For Sale

OK then, lets have a debate. The Bunker is for sale, which is sort of ironic given the whole idea of this site, as well as give visitors my rendition of how the whole thing got started, was to celebrate its long and continuing history.
I have received a number of emails (and even a call from Sunderland Echo) regarding the sale of the Bunker and the campaign to save it. Email savethebunker@hotmail.co.uk or this My Space Page or visit this Facebook Group for information on the campaign. (By the way, both 'Jerome' and my name appeared on this face book group page. I don't know about Jerome, but just to put the record straight, I have no involvement with this campaign, and wasn't too chuffed seeing my name on there either, best to ask first chaps.

My opinion?

Just so I don't have to repeat myself any further, here is what I think (for what its worth):
The Bunker ceased being the Bunker the day we moved out of Green Terrace School. Anyone who has had a good read through my website will have sussed that out
The present Bunker is a commercial venture, a set of commodities punters buy into. Users of the building have no ownership of it, and haven't done so for years.
This means short of raising the £650,000 required to buy the place off the sellers, then that commodity (the building) will be transferred to a new owner. The current landlord will make way for the next.
This basically boils down to this fact. BUSINESS PREMISES FOR SALE. It might as well be a Gregg's pastie shop or the empty newsagents next door.
Some say this will damage (even KILL) the Sunderland Music Scene.
The removal of a facility such as The Bunker(WHICH IS ALL IT IS, A FACILITY) WOULD OBVIOUSLY be a setback, however......
If the Sunderland Music Scene is as vibrant and organised as people seem to imply (although this 'scene' would appear to be a bit of a myth according to a number of band members I have spoken to), then the sale of the bunker WILL ONLY BE A SETBACK, and the 'scene' will have to bounce back and sort itself out.

Here is the recipe:20 or 30 like minded individuals willing to put most (in some cases ALL) of their spare time over a few years into finding a venue, fund raising, meetings, planning, meetings, Scrounging, soundproofing, painting, joinery, more meetings, cleaning, publicity, more cleaning, opening up for bands, locking up after bands etc etc. For nowt (as in no money).

Cant see this happening my self, although I would love to be proved wrong. The rhetoric so far on the various bits and pieces floating around in the local press and on the web is very much along the lines of "its a disgrace, somebody should do something about it" instead of "right, meeting on wednesday night at 7pm, lets get it fucking sorted".

Sorry people, but its gonna take a bit more effort than joining a fucking Facebook group. You need to get your hands dirty.

By the way, I found it extra ironic that both The Toy Dolls and Dave Stewart are 'friends' of the Save the Bunker Myspace group. The Toy Dolls NEVER practiced at the Bunker during the long period I was involved with the place, and we wrote to Dave Stewart when we were on the bones of our arse for some sort of support, him being a Sunderland Musician n all that, and he didn't even bother replying to our fucking letter.

Good luck to those involved with the campaign.

To start things off, here is a letter that was sent in to the Echo from a 'local musician' (why the cloak of mystery).

"Bunker in danger of disappearing
SUNDERLAND musicians beware. The Bunker is up for sale and is to be turned into more apartments.
Just what the city needs. Get rid of a place where people can be creative and try to achieve their dreams.
Why was this planning permission ever passed? Does Sunderland City Council not want people from Sunderland to have a creative outlet? Would they rather more teenagers walked the streets instead of being able to create music?
Music resources in Sunderland are a joke to start with, without The Bunker closing down and taking 30 years of music history with it.
A few minutes looking at www.bunkerarchive.com and you will be able to see the history The Bunker has been a part of. The Toy Dolls and more recently The Futureheads owe a great deal to The Bunker. But all this is to be forgotten in the name of development. This should not be allowed!
The Bunker has been a part of my life for 15 years now, and for others it will be longer. But you can almost guarantee whoever buys it will have no interest in this and will just want to make as many "apartments" as possible to make as much money as they can, leaving dozens of bands homeless, so to speak.
We need to make people aware of how important it is to the music scene in Sunderland. We need someone to come in and buy it who knows what it is, to keep it as a music building so that young bands will still have somewhere to start.
All interested in showing support should visit www.myspace.com/savethebunker or email savethebunker@hotmail.co.uk
A local musician"


Discuss......