BULLY'S STUDIOS:
FIRE, FLOODING,
AND FRESH STARTS
By Ian French
Photography by @daryk.jpg
ully’s Studios is a live music venue/jam space. It’s been an iconic presence in New Westminster for over two decades now but last month it caught fire and flooded at the same time. The building has a lengthy history, starting with a famous music store, it’s hosted concerts of every kind, rehearsals, recordings, and the occasional Jimi Hendrix appearance. All of which could have been lost to the wind if it weren’t for owner Rob and the music community.
B
Last month Rob Leishman, who runs the space alongside his partner Victoria Dexter, entered the studio and found it filled with smoke and water. It was the result of a water filter which caught fire in the middle of the night. This was a one-two punch that left Bully’s Studios waterlogged, charred, and in an all too familiar spot.
For Rob, who had already been stretched thin after nearly a decade of running the place largely out of pocket AND had just made significant steps to keep the venue alive, this was a kick in the teeth.
The community had other ideas. Friends, local musicians, and longtime tenants grabbed mops and paint rollers, clearing debris and scrubbing walls until the venue began to look like itself again.
The memories formed inside would be enough to fight for Bully’s, but what amplified that desire was the need to save a piece of local music history. The building has always housed music in one form or another. When it first opened up, nearly 70 years ago, it was known as Tartini’s Music, a small but influential instrument shop — the first throughout the Lower Mainland to sell Fender and Gibson guitars. One notable name was Jimi Hendrix who stopped by the shop to sign autographs and smoke cigarettes.
As romantic as these lore stories can be, nostalgia doesn’t pay the bills in 2025. Rob was beyond stoked to see the community's support in fixing up the place, but throughout his time with Bully’s, he’s seen operations get consistently more challenging.
In June, Rob made the difficult decision to hang it up at the end of the year. Final shows were scheduled, and Bully’s longstanding impact as a music venue seemed to be coming to an end.
As things began to wind down, a new opportunity came up. Rob teamed up with the 67 Studio Society, a collective dedicated to uplifting artists and rehearsal spaces which will help keep the stage at Bully’s alive. They worked out a deal that has Rob getting exactly what he wanted — some breathing room and a lighter workload. Starting in January, he’ll keep his finger on the pulse of Bully’s without having to say goodbye.
