Sunderland has always had a vibrant punk scene and rich musical heritage. At the heart of the modern punk scene is Serial Bowl Records—a beacon of the DIY punk ethos.
Serial Bowl is more than a label; it’s a community-driven endeavour seeking to amplify the voices of underground punk and hardcore bands.
Gan On editor Kelly Dent sat down with some of the good people behind Serial Bowl Records (Chinni, Pikey, Benny, Lee, Sara) for a chat about the inner workings of the label—at none other than The Vaults, their favourite hangout.
KD: What is Serial Bowl Records—what is your goal?
Serial Bowl Records is a DIY record collective, and we’ve been going for about seven years now. We had a good friend called Dickie Hammond, who sadly passed away. So we formed a label, a collective, in memory of him. Everybody knew there was a scene ready for Sunderland, a punk scene, it just needed a home.
We have strong beliefs in DIY, strong beliefs in being a non-profit organisation, you know. We’re against homophobia, transphobia, stuff like that, so we don’t tolerate idiots at our gigs.
Everyone involved in the collective is mates. We’ve all got similar interests, the belief in what we’re saying is the same, and the message is the same: just basically, don’t be a dickhead.
And there’s no hierarchy. We’ve got over 20-odd people in the collective. This works for us because if someone’s got an idea, we should run with it. I think that’s unique.
KD: What is it about SBR that makes the label stand out?
SBR: It’s the DIY aspect of things, I think. Do it yourself, in the same place every week as well. But I think anybody who wants to see how different we are, or what makes us different, needs to come to an actual Serial Bowl gig. You come here, and I think immediately you feel safe, you feel welcome, and you feel like part of a family.
KD: What do you look for when it comes to potential bands to work with?
SBR: I think we’re really versatile in terms of who we put on. Even with releases. We’ve got a tape that’s about to come out with a band called Spike Pit. We’ll have a band like that, and then a band like Slalom D, and although they’re both punk bands, the versions of punk that they produce are very different.
KD: Everyone feels welcome and safe at Serial Bowl gigs. What’s the key to creating an inclusive space?
SBR: I think having The Vaults as a place where we put the gigs on is a big part of that. The environment side of things is big, because we try to make the gigs friendly, welcoming for anybody who comes in, there’s always a good atmosphere.
It’s getting the right bands as well, that’s key. It’s word of mouth really, so you know who the bands are. You might not know them personally, but you know what they stand for, you know what their beliefs are, so you can put those kind of bands on.
Follow SBR on Instagram: @serialbowlrecords
Support SBR and affiliated bands on Bandcamp: https://serialbowlrecords.bandcamp.com/merch
Shoutout to the hard-working collective behind Serial Bowl Records:
Darren Pike, Helen Pike, Lee Newton, Sara Wilson, Benny ‘Bowl’ Goodall, Martyn Jackson, Dom Copeland, Joe Graham, Ross Ballantine, Ian ‘ Tinna’ Tindle, Sue McKenna, Dave Mooney, Fiona Duncan, Roy Robinson, Ian Sherlock, Graeme Jobes, Liam Williams, Luke Gourley, Stephen McKenna, Zak Goodwill, Benny ‘Rabble’ Eldred, Kelly Rumney, Neil ‘The Dancing Bowl’, Daniel Allan.
