ABORT Magazine™

Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing: An outsider’s perspective of metal in Vancouver, and the Rickshaw Theatre

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Scott Alexander)
(In order: Bison BC, Black Wizard, Local Metalheads – Rickshaw 2yr Anniversary Party)

Originally hailing from small town Alberta and remaining a prairie resident right up until last year, it would have been difficult for me to comment on the metal scene in Vancouver. With the Rocky Mountains planted firmly like a wall between us, there weren’t a great deal of west coast bands that made the trek out east and the only knowledge I had of heavy music in the city was of course Devin Townsend’s Strapping Young Lad, stoner upstarts Black Wizard, and black metal legends Blasphemy. Since coming to the city and seeking it out however, I have come to find a great deal of the metal scene at the Rickshaw Theater.

The first time I found myself at the Rickshaw Theater was for Hate Eternal and Origin’s co-headlining tour last summer. I was immediately taken with the venue. Nestled in the heart of the downtown Eastside, the Rickshaw is a very plain venue, not a lot of frills, but it is its simplicity which makes it so great. Unlike most general admission venues there are plenty of chairs to rest weary feet as they have kept a number of old theater seats at the back that also provide a perfectly good view of the stage. The stage itself is just high enough that it can be seen from all sides, but not so high that it couldn’t very easily be mounted and jumped off of, should the opportunity present itself. And if you find yourself with an empty beer, you need only take a few steps to the left of the stage to quench your booze lust. It’s a great set-up, especially for metal bands and their fans.

It had been a very long time since I had seen a crowd as gung-ho and ballistic as the death metal fans in attendance that night. Origin had the most insane set by far, with the crowd doing a perfect trifecta of constant stage-diving, circle pitting and head-banging/fist-pumping. The whole room was pulsing with the movement, and it really would have been difficult to create and maintain that energy in a lot of other spaces. For starters there was no security or barricades, the ceilings in the converted theatre are more than high enough that people weren’t hitting the roof and the dance floor is big enough that a large circle pit can get going without having to involve the entire room, leaving people to jam out and just watch the stage if they want to.

Most of the shows I have seen there since have been metal shows, local and international alike, and it seems that it’s likelihood towards being a banger epicenter are only increasing. The demise of the old Cobalt and it’s (basically) resurrection as Funky Winkerbeans, places one of the only other exclusively punk and metal venues in the city a mere three blocks from the Rickshaw. As well, depending on how the liquor license and movie ban issues go at the Rio Theater, they may start to bulk up the live shows hosted there, scooping up more of the indie acts that would have otherwise played the Rickshaw. I doubt it would become as homogenous as Funkys, but there is a possibility of the Rickshaw becoming more of a punk and metal venue, and I think that would suit me just fine.

By: Coleman

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One Response to “Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing: An outsider’s perspective of metal in Vancouver, and the Rickshaw Theatre”

1. Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing: Metal in Vancouver and at the Rickshaw Theater |, on February 16th, 2012 at 11:59 pm Said:

   [...] beautiful people in internet-land. If you fancy some (extremely) light reading, have a gander at this piece I wrote for ABORT magazine about swilling beers and banging heads at the Rickshaw. May Lemmy be [...]