White stylized handwritten text spelling 'Winter' on a black background.

by WHAT DOES NOT

A live music performance / headline show with a singer, guitarist, and other band members on stage, illuminated by colorful stage lights, with a crowd in the foreground enjoying the What Does Not concert.

NOiSE is a 3-part music initiative pushing the boundaries of community and creativity to reimagine the music industry, from the grassroots, up.

Creating a healthy music ecosystem

A performer on stage in front of a crowd at a What Does Not event / music showcase for emerging musicians. The person is wearing a beanie and a jacket, gesturing with both hands. The audience is excited, raising their hands and cheering.

Music is in trouble. Sure, at the moment the impact is most felt by the grassroots. But if you think that all the celebrated musicians of today started out by hustling to make it – if the grassroots are under threat, so is the future of music.

The NOiSE initiative reimagines how we bring talent and audiences together in order to grow careers, expand appetites for music discovery and help venues navigate the current climate

WHAt is NOiSE?

NOiSE was developed through extensive R&D with the underground music scene. Yes, venues are closing. But gentrification and the rising cost of living means authentic grassroots culture is being pushed out of the heart of London, into the ends and out of the way places.
Meanwhile, a lack of performance opportunities means musicians don’t get exposure to diverse audiences and they end up performing to the echo chamber of their subculture.
Did you know, the Beatles honed their live performance abilities by playing up to 8 hours a day during their months long residency in Hamburg? DIY culture has done so much for music, but at some point, music has to leave the bedroom and the smartphone to be experienced live.
NOiSE brings the grassroots back into the centre of London, and pops up in unexpected places to be the foot in the door for artists looking to take their performance abilities to the next level.
By drawing a diverse audience to each NOiSE, artists have a chance to test their mettle in front of new audiences who are open to exploring sound.
NOiSE also platforms the wealth of creativity surrounding the music scene.
We embed ourselves with different music subcultures from across the city. We handpick the lineup of emerging underground talent, in order to give more deserving people access to performance opportunities.
We also asked the grassroots what they wanted, and the answer was: a multidisciplinary platform for creativity and community in all its forms. This means NOiSE now features a games room with consoles, ping pong and more, makers’ market for small brands and musician’s merch, food pop-ups and much more.

Share your music with us

A group of three musicians performing at a What Does Not open jam / music improv night, one woman singing into a microphone and two men playing guitars, with a screen behind them displaying the words 'What Does Not' in bright red letters.

NOiSE IS:

A highly curated showcase meets open jam, giving everyone an opportunity to jump on
A platform for the best grassroots talent out there, and for creativity in general
A new way to develop careers at a time when the music industry model is broken
A community space and networking opportunity for musicians and audiences
A&R meets audience development, promoting an openness to new music at a time when 80% of all streamed music is back catalog
A 3 part initiative designed to change the music industry, consisting of NOiSE nights, WIP nights, and AfterNOiSE, the open jam

NOiSE IS NOT:

An open mic
A place to chat and catch up while musicians are playing
Like anything else you’ve been to before

WHY Live Music Showcases & Open Jam Sessions MATTER

“Our focus is creating experiences that bring edge to forging genuine human connection – and support emerging musicians while we’re at it. The underground communities that develop around music have some incredible undiscovered talent within them. So, if we’re trying to influence the whole ecosystem, NOISE was the natural progression.”

Christine Charitonos, WDN founder

We embed ourselves with different music subcultures from across the city. We handpick the lineup of emerging underground talent, in order to give more deserving people access to performance opportunities.

We also asked the grassroots what they wanted, and the answer was: a multidisciplinary platform for creativity and community in all its forms. This means NOISE now features a games room with consoles, ping pong and more, makers’ market for small brands and musician’s merch, food pop-ups and much more.

Black background with white stylized handwritten text that says 'What Does Not Presents' and part of the word 'Artist' below.

After the showcase, the open jam session. Because freedom of expression, the ability to improvise, and active listening are essential for human progress.

Learn more

A woman wearing a pink dress sings into a microphone at a crowded What Does Not event in London with an audience watching and taking photos.

Group of diverse women singing and enjoying a performance on stage at a What Does Not live music gig in London with microphones, in black and white.

Person standing in a studio like setting at a RAW uncensored storytelling in London with purple lighting, facing a large canvas on an easel surrounded by newspapers and spray paint cans.

People gathered indoors, some standing and some sitting, with bright vanity lights visible on the right side of the image, in a social or entertainment setting.

Stage floor with an assortment of guitar effect pedals and cables at a What Does Not live music night in London, with a person's legs and shoes visible standing nearby.

A drummer wearing glasses and a baseball cap playing drums in a colorful, lit performance space at a What Does Not live music night in London.

Emerging musician and rapper wearing a doorag, facing a dark room with colorful stage lights, surrounded by a crowd at a What Does Not emerging music showcase.

Two women at an art event, one sitting and looking at the other who is painting on a canvas under purple and blue lighting. Live painting at a What Does Not event in London.

MeeT WIP

NOISE is an ecosystem.

Within it is wip:

‘WORK IN PROGRESS’

a space for experimentation & community

WIP, short for Work in Progress, is a scratch night meets social. The event series looks to reclaim music from being transactional and product-focused. To do this, WIP builds on the concept of the ‘superfan’ by transforming the relationship between musician and fan from being transactional into more genuine. Here, human connection is rooted in shared experiences, participation, and community.

Where did this come from?

During the R&D phase of NOiSE, we realised a space like WIP was a much needed addition to the life of a grassroots musician.

The pressure to create content, write music, and perform is so great, there’s often little time to pause and reflect on what is being created. Many musicians reported feeling burnt out and lonely despite being in rooms full of other musicians.

Creating from a space of burnout is never healthy or good for creativity. As a result, it can be tempting to make music that might get picked up by the algorithm – and therefore sounds like what is already popular. Couple that with listening preferences being for what is already familiar, this is how a lot of music ends up sounding derivative.

So we wanted to create a space outside of formalised performances where musicians can connect more deeply, feel supported, and cross pollinate between genres and backgrounds. Perhaps even mining their overlooked cultural heritage for inspiration and innovation.

We believe creating a safe space for experimentation and reflection is an important part of the new music funnel, and solves many problems faced by the grassroots music scene. Many labels want to cash out without investing in talent. We’re doing the opposite.