The Venues that Helped Bulid Rock N Roll in LA

The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California is synonymous with glitz, glamour, celebrity, food, fashion, partying, decadence and of course rock n roll. Stretching 1.5 miles, The Strip is home to restaurants, hotels, music venues, upscale shopping, infamous nightclubs and a million different stories.

Since the 1920's it has played host to some of the worlds most famous and notorious stars to become a living piece of memorabilia. Located outside the LA city limits and under the less vigilant jurisdiction of the County of Los Angeles, the Strip became home to casinos and nightclubs. This brought the Hollywood crowd and so began the decadence.

From the 1960's and 70's The Strip became the place to be for musicians from rock to punk to new wave. It was the centre of the 80's heavy metal boom until the scene's last days in the early 90's and the decline of the music industry as a whole. Venues began implementing pay to play policies and many up and coming bands veered away from the area.

Despite the slight downturn in the 90's this famous stretch continued to be vibrant with activity and is still a mecca for rock n roll fans and tourists today.

Here I take a look at the venues on OR around the Strip that helped launch a thousand careers or just provided a place to party for some of the biggest names in rock.

The Whisky A Go Go

Arguably the most famous venue on the Strip. The Whisky has played host to a plethora of big name artists and bands including the likes of Motley Crue, Led Zepplin, Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Iggy and The Stooges, The Doors, The Who, Guns N Roses, Metallica, Van Halen and many, many more not to mention the bands given a big break by the club.

The Whisky first opened in early 1964 at the corner of Clark Drive and Sunset Boulevard where it still stands today. Originally it was transformed from an old bank building into a discothèque where girls in mini skirts danced in cages. Supposedly this is how the term "go go girl" was born.

The legendary venue was is credited with kick starting the LA rock scene as a whole from its 1960's "golden era" and has been at the forefront of the punk revolution, new wave, the 80s metal explosion and dare I say it... grunge.

Despite a couple of forced closures in the early 70s and again in the early 80s, re-opening as a discothèque for a second time, installing a pay to play policy and surviving numerous hazards such as the 60s Sunset Strip riots the Whisky a Go Go has stood the test of time as an iconic live music venue.

Visit: www.whiskyagogo.com

The Roxy Theatre

The Roxy was originally a strip club but re-opened in 1973 as it is today by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler along with partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Pete Asher. Not just a music venue, The Roxy also plays host to stage productions, comedians and other performing arts.

Like the Whisky, just about any major act you can think of has played there with David Bowie, Guns N Roses, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Zappa and Janes Addiction among just some of those. Up and coming bands continue to gain exposure by playing there and the superstars love to return either on stage or off it.

Above the nightclub is the infamous 'On The Rox' bar with a thousand debauched tales of Hollywood parties, including 1980s madam Heidi Fleiss and rock star antics including the most frequently referenced Lennon's "Lost Weekend" involving Alice Cooper, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon.

The Roxy Theatre ranks alongside the Whisky as a Sunset Strip icon.

Visit: www.roxyonsunset.com

Gazzarri's

Opening in 1963 Gazzarri's was a breeding ground for unsigned acts including the Byrds, Metallica, RATT, Poison, Van Halen, Warrant, Guns N Roses, the Doors and many others. Legend has it that Bill Gazzarri actually thought David Lee Roth's name was Van Halen, once slipping him some extra cash after a show and saying "Great show tonight Van".

On the east side of the building was Gazzarri's honour roll featuring hand painted murals of famous rock stars that had performed there such as Stephen Pearcy, Jim Morrison, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Slash, Axl Rose and Poison.

The club closed down in 1991 after Bill Gazzarri passed away and is now the site of The Key Club.

The Key Club

Originally Billboard Nightclub until 1998, The Key Club now stands on the site of Gazzarri's opposite the House of Blues and is still at the forefront of live music. It's a multi level 500 capacity complex that claims to have the most advanced audio, visual, lighting and technology on the Strip. The restaurant is renowned as are the private parties.

The Key Club hosts acts from far and wide of all genres but by far the most regularly entertaining is the weekly 80s metal spoof band Metal Skool. Currently held each Monday night Metal Skool attracts crowds of all ages and persuasions including celebrities who often end up on stage jamming with the band. To view videos of these head to www.youtube.com

Visit: www.keyclub.com

Riki Rachtman's World Famous Cathouse

In 1986, way before Riki Rachtman scored the hosting job of Headbanger's Ball on MTV, he started The Cathouse with some help from his room mate Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat) initially on Tuesday nights at a run down LA disco.

The original intention was to have a DJ play nothing but rock but eventually friends and bands wanted to play the venue. With scores of women showing up, the men followed as did celebrities and established rock stars such as Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Metallica, Ted Nugent and Guns N Roses.

