Local arts and music hub the Red Gate has had a fractured relationship with the city over the years, to say the least, but its many volunteers still have big love for Vancouver. Even while the state of its current space at 855 E. Hastings hangs in jeopardy, this coming weekend's inaugural Alleyfest is an all-out celebration for the many acts that are often seeing playing the venue's concrete concert area, or at least practicing in one of its 10 lockout rehearsal rooms.
Katayoon Yousefbigloo, a longtime Red Gate Arts Society planner and bassist for Other Jesus that has been shaping the fest behind-the-scenes, says that the all-day event is a tribute to everyone involved in the DIY organization.
"I just tried to think about the bands that play Red Gate a lot," she tells Westender over the phone, of the Alleyfest lineup, which includes her own group, as well as venue faves like conceptual psych-rock pushers Dada Plan and ambient soundscaper Stefana Fratila. "I know it's kind of weird to make a show at a venue with bands that play there every weekend, but I wanted it to be a thank you to those bands."
Yousefbigloo has been involved with the Red Gate for years, having once held an art studio at the society's much-missed (though aged), three-level community space on the 100 Block of Hastings. The spot was shut down by the city in 2011 over "unsafe and hazardous conditions". The artist recalls the depressing year spent trying to find a new building ("it killed our souls," she says), and how its current locale needed some TLC when they moved into the building in early 2013.
"When we first moved into this one, it didn't have that same kind of character to begin with, because it was an old Dim Sum factory," Yousefbigloo remembers, adding that she and fellow Other Jesus bandmate Jake Hardy had helped build and section off practice spaces within the building. "We had to work on making people feel comfortable, [but] a lot of people have been moving more and more east since this place has opened up."
Comfort is big for the Red Gate Arts Society, which encourages and nurtures artists from all kinds of backgrounds. For veterans of the local scene, it's a homebase. For beginners, it's a boon, and a welcoming entry point into the local arts community.
"I feel like, if you're an entry level musician, then getting the space, getting the gear, booking the show...where do you even begin? Who do you talk to if you're not really involved, or just getting into it," Yousefbigloo questions, while hinting at the value of the arts centre. "After I got over the general intimidation of being a woman that wants to make music, being exposed to that stuff at Red Gate and having it visible to me made it seem like a thing that I could actually do."
Also playing Alleyfest is Shitlord Fuckerman, who opts for on-stage anonymity by choosing to be masked during performances. Despite this, the electronic musician has developed an intimacy with the Red Gate's many members since moving to the city from Comox a few years back.
"It's always been the big dog on campus of regular person-run spaces in Vancouver," they explain in a separate phone call, praising the space for both its accessibility and inclusivity, "especially in a place like Vancouver where it's increasingly difficult to keep community spaces open. It's good that they're so tenacious, opening a new space when the rent gets too high, or if the building gets knocked down so that a cafe/bistro can be put there instead."
Despite the Red Gate community's successful rebuild at its current spot, there's no guarantee that this Hastings Street location will be home for much longer. The three-year lease that started up in 2013 has since expired, with the society currently functioning on a month-to-month lease with Chip Wilson's Low Tide Properties. Talk of a more secure lease had been bandied about before, Yousefbigloo explains, but the real estate division of the Wilson empire suggested a significant increase to the current $7,500 a month rent (when reached by email, Low Tide representative David Ferguson declined to discuss numbers, citing confidentiality).
The loss of the space would be doubly damaging for Yousefbigloo, whose own Horses Records shop/show space in the Hastings-Sunrise area is closing at the end of the month.
"I guess I've tried many different models of trying to have space that we can share with the community," she says, before adding with a sigh: "Every way you go about it, it's hard when the main thing is real estate. Unless you somehow magically come across a space that you don't have to pay rent at, it's insanely hard in Vancouver."
Along with the 13 acts playing Alleyfest, the Saturday event will host various community vendors ("It's not just us that are getting squeezed out of the area," Yousefbigloo explains). A panel discussion about the future of Red Gate will also be held. There, they'll be rolling out a multi-tiered program offering annual memberships that include price breaks for concerts, space in their rehearsal rooms, and the opportunity to sign on as a community organizer. That so many people continue to contribute to the long-running, independently-funded community space, despite its many hurdles, warms Yousefbigloo's heart.
"It's easy to get jaded, but the nice thing about Red Gate is that it's so fluid. You can come in and out whenever you want. The ideas stay fresh, exciting and hopeful, and that's what you need in this city. Most people, if they go through three buildings in five years, they would not continue. There's a reason [we're doing this]. It's really nice to see everybody putting in so much work."
• Alleyfest takes place this Saturday, July 23, from 12-8 pm at 855 E. Hastings.
