‘Punk rock? It’s great.’
~ The Downtown Eastside is considered the home of Vancouver’s punk community and arguably the start of the hardcore subgenre.
Hardcore Hastings briefly looks at the culture of Vancouver punk in the Downtown Eastside from the late ’70s to the early ’80s, when acts like D.O.A. and the Subhumans took a faster, rougher sound out of Vancouver and into the world.
This short documentary features interviews with Bev Davies, renowned concert photographer; Phil Addington, bassist of the new wave band Insex; and Wendy Thirteen, concert promoter and major supporter of local punk music.
They discuss the roots of punk and hardcore in the city, the atmosphere of historic DTES venues such as the Smilin’ Buddha and the neighbourhood’s notorious reputation.
- Black & White Photos courtesy of Bev Davies
- Archival Footage courtesy of Martyn Stubbs
- Thanks to the Museum of Vancouver for access to the Smilin' Buddha sign