Bullys Studios

From Tartini's Music to a Rehearsal Space

The building at 67 6th St. has musical roots tracing to the 1950s, when it operated as the Tartini Music Store and Guitar Shop. Tartini's was the first store in the Lower Mainland to carry Fender and Gibson products, and stayed a popular destination through the 1960s. Bully's itself opened as a rehearsal space in 2003.

A Jimi Hendrix Footnote

When the building was Tartini's Music in the late 1960s, Jimi Hendrix played an acoustic set in the store during the period he was living in East Vancouver. The connection is part of the venue's lore in New Westminster's music history.

Rehearsal Rooms, a Studio, and an All-Ages Room

Bully's is a multi-purpose music space run by the nonprofit 67 Studio Society, with hourly rehearsal rooms, a full recording studio, and a large room used for all-ages shows. The site lists four bookable rooms (Main/Venue room, Blue Room, Red Room, and a Drum Room), all stocked with backline: cabs, heads, drums, PA, stands, and mics. It sits near Columbia Station, roughly a 15-minute SkyTrain ride from downtown Vancouver, and runs on memberships, donations, and affordable hourly rates, with an on-site store and event booking.

Role in the Scene and a Closure That Didn't Stick

Bully's hosts concerts across punk, metal, and indie rock along with album-release shows, open-mic nights, comedy events, and product launches, serving as a platform for local and regional bands. In June 2025 the operators announced plans to close the concert venue at the end of 2025, citing rising operational costs and the financial, personal, and health toll on the operators, while keeping the rehearsal and jam rooms open. That closure did not take effect on the announced timeline: concert listings show the room still hosting shows into 2026, with events as recent as May 2026. As of mid-2026 no closure has been confirmed, and the rehearsal rooms and recording studio continue operating, but the June 2025 announcement means the venue's future is worth watching.