JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: TEAM NOWHERE
Behind the Hanging On Sunset podcast, there is a growing community of passionate people trying to unify and put the Los Angeles alternative music scene back on the map. We organize events and meet regularly in real life.
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If like us,
1. You want to be part of a new alternative community in LA
2. You want to help a new musical scene emerge
3. You want to contribute to our community and help us organize innovative events
4. You want to put the power back in the hands of the artists and fans and change the rules of the industry
5. You want to be part of an inclusive musical community welcoming people of all horizons
6. You want to meet new friends bonded by the same passion and sharing the same values
JOIN US NOW!
Join the new discord server we created in order to coordinate our actions and brainstorm new ideas for our community: https://discord.gg/T3bh3GCS
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MANIFESTO FOR THE CREATION OF A NEW ALTERNATIVE MUSIC COMMUNITY IN LOS ANGELES :
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Our Mission:
What we do
We are a team of passionate people who want to put the LA rock scene back on the map for the next decade. We think the LA music scene deserves a new chapter in the history books so we're here to unify artists, fans, and help a new scene and movement emerge.
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Our Vision:
What we want to achieve
Through our podcast "Hanging On Sunset", our label "Team Nowhere" and our community, we want to be the voice of a new rock generation, create innovative events to help our community thrive, and give opportunities to new artists.
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We want to:
_ Organize meetings, concerts, exhibitions of a new kind.
_ Meet regularly online and IRL
_ Help artists to be recognized and help them get new opportunities
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Our Core Values
What we want to embody in our actions
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Creativity
Passion
Innovation
Collaboration
Respect
Inclusivity
Reality
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I came to the US about 10 years ago and one of the first things I did was to drive through Sunset Boulevard. For years, it was my dream to be part of a thriving music scene and the Sunset Strip was, in my French Teenager’s head, the epitome of a vibrant and revolutionary community.
My head was full of images and songs from the Doors, the Runaways, Led Zeppelin - you name it! - countless legendary acts who made their way through the mythical music clubs of the West: the Whisky A Gogo, The Roxy, and The Viper Room, to name a few. I would dream about these venues but also about the legendary studios on Sunset. I could easily imagine being part of the Wrecking Crew helping Brian Wilson make his Pet Sounds masterpiece at East-West Studio or that I was a little mouse in the corner of Studio 2 when Bowie mixed Raw Power for the Stooges. And then at night, I might drive to Laurel Canyon to party with Mama Cass and her guests. We’d jam until the sun would rise with Neil Young, Zappa, and/or Joni Mitchell. So many legends made a name for themselves in that neighborhood: Buffalo Springfield, Love, The Seeds, Guns n’ Roses, Motley Crue, The Byrds,… and many more. I know those days were long gone but I was convinced the spirit of the Sunset Strip was still living on. But I was wrong…
Today, I’m hanging on Sunset Boulevard and I’m both sad and angry. Not because I don’t see talented bands around me, not because those clubs don’t exist anymore (some survived), not even because Rock might be dead (a lot of people keep listening to this genre even if it’s not the mainstream today), but because the magic has left the Strip. People don’t go to rock clubs to discover new music anymore. I know the world is changing, even more so with the pandemic. And things are not looking good as the tech gods are now preparing us to live in a disembodied Metaverse.
But there are people who are still craving organic human relationships, and there are still people who want to feel the warmth of the tubes of an amplifier, there are still people who want to be part of an electrifying musical scene and share their love for the local talents. Yet, venues capitalize on their glorious past and they don’t seem dedicated to helping a new scene emerge anymore. It’s probably not because they don’t want to help but more likely because they don’t know how. Their business is based on a model that puts all the responsibility on the bands and by doing so, they don’t understand that they are only damaging themselves in return. Usually what happens is that the venues fill in the nights with random bands and then rely on those bands to do the promotion and by doing so, they expect the bands to draw an audience on their own. Worst, sometimes, they rely on pay to play to book the nights. The only bands who get a decent promotion are already established bands coming to town on their tour.
Back in the late ’60s and ’70s, the situation was different. The Sunset Strip was the center of the world for several reasons. Labels, Studios, Bands, and Venues, all worked together. Most of the bands lived on Laurel Canyon, not even a mile away from the Strip, where labels had their offices and studios. Eventually, investors and producers saw an opportunity to open venues like the Whisky A Gogo because of the concentration of talent and industry, but also because the youth was finally getting their own part in the culture pie. The Sunset strip became the home of every new relevant music scene for decades until the 90’s when the rock world center moved to Seattle. The Strip was never the same after that I guess. What was left? Nothing but nostalgia it seems. The music scene moved East where the rents were more affordable but it was never the same for rock n’ roll. Nothing became as powerful and iconic as the Sunset Strip was during the ’60s, 70’s and the ’80s.
So what now? We really believe the LA rock deserves another chapter in the history books and that the Sunset Strip can reclaim its crown. But for that to happen, we need is to unite again, create a movement and a scene that will support each other, nurture each other and take the power back! Now is the time to really do something about it! Our mission is to reclaim our voice and use it! That’s what artists do. They paint their era and help trace the future with their art. And I’m not talking here only about bands. We need to be a wide community, united by the love of the same music. Musicians but also photographers, videographers, graphic designers, stylists, PR, writers, fans, everyone has something to bring to the table and can be a key element of a task force dedicated to putting LA’s rock back on the map of the world. Let’s build on the ashes of the Sunset Strip legacy as we know it and start something new!
Imagine everything we could do together: build events that draw like-minded people, create festivals, cross-promote each other art, collaborate, make compilation records, book collective tours, create exhibitions, etc… This is only a small portion of what we can achieve if we all gather under the same banner.
Vincent Jacob, creator of the podcast « Hanging On Sunset »