Los Angeles Music Venue Trip advice

[sir humphrey appleby]

I want to do a trip to LA, sunset boulevard and go to gigs at Whiskey, Rainbow, Troubadour, perhaps Viper Rooms etc. Probably next year now before the school holidays. It will most likely be me with a couple of mates, but to be honest, even if it is me on my own I wouldn't be bothered. I have a different music tastes to my friends so will often go to gigs on my own, and even enjoy it a bit more.
I have asked AI and that has given me a few ideas.
I am reckoning 6 or 7 days. I know that Jetlag is most likely to be a major issue but I'm trying to put that to one side for the moment.

Has anyone done anything similar? I am happy with budget hotels and want to be able to move around quickly so I guess it needs to be close to public transport.
What about safety? If on my own I would be a bit concerned about coming out of the rainbow at whatever time late at night on my own and getting back to the hotel.
If I am on my own, wouldn't that look a bit weird? Or would my ability to lay on a cut glass accent be a help or hindrance?
Many thanks for any help.

[Martyn76]

Can't help with hotels or gigs but I would have thought Uber or similar is the default way of getting around somewhere like LA

[felicemaggie]

Hope you enjoy yourself/ves there as I'm sure you will.

Did something very similar earlier this year with a visit to see an artist play at the famous Roxy venue, on the Sunset Strip and it was a wonderful evening out there. First time my wife and I had done something like that but we'll definitely go back to the Strip again.

You'd certainly be better off travelling by Uber to get there from wherever in LA you are staying. Prices are reasonable - although they may increase a bit the later the night goes. Although you can't go to the Sunset Strip and remain completely sober

There are some hotels in the nearby area but, as you can expect with somewhere as popular, these will get booked up. Even despite the current political situation in the US as a whole - but that shouldn't phase you. We travelled over from the Orange / Anaheim area (close to Disneyland).

Do ensure you go for a meal first at the (in)famous Rainbow Bar and Grill. Oh and do also visit Lemmy's Lounge there to pay homage. You don't * have * to be a fan of his music either, fans of pretty much any rock band are welcome.

Overall, hope you have a great time !

[Shooter McGavin]

We did LA -> Vegas -> Austin for our honeymoon over two weeks in October 2012.

For the LA bit we pushed the boat out and stayed at The London, West Hollywood, which is pretty much a 2 minute stroll from The Viper Room, The Whisky A Go Go and the Rainbow Bar and Grill. We are big music fans, do lots of festivals, the Austin leg was to go to Austin City Limits.

Would I recommend the LA bit? Sadly, no. Not for the reasons you want to visit, which were ours too.

The hotel was great, but all of those three venues are just trading on their past reputations of drinking haunts for hellraisers. The Viper Room is a bit of a sthole TBH, was like any other sticky carpet student club in the UK, absolutely nothing special. It all felt a bit 'theme park', none of them felt like a particularly cool place to hang out. You could spend a lot of money to get there and go "is this it?"

I had hoped that I would get this great feeling of them being really cool places where rock royalty hung out but they were just a bit average really. If you look at any of their listings they are hosts to lots of unheard of bands who will likely never make it, nobody of any note plays at them any more because they are too small (Lucinda Williams and John Oates at The Troubadour this year excepted).

Check out the 'Upcoming Shows' pages of each venue: none of them set the world on fire.

Safety-wise it is a pleasant neighbourhood, no issues at all. What nobody told us is that part of Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood is gay central these days, so just beware if you are travelling alone, it is perfectly safe, but you might find the bar clientele a bit friendlier than you do at home!

Hope that helps. I'm glad we went, but I wouldn't go again, or recommend it, especially with the £/$ exchange rate.

Edited by Shooter McGavin on Friday 22 August 15:08

[sir humphrey appleby]

Thanks everyone this is really helpful. For some reason I was thinking I would be transported into some magical rock n roll world when I step into these places!
I love rock music and would love to see the places where their careers started, but perhaps I would be spending a ton money and being disappointed.
A case of not meeting your heroes I wonder.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

sir humphrey appleby said:

I know that Jetlag is most likely to be a major issue but I'm trying to put that to one side for the moment.

I travel to the US roughly every 6 weeks and jet lag is easily avoidable when travelling west. LA is 9 hrs behind us, so get a morning flight and you'll get there around lunchtime, but it'll be bedtime for you. Just stay up, and go to bed at about 10pm local time. You'll be exhausted, sleep like a log, and wake up the next morning ready to roll. Do not go to bed early or take an afternoon nap on the day you arrive.

Coming back is a bit more difficult. You can force yourself to stay awake when you're tired, but you cannot make yourself sleep when you're not tired.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Martyn76 said:

Can't help with hotels or gigs but I would have thought Uber or similar is the default way of getting around somewhere like LA

Depends where you are and where you're heading to. The metro runs from downtown out to Santa Monica Pier and is a couple of dollars and very safe. An Uber would cost you $50 probably, and take longer.

Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Sunday 24th August 14:21

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Shooter McGavin said:

Would I recommend the LA bit?

It's an odd city. It's like 100 adjoining suburbs searching for a city centre. But there's some great areas with lots to see and do. I quite like it, but I know a lot of people don't.

[fourstardan]

I saw Pet Shop Boys when on a conference trip in 2006 here https://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZpZAEAlaA/holl...

My boss was gay and he was in his absolute element, I personally had been brought up with PSB available on tapes in the car.

