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West Hollywood


Carne_asaDA

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I was too young back then but I've read old interviews and seen old footage and hear the band talk about the early years of GnR. My question is, how much has West Hollywood and Sunset Blvd changed since the 80's? Were there a lot of pretentious people walking around back then like there are today? Wasn't the scene more "rock n roll? I mean, don't get me wrong, I had a blast on the nights that I spent on the Strip. But it just seems like there are a lot of BEAUTIFUL people, but fucked up attitudes.

Edited by Carne_asaDA
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I always think of "Decline of Western Civilization II" when it comes to Sunset Strip in the 80s, but I don't think the clubs there are any different than in any major city, except actors and musicians are able to go out midweek and have fun, and everyone else is waiting until Friday to go out.

Most of the "beautiful people" are transplants, but you can out them with sports teams and start hearing Texas drawls after a few drinks.

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The thing that has changed is the image of the musicians. The fact that you can't hang flyers anymore. (The clubs will get fined by the city) and they book 6 to 7 bands a night and you can only play for 30 minutes unless your the headliner. Also you have to sell 500.00 to 750.00 in tickets to play.

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The thing that has changed is the image of the musicians. The fact that you can't hang flyers anymore. (The clubs will get fined by the city) and they book 6 to 7 bands a night and you can only play for 30 minutes unless your the headliner. Also you have to sell 500.00 to 750.00 in tickets to play.

I don't know if it was like this back then...But I just don't see how it's even worth it as a band to move to LA to try and make it anymore. Most of the rent is ridiculously expensive, most the jobs don't pay that much and you gotta pay to play essentially.

I'd find a different city with a good music scene.

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Also there is not much going on with record companies anymore so it's almost not even worth it anymore. Also there is no money in selling music. Now they give away the music for free and hope to sell a shirt or a concert ticket.

I wonder if the permit parking on the side streets hurt club business.

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i remember being bummed by the strip when i finally moved to LA. but the truth is, that was a music scene 30 years ago. no scene lasts that long. the cool people left a long time ago. now it's a tourist spot and a weekend party spot for the bridge and tunnel crowd (as we'd say in NYC).

in my opinion, the strip is the worst place to play, even though plenty of my friends do. the pay-to-play strategy at the whisky and others means that any and every shitty band within an hour and a half of LA gets their 30 minutes at the whisky. sorta like the sunset 5 movie theater up the street. they went pay to play, and eventually the only ones paying to play were the ones that had to pay someone to get played. quality tanked. reputation tanked. scene disappeared because you could no longer reliably see awesome entertainment. so nowadays, you go for your band, then bail. i haven't seen too much passion or creativity or sincerity on the strip. just money changing hands and people striking poses.

but i did see my friends' band at the house of blues the other night, and the singer used a staple gun to staple pictures of politicians to his face and chest. it was a bloody fun time.

Edited by HisRoyalSweetness
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i remember being bummed by the strip when i finally moved to LA. but the truth is, that was a music scene 30 years ago. no scene lasts that long. the cool people left a long time ago. now it's a tourist spot and a weekend party spot for the bridge and tunnel crowd (as we'd say in NYC).

in my opinion, the strip is the worst place to play, even though plenty of my friends do. the pay-to-play strategy at the whisky and others means that any and every shitty band within an hour and a half of LA gets their 30 minutes at the whisky. sorta like the sunset 5 movie theater up the street. they went pay to play, and eventually the only ones paying to play were the ones that had to pay someone to get played. quality tanked. reputation tanked. scene disappeared because you could no longer reliably see awesome entertainment. so nowadays, you go for your band, then bail. i haven't seen too much passion or creativity or sincerity on the strip. just money changing hands and people striking poses.

but i did see my friends' band at the house of blues the other night, and the singer used a staple gun to staple pictures of politicians to his face and chest. it was a bloody fun time.

I don't think I was disappointed per say, but the partying and pretending to "somebody" got old really quick. BTW...I was already drunk when I landed in L.A., thanks to the $4 Jack and Cokes on the plane. :lol: It seemed like when I went to lunch at Canter's, it was one of the few places that I got to be around REAL people. That and the night that I partyed at some gay clubs on Santa Monica Blvd. :blink: I've been to L.A. quite a few times but this was the first time that I spent most of my time in West Hollywood.

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I always think of "Decline of Western Civilization II" when it comes to Sunset Strip in the 80s, but I don't think the clubs there are any different than in any major city, except actors and musicians are able to go out midweek and have fun, and everyone else is waiting until Friday to go out.

Marc - did the makers of "Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years" try to get GNR involved with the documentary? They were notably absent from the film.

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I always think of "Decline of Western Civilization II" when it comes to Sunset Strip in the 80s, but I don't think the clubs there are any different than in any major city, except actors and musicians are able to go out midweek and have fun, and everyone else is waiting until Friday to go out.

Marc - did the makers of "Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years" try to get GNR involved with the documentary? They were notably absent from the film.

I don't know

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I always think of "Decline of Western Civilization II" when it comes to Sunset Strip in the 80s, but I don't think the clubs there are any different than in any major city, except actors and musicians are able to go out midweek and have fun, and everyone else is waiting until Friday to go out.

Marc - did the makers of "Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years" try to get GNR involved with the documentary? They were notably absent from the film.

I heard somewhere that Gn'R turned it down or were asking too much money or something like that...

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