Sunset Strip Scene

History

In the early 1970s a popular hangout for glam rock musicians and groupies was Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco. The Strip continued to be a major focus for punk rock and New Wave during the late 1970s, and it became the center of the colorful glam metal scene throughout the 1980s. The 1979 Donna Summer song 'Sunset People' from the album Bad Girls, was about the nightlife on Sunset Boulevard. With the increase in rents in the area during the 1980s, however, and the decline of the glam metal scene in the early 1990s, the Sunset Strip ceased to be a major area for up and coming rock bands without industry sponsorship. The adoption of "pay to play" tactics, in which bands were charged a fee to play at clubs like the Roxy, the Whisky and Gazzari's (now the The Key Club) also diminished the appeal to rock bands other than as an industry showcase. The music industry dominates clubs on the Strip such as those mentioned above, and only major acts perform at the House of Blues. Thus, during the 1990s, the center of more alternative music activity in Los Angeles shifted further east to areas like Silverlake, Los Feliz and Echo Park. The "Riot Hyatt", still continues to be a favorite with bands today, such as Justin Timberlake, Breaking Point, and Timbaland, for its continual easy access to live music venues, including The Whisky, Roxy, and House of Blues In November 1984, voters in West Hollywood passed a proposal on the ballot to incorporate and the area became an independent city. Increasingly, the western end of the Strip is occupied by office buildings, mostly catering to the entertainment industry, and expensive hotels. This area seems to have become an adjunct of Beverly Hills only with more nightlife activity, much of it upscale. In the evening, the Strip is a vibrant slash of neon, a virtual traffic jam of young cruisers on weekends and a mecca for people-watchers and celebrity wannabes. The Sunset Strip is also home to various creative companies such as Eleventh Hour. Creative people from all over the city congregate here for the unique Hollywood vibe for both networking as well as dining and shopping. However, in the 21st Century the rate of new club openings on the Strip has declined due to traffic congestion while Hollywood Boulevard with less parking restrictions and easy access to the Hollywood Freeway has seen an increase in new openings.

 

Present Day

You'll see all styles on the strip these days including classic rock influenced bands, some old reunited bands, new Emo bands and metal. During the 2000s the sleaze glam style has returned somewhat thanks to the likes of Buckcherry and Brides of Destruction, the latter of which features Nikki Sixx and Tracii Guns. Newer bands such as Vains of Jenna, Backyard Babies, Hardcore Superstar, and Red Star Rebels although still primarily 'underground' are also beginning to gain a lot of recognition.

A video tour can be seen on AOL Video at this location:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/hollywoods-sunset-strip-rock-scene/3802517174