a kid and you don’t have a job, it’s tough to get money,” said Cameron. “Even if someone can’t afford $15 for a festival pass, they can still come see about half the shows.”

Profits from the festival will go toward the Safe Amplification Site Society, a non-profit that is working to set up a permanent all-ages venue in Vancouver, and to The Music Tree, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness of ecological community projects through concerts and other events.

Safe Amp is currently operating a temporary all-ages music venue at Astorino’s on Venables Street.

“At the moment…any established music venue that is regularly putting on shows is not allowed to have anyone under 19 in the bar,” said Cameron.

“So really if you’re under age and you want to go see shows, you’re either going to a rare music show at a hall that someone’s decided to put on, usually at a loss–because it’s really hard to make money if you’re not selling booze–or Astorino's.”

Cameron said the idea for the all-ages festival initially came about as part of a challenge through the Peak Performance Project. The members of BESTiE , one of 20 finalists in the competition, hope to see the festival evolve into an annual event.