NOISE: A MUSIC INITIATIVE PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF COMMUNITY & CREATIVITY FOR THE GRASSROOTS
Music is an ecosystem. And like any ecosystem, it's the delicate balance between all the key players that keeps it healthy.
NOISE is an initiative that creatively tackles the fundamental issues facing each of these players in grassroots music: musicians, audiences, and venues.
For musicians and audiences we have the sister event formats, NOISE and WIP (short for Work In Progress).
For venues, we launched a petition to make Pay-It-Forward ticketing a cultural norm for humans and for brands that want to do good. Not only does this give beleaguered venues much needed financial support. In the process, this democratises live music by making it open access.
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.
Check out these eye-opener facts:
- Independent music venues are closing at an alarming rate: 2 per week, according to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s May 2024 report on Grassroots Music Venues.
- Listening preferences are towards established artists: 70% of all streaming is old music, according to MRC Data.
- Platforms create musical echo chambers, leading to a homogenisation of taste – and impact the originality of music, as artists try to balance pressure to ‘create content’, digital burnout, and the temptation to write music so it gets picked up by the algorithm.
In short, old music risks drowning out the new—but not if we have anything to say about it.
Cue the NOISE initiative, which launches with these issues in the sights of two sister formats: NOISE and WIP, reimagining how we bring talent and audiences together.
The NOISE suite of events prototype an agile way to support the grassroots amid venue closures, becoming a music accelerator on ‘wheels’. We say ‘on wheels’, because the roadmap entails bringing the format to other venues and cities.
While the NOISE petition aims to help grassroots venues be more financially stable by making generosity and kindness inspiring and cool.
Calling on Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and more to draw attention to the challenges and solutions
It is challenging to draw attention to yet another cause . But, we argue the issues facing the music industry are the same issues facing every industry: an extractive mentality, a top heavy approach that only values the already successful, and a scaling back of means due to rising costs. This is why we are writing a series of open letters to legends of music. Each of these musical giants is intimately connected to London in different ways.
Read the open letter to Mick Jagger here. More to follow soon.
Scenes from a previous NOISE in 2023
WHAT IS NOISE? A LOUD & LOCAL SHOWCASE MEETS JAM
Part underground showcase, part jam, NOISE is a multi-layered, pop-up music venue experience that holds the door open for undiscovered talent and is a game changer for the music industry.
Where did NOISE come from?
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.
Why does NOISE matter?
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.
NOISE platforms creativity of all kinds
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.
“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
WHAT IS WIP? SPACE FOR EXPERIMENTATION & COMMUNITY
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.
- Musicians who want to test out new material and get feedback in a safe space
- Music lovers who want to explore new sounds and get a backstage pass to the creative process
MUSIC IS FOR EVERYONE. SO OUR TICKETING IS PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN
In the world What Does Not is creating there is no price tag on joy, pleasure, and belonging.
For us, quality of life is a birthright. Not a privilege.
So we chose a pay-what-you-can ticketing model to make sure everyone has access to amazing experiences.
This type of ticketing model allows people who can afford to buy a ticket the chance to support others who can’t.
The highest priced tickets offset our low-cost ones and ensure NOISE is a vibrant and diverse event that’s accessible people from diverse socio-economic circumstances.
Tickets for NOISE start at £8, with special rates for musicians coming to jam – and even some free allocations for those who really need it.
Meanwhile, WIP is free
WIP is free because this is a community first, and sandbox second. Removing any barrier to entry while having a social element (and some free drinks) also encourages audiences to explore new music and makes it appealing for musicians to dip their toe into pushing the boundaries of their music.
NOISE JOINED 'LONDON CREATES'
In recognition of our ambition to influence the grassroots music ecosystem, What Does Not, and NOISE were invited to join the Mayor of London’s London Creates campaign.
The campaign celebrates, spotlights & attempts to save the grassroots music scene.
Leading figures within London’s creative industries have united to celebrate the city’s significance in the world of art & culture, and now, they’re turning their attention to music.
Championed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the music-focused part of the ‘London Creates’ campaign includes the Evening Standard, Universal Music, the Music Venue Trust, DICE, Rough Trade, and What Does Not.
“Grassroots live music is the foundation of our world-renowned music industry and it’s important that we continue to provide a variety of opportunities for artists to showcase their talent.
NOISE is a really innovative way to bring music to new audiences, and to give artists great exposure. It’s what the London Creates campaign is all about – shining a spotlight on our extraordinary cultural scene, as we work together to build a better London for everyone.”
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture & Creative Industries
MAKE NOISE FOR GRASSROOTS MUSIC VENUES
The NOISE petition completes the trifecta.
The ask is simple: create a bank of tickets for those who need and want them, at venues that need and want them.
With enough support from humans and brands, this simple act of enabling Pay-It-Forward functionality in ticketing platforms could spark an explosion of creativity and stoke appetites for exploration.
For us, tickets are paywalls
So we figured out a way to create a world of open access to music – where live performances are as easy to explore as browsing a free library of ideas.
No financial barriers—just pure, spontaneous discovery.
That’s why we liken the impact of our petition to ‘Turning London into the Wikipedia of live music.’
