The history of Gilman started back in 1986 with Tim Yohannan of Maximum Rockn'roll (a San Francisco Fan magazine) opened up the venue out of need for an all ages punk rock venue after two local clubs had been shut down. Bill Graham (Famous bay area venue owner) was actually supposed to fund the club in its early stages if a location and staff could be established, after all the legwork had been done, Bill Graham backed out of the deal, it turned out to be more of a publicity stunt than anything. The founders began tagging flyers and holding meetings to create a buzz about a new venue in an industrialized area of Berkeley California.
The organizers then embarked on a long stretch of legitimization in order to pass health and saftey codes by rebuilding the plumbing systems, electricity, and convincing the city that the venue would be a good venture all together.
On December 31, 1986, the club held its first show. The shows started out being promoted anonymously so that fans would come to shows to support a scene as oppose to a particular band, this policy was short lived as people naturally support bands individually. The shows following really contributed to the development of the venue and the support of the community.
The venue is unique from the standpoint that it has remained a DIY (do it yourself) venue run by local volunteers who believe in the importance and history of the venue and have not given into buy-outs or foreclosure, though it has been an issue up to this day. The venue has always been portrayed in a positive light due to it being a drug free, alcohol free, and violence free venue. The staff will not book or support racist, misogynistic, anti-homosexual, or major label bands for performances. For a band to be booked there, they must send a copy of the bands lyrics to the venue.
Part of my own personal connection to this venue is that it has been one of the few consistent venues I have played at (with my own band) and attended as a show goer over the years. It is a venue that isnt wound up in political correctness, strict rules, appealing visual appearance, or oppressive ideologies. The venue has survived from good shows, community support, and a realistic mindset by the staff. You walk into Gilman and the first thing you notice is the walls are 100% covered head to toe with graffiti. You then notice that the second time you attend the venue, that the walls are completely different as they have been painted over and re-tagged with graffiti. It is an every growing, ever changing venue, with the same liberal mindset solidifying its appeal to all age groups and musical enthusiasts from old school punks, hardcore kids, metal heads, mall-rats, scenesters, and everything in between. The energy of these shows can be seen here at a show i attended in November of 2008
A Poorly lit part of town (especially the venue) matched with a junky camera result in some less than perfect shots. This is 8th street where nearly all the parking is located.
This is The Gilman and 8th Street cross taken from the street.
A Dark and grim front side of the venue where kids are hanging out in-between bands playing.
2 Shots of the walls that are ever changing with graffiti, show fliers, and art.
A Small niche in the back of the club where the sound guy hides. A cozy spot indeed.
This is me feeling self-conscious while getting awkward stares from punks wondering why im getting my picture taken like a tourist at Gilman.
My Interview with Carlos Saldana who has been attending shows at Gilman since the early 90's and is a promoter at the club.
When did you first start going to shows at Gilman?
I remember being really young in high school I forget what age so it was around 94' or 95' that i started to go see bands like AFI, Neurosis and NOFX who at the time were little punk bands. The fact that I was attending these shows at such a young age, singing along, and moshing is remarkable because it is the only place that I can go back to due to the venue still being open.
What characterizes Gilman as a venue?
Gilman is characterized by its appearance and its attitude. It is a punk venue thats stricky and always has been D.I.Y, its remarkable that the venue is still open. Venues in Nor-cal open and close so quickly, it is due to community support that Gilman still remains. Every time you go to Gilman you look on the walls and you experience a vibe that has some sort of historical importance.
So would you say Gilman is more interesting than say The Fillmore or The Warfiled?
Without a doubt. Awesome things go on at Gilman that don't go on at those large corporately dominated venues over the bridge. If I could choose to see a huge classic rock band like ACDC or Black Sabbath id rather see them at Gilman than in those huge stadiums. you would see the bands for what they really are, and their raw energy is what would be captured.
What are your thoughts on the area Gilman is located in?
West Berkeley has its nice and not so nice parts of town, Its mostly factories and warehouses. Bayer headquarters is in the area I think as well as a few other industrial companies. There are certain areas that you wouldn't want to walk around at night, but Gilman is safe for the most part. No one except the landlord (that I know) knows what was there before Gilman. It was just a nicely white painted lot that the founders saw an opportunity with. The pyramid brewery/restaurant that's across the street gave us all a good laugh when it opened. That is a relatively upscale restaurant so when they see the gangs of crust punks hanging around im sure they wonder if they are in the right place.
What do you see in the future of Gilman?
Well right now the future in uncertain, the rent of the venue just got raised an extra $30,000 per year, again, so the venue is in a very difficult place right now, i think there are many new industries and companies in the community who don't see the importance the prior generations saw, so a movement may be out there to shut the place down. If Gilman closes I think everyone will feel that a piece of history is lost, it will be a true sign o the music scene dying, we can only hope that does not happen.
