FINDING SPACE, MAKING PLACE: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SPACE TO LOCAL PUNK COMMUNITIES A Dissertation Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright by Katie Victoria Green 2018 Cultural Studies PhD Graduate Program September 2018 ABSTRACT Finding Space, Making Place: Understanding the Importance of Social Space to Local Punk Communities Katie Victoria Green Independent music venues are important hubs of social activity and cultural production around which local punk scenes are both physically and conceptually organized. Through interactions with participants over extended periods of time, these spaces become meaningful places that are imbued with the energy, history and memories of local music scenes. When a venue is shut down, local punk scenes experience a temporary disruption as participants struggle to begin the process of re-establishing a new autonomous social space free from outsider interference. Therefore, moving from the local, to the national, to the international, from the small and personal to the vast and global, as well as from the physical to the virtual, this dissertation illustrates the actual, everyday practices of local scenes across Canada, addressing the larger issue of the loss of alternative music venues occurring on a global scale and the resulting impact on punk scene participants. Through the use of ethnographic research methods such as participant observation, photographic documentation, interviews and surveys, this dissertation engages with contemporary punk scene participants in order to give voice to those often ignored in grand narratives of punk history. As such, traditional concepts of punk as a utopic countercultural space are challenged to reveal the complexity and diversity that exists within contemporary local punk scenes, where participants often experience equal amounts of cooperation, competition, tension and struggle. By choosing to engage with contemporary experiences and interpretations of punk culture, this research addresses the ii changing landscape of local scenes, as punk participants attempt to carve out spaces of representation for themselves in an exceedingly mediated world. Keywords: punk, music venues, social space, subculture, scene, community, Canada iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my deepest respect and gratitude to Dr. Alan O’Connor whose work inspired my initial application to Trent University’s Cultural Studies Doctoral program, and whose continued support and guidance as my primary advisor was an invaluable asset to the completion of this dissertation. This project would also not be what it is without the help of my advisory committee, Dr. Hugh Hodges and Dr. Michael Epp. In times when I needed it most, they gave me a push (sometimes a shove) in the right direction, and when it seemed like the end would never come, provided me with the confidence to continue. Thank you. Thank you as well to Dr. Andrew Loeb of Trent University and Dr. Jeffrey Debies-Carl of the University of New Haven who agreed to be part of my examination committee and whose enthusiasm added an extra level of insight into my work. I must also express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the faculty and staff of Trent’s Cultural Studies Department, particularly Dr. Jonathan Bordo, Dr. Liam Mitchell and Dr. Joshua Synenko, who all took the time to meet with me, offer support and discuss ideas. Thank you as well to Catherine, whose door was always open and who went above and beyond to keep all of us as organized as possible. I never would have expected that undergoing a Ph.D. would result in finding some of the dearest friends of my adult life so far. To my friends and colleagues at Trent - Laura Thursby, Janelle, Amy Jane, Anhiti, Jane, Moritz, David, Corey, Alison, Nooshin, Troy, Laura Greenwood, Laurence, Eric and so many others - I will never be iv able to thank you enough for the years of laughter, silliness, love and support. You are the literal best. A very special thank you goes out to Dave Tobey and his staff at The Spill, Wayne Kennedy, the Safe Amplification Site Society and all those who participated in interviews and surveys. From Peterborough to Vancouver and everywhere in between, I hope I have represented your scenes with as much honesty, respect and vibrancy as they are lived. To Mum and Dad, Michael, Jodi, Matt and family: Through all the ups and downs, the triumphs and set backs, the laugher and tears and the excessive amount of swearing that occurred throughout this entire process – through absolutely everything, you were there. I love you all. Thanks for loving me too. And thank you with love to Greg for his patience, encouragement and friendship. You make every day an adventure and I can’t wait for us to hit the road together again. Over the past six years, an innumerable number of friends, family and colleagues deserve acknowledgement for the role they have played in my life so far. If I have forgotten to include you specifically, please accept my apology and know that you are very much loved and appreciated. Finally, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to the memories of Todd Serious and Angi Orchard. Gone but never forgotten, you live on through your beautiful memories and your music. Rest in Power, my friends. The pain of being around for such a short time. The immortality you seek from being part of something more. v - ‘Bring ‘Em In’ by The Rebel Spell (2005) vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents vi List of Figures ix List of Tables xi Introduction: Why music venues? 