924 Gilman opened in Berkeley in 1986. It's still an all-ages, volunteer-run space with no drugs or alcohol. Green Day, Operation Ivy and Rancid are part of its history, alongside countless bands that never became household names.
The Rules On The Wall
Gilman's rules reject racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, drugs, alcohol and fighting. They set out what people should expect from the room and from each other.
The Work Behind Each Show
Someone has to book the bands, work the door, maintain the building and deal with conflicts. At a collectively organised club, that depends on volunteers. A famous history doesn't do those jobs.
That's the part of DIY worth paying attention to. Repeated, often ordinary work keeps an independent, all-ages show available to the next person who wants to walk in.
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