Great venue, it was like the London Palladium.

[egor110]

If you want to go to America and watch a band somewhere cool go to redrocks or Xfinity center in the middle of the woods between Boston and Providence .

[mikef]

No use to you now that it’s gone, but some of the finest gigs I went to were at the much-missed House of Blues in LA. It never felt unsafe getting to or from, and that was before Uber existed.

[mikef]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I travel to the US roughly every 6 weeks and jet lag is easily avoidable when travelling west. LA is 9 hrs behind us, so get a morning flight and you'll get there around lunchtime, but it'll be bedtime for you. Just stay up, and go to bed at about 10pm local time. You'll be exhausted, sleep like a log, and wake up the next morning ready to roll. Do not go to bed early or take an afternoon nap on the day you arrive.

Coming back is a bit more difficult. You can force yourself to stay awake when you're tired, but you cannot make yourself sleep when you're not tired.

This man knows of what he speaks. I did a few years of San Fran once a month, and the outward routine was as above. Coming back, it was get up at 5am PST, eat a good meal at mid-day, maybe a nibble before boarding then don’t eat and definitely don’t drink alcohol on board. It’s easier to sleep through the meal service if you’re not in the back of the plane

I also used to visit the loo immediately after boarding and wash down head to toe with a face flannel from the hotel, that helped with sleeping

[Shooter McGavin]

sir humphrey appleby said:

Thanks everyone this is really helpful. For some reason I was thinking I would be transported into some magical rock n roll world when I step into these places!
I love rock music and would love to see the places where their careers started, but perhaps I would be spending a ton money and being disappointed.
A case of not meeting your heroes I wonder.

I think that is a very fair assessment - didn't wish to rain on your parade but hope my experience shared has saved you a few quid.

Don't get me wrong we really liked LA (I have been to Coachella several times, when it was about guitar music and not full of Instagram wannabes) and with a car it is a great city to see lots of things, but just not those venues you mention.

One thing that *is* on my bucketlist is a gig at The Hollywood Bowl. Just looking at their calendar I see that Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts are playing there in mid-September, with tickets still available at $89-$246 depending on where you want to sit. Now that is a gig and venue I would love to go to, if I could shake off the shackles of work, wife and kid!

So I would still heartily recommend the trip, but base it around going to see someone really good first, then just go for a beer in those other venues as an add-on, where you might get lucky with what is playing.

[fourstardan]

mikef said:

This man knows of what he speaks. I did a few years of San Fran once a month, and the outward routine was as above. Coming back, it was get up at 5am PST, eat a good meal at mid-day, maybe a nibble before boarding then don’t eat and definitely don’t drink alcohol on board. It’s easier to sleep through the meal service if you’re not in the back of the plane

I also used to visit the loo immediately after boarding and wash down head to toe with a face flannel from the hotel, that helped with sleeping

I've been lucky to fly first to west coast and found a nap after the main meal was a good option.

It's a bloody horrible thing waking up at 330am thinking it's 9/10am....very weird the first time.

[mikef]

The problem with first/upper is that it’s hard to resist the meals and wine, and that’s what slays you after an overnight flight

Although the use of an arrivals lounge helps if you have to go straight into meetings

[TwigtheWonderkid]

mikef said:

The problem with first/upper is that it’s hard to resist the meals and wine, and that’s what slays you after an overnight flight

Not a problem I have to deal with in pauper class.

[sir humphrey appleby]

Shooter McGavin said:

sir humphrey appleby said:

Thanks everyone this is really helpful. For some reason I was thinking I would be transported into some magical rock n roll world when I step into these places!
I love rock music and would love to see the places where their careers started, but perhaps I would be spending a ton money and being disappointed.
A case of not meeting your heroes I wonder.

I think that is a very fair assessment - didn't wish to rain on your parade but hope my experience shared has saved you a few quid.

Don't get me wrong we really liked LA (I have been to Coachella several times, when it was about guitar music and not full of Instagram wannabes) and with a car it is a great city to see lots of things, but just not those venues you mention.

One thing that *is* on my bucketlist is a gig at The Hollywood Bowl. Just looking at their calendar I see that Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts are playing there in mid-September, with tickets still available at $89-$246 depending on where you want to sit. Now that is a gig and venue I would love to go to, if I could shake off the shackles of work, wife and kid!

So I would still heartily recommend the trip, but base it around going to see someone really good first, then just go for a beer in those other venues as an add-on, where you might get lucky with what is playing.

Thanks Shooter , appreciate this. I’ll change my approach .
As it turns out, Garbage, one of my fave bands, is playing at Hollywood Palladium the day after my birthday this year…

[Shooter McGavin]

So they are! Looks a great venue, standing tickets still available ... need a wingman!?

I love Garbage too, still can't quite believe Shirley had to have a hip replacement but I guess none of us are getting any younger.

That should be a very impressive show, keep us posted on how you get on.

[egor110]

That's the way I'd plan it , just maybe try and see a few gigs in California and travel around a bit or add a festival.

We went to the viper room back in the early 2000's , it was literally a black concrete box.

[sir humphrey appleby]

Shooter McGavin said:

So they are! Looks a great venue, standing tickets still available ... need a wingman!?

I love Garbage too, still can't quite believe Shirley had to have a hip replacement but I guess none of us are getting any younger.

That should be a very impressive show, keep us posted on how you get on.

Shirley Manson, what a woman