1 1.1 Subcultures and Scenes 3 1.2 Space and Place 8 1.4 Methodology 14 1.5 Organization of Chapters 21 Chapter 1: ‘It ain't a sleepy little town’: Building and maintaining a punk rock scene in Peterborough, Ontario 25 2.1 Inside The Spill 29 2.1.1 Spatial adaptability and manipulation 34 2.1.2 Physical and social organization 39 2.2 The Peterborough scene: Cooperation, competition, tension and struggle 52 2.6 Case study: The rise and fall of the $2 Punk Shows 64 2.6.1 Audience survey 65 2.6.2 Material and physical analysis 69 2.6.3 Social dynamics: Elements of cooperation 71 2.6.4 Controversies: Tension and struggle 73 vi 2.7 Conclusion: What happens next? 76 Chapter 2: Finding a ‘home for the hardcore’: Spatial tactics of constructing punk social space in Vancouver, British Columbia 87 3.2 Interviews and survey findings 91 3.3 Locating punk in Vancouver, B.C. 95 3.4 Disruption and loss of social spaces: The Cobalt Hotel 100 3.5 Hidden in plain sight: Illegal and underground venues 108 3.6 Do-it-together: Legal strategies of rebuilding space 113 3.7 Conclusion: Having fun in ‘No Fun City’ 121 Chapter 3: ‘Why ever leave the house?’: Defending the importance of independent music venues in a post-internet era 127 4.1 Mediated spaces: An overview of punk’s relationship with technology 132 4.1.2 Xerography: Flyers and fanzines 135 4.1.3 Telecommunications: Toronto’s Hardcore Hotline 140 4.1.4 The Internet: Facebook and Bandcamp 148 4.2 Collapsing the boundary between online and offline: Pouzza Fest as a mediated punk space 160 4.3 Online surveillance and DIY spaces: Exploring the aftermath of Oakland’s Ghost Ship fire 170 4.4 A (virtual) space for (physical) place 178 Conclusion: Reflections and Next Steps 184 5.1 Challenges and limitations 186 5.2 Areas for future research 188 5.3 Final thoughts 193 References 196 vii Appendix A – Interview Information and Consent Package 209 Appendix B – Interview Participant Survey 213 Appendix C – The Spill Audience Survey 215 Appendix D – Copyright Material Permission 220 viii LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER ONE Figure 2.1 Smashed Guitar, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 31 Figure 2.2 High Tops Neon Sign, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 33 Figure 2.3 The Spill Floor Plan (Triangle of Surveillance) 37 Figure 2.4 Bathroom Graffiti, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 38 Figure 2.5 The Spill Floor Plan (Micro-Zones) 41 Figure 2.6 Zone 1, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 42 Figure 2.7 Zone 2, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 44 Figure 2.8 Zone 3, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 46 Figure 2.9 Zone 4, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 48 Figure 2.10 Zone 5, The Spill (Interior), Peterborough ON 49 Figure 2.11 Zone 6, The Spill (Exterior), Peterborough ON 51 Figure 2.12 Lamp Post, Peterborough ON 60 Figure 2.13 Community Event Board, Peterborough ON 61 Figure 2.14 The Spill (Exterior) After Closure, Peterborough ON 77 Figure 2.15 The Spill Tribute Show Ticket 78 Figure 2.16 Assorted Flyers at The Spill (After Closure), Peterborough ON 81 Figure 2.17 The Spill (Interior) After Closure, Peterborough ON 83 CHAPTER TWO Figure 3.1 Granville Street, Vancouver BC 97 Figure 3.2 East Hastings Street, Vancouver BC 98 Figure 3.3 The Cobalt Motor Hotel (Exterior) circa 2009, Vancouver BC 100 Figure 3.4 The Cobalt Motor Hotel (Exterior) circa 2017, Vancouver BC 101 ix Figure 3.5 Astorino’s (Interior), Vancouver BC 116 CHAPTER THREE Figure 4.1 Live Facebook Stream, Programme Skate and Sound, Fullerton CA 128 Figure 4.2 Show Flyers 135 Figure 4.3 Map of Montreal Showing Pouzza Locations 163 Figure 4.4 Pouzza Fest iPhone App Interface 164 x LIST OF TABLES INTRODUCTION Table 1.1 Interview Participant Survey Results (Demographics) 17-18 Table 1.2 Interview Participant Survey Results (Activities) 19 Table 1.3 Interview Participant Survey Results (Venues) 20 CHAPTER ONE Table 2.1 The Spill Audience Survey Result (Demographics) 66-67 Table 2.2 The Spill Audience Survey Results (Reasons for Attendance) 69 Table 2.3 The Spill Audience Survey Results (Safety and Responsibility) 75 xi 1 Introduction: Why music venues? This is our future.