Many performance venues in the city of Montreal have been closing down for various reasons including COVID, noise complaints, rent going up, and even the price of beer. CUTV sat down with and interviewed one of the owners of the Diving Bell Social Club about their space and some of the reasons why they decided to leave the space last year, in December 2023.

Despite the noise complaints and the cost of rent, Austin Wrinch one of the co-owners of the Diving Bell Social Club says that he and his partners left on their terms. He would like to find a new space, one that’s more accessible (the Diving Bell Social Club was located on a third-floor walk-up), and more tenable in the long term.

The space was home to a variety of shows that ranged from music performances, comedy, film, drag and whatever else brought in a community. The venue was community-focused from the very beginning. With the help of local Montrealers, what used to be a storage space was turned into one of the more welcoming and popular venues in the city.

In this interview, CUTV discusses with Wrinch, the origins of the Diving Bell Social Club, his and his co-founder's future directions, how they have been adapting to the closing down of the venue, and some of the costs involved in operating a performance venue in the city of Montreal. Additionally, Wrinch explains how the city handles noise complaints, how gentrification impacts owning a business venue of gentrification, and how these problems could be handled better by the city and the different levels of government.