Many bands would eventually take to the stage but of the most memorable were GNR, The Black Crowes, Faster Pussycat, Stone Temple Pilots, White Zombie and many others from the era too numerous to name. They also had a no camera policy enabling stars to party without worrying about the press knowing what they were up to allowing all kinds of debauchery.

Despite the no camera policy though, director Penelope Spheeris was allowed to shoot an entire segment on The Cathouse for her film 'The Decline of Western Civilisation: The Metal Years'. It's in this film you can see The Cathouse in all it's glory. In 2006 Riki Rachtman hosted a 20 year Anniversary event for The Cathouse at The Key Club.

Visit: www.cathousehollywood.com

The Troubadour

Opened in 1957 The Troubadour still stands today and has seen every major rock n roll movement throughout history. The Troubadour stands fairly unique with The Roxy in that the club has hosted many comedy showcases and was never limited to a certain musical genre or niche.

From Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young in the 60s to Janis Joplin, Elton John, Billy Joel, Miles Davis and Bruce Springsteen in the 70s.

Then in the 80s it was Metallica, Warrant, Motley Crue and Guns N Roses all making their debuts through to the 90s with Pearl Jam, Korn, System of a Down and Radiohead amongst others getting their shot.

One of the more famous stories involves John Lennon and Harry Nilsson being escorted out of the venue for heckling the Smothers Brothers.

Visit: www.troubadour.com

The Starwood Club

Located on Santa Monica Blvd and Cresent Heights, The Starwood Club would play a significant role in the careers of The Go-Go's, Motley Crue (Nikki Sixx once held a job there), Quiet Riot, AC/DC, The Runaways, Ozzy Osbourne, Cheap Trick, Van Halen and The Damned.

It was originally a popular nightclub called PJ's in the 60s through to the 70s when organised crime figure Eddie Nash bought the property. Nash was implicated but never convicted in the brutal Wonderland murders investigation. In 1982 the club ceased to exist after a mysterious fire and is now the site of a mini-mall.

It was one of the first clubs to book LA punk bands as well those in the fledgling LA metal scene.

The Rainbow Bar & Grill

The Rainbow isn't a live venue but the famous restaurant and bar between The Roxy and The Key Club (formally Gazzari's) where many fans and rockers down the years have partied or just looked to have a drink as in the case of Motorhead's Lemmy. To this day he can still be found sitting at the bar.

Downstairs houses the restaurant and upstairs is the exclusive club 'Over the Rainbow' with a full bar, dance floor and DJ booth mostly playing nothing but rock n roll. Supposedly the food is pretty good and the pizzas are very popular. But the food isn't the reason to checkout The Rainbow.

Throughout the 70s and 80s anyone who was anyone passed through its doors and every major hard rock act has at least one debauched tale involving The Rainbow. As mentioned in his book 'Golf Monster', Alice Cooper along with Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon kept the traditions of 'The Lair of the Vampires' alive that was originally started by actors John Barrymore, Errol Flynn and W.C Fields. The bar has also featured in many songs and music videos and was an unofficial HQ for the 80s metal scene.

It has become an important part of rock history and is a mainstay on the Strip even though the glory days perhaps have passed. If you're looking for somewhere to go after a live show this is it because you might just bump into someone you recognise.

Visit: www.rainbowbarandgrill.com

Hyatt West Hollywood - "The Riot House" or "Riot Hyatt"

The 'Riot' Hyatt has seen it's fair share of rock n roll outlaws, had many rooms destroyed, TV's thrown out windows and is virtually a library of debauched tales. They even celebrate the fact by calling themselves "The Rock N Roll Hotel".

Opened in 1958 as the Gene Autry Hotel and renamed in 1966 as the Continental Hyatt House after being sold, it contains 262 rooms and is located right on the strip at 8401 Sunset Boulevard.

In the 60s and 70s it became the preferred hotel for many bands and their entourage. During that period it was given the nickname 'Riot House' after the crazy goings on namely by English bands Led Zeppelin, The Who and Rolling Stones.

Most famously Led Zeppelin rented out as many as 4-6 floors during the 70s for the band members and hangers on and it was then that drummer John Bonham supposedly drove a motorcycle down the hallway as depicted in the movie 'Rock Star' starring Mark Wahlberg.

Keith Moon and Keith Richards dropped TVs out separate windows, Robert Plant allegedly yelled "I am a Golden God" from a balcony as seen similarly in the movie 'Almost Famous', Lemmy wrote the song 'Motorhead' on a balcony, Little Richard was a resident at one stage and Jim Morrison was kicked out after dangling by his fingertips from a ledge. The Hyatt has also been depicted or used in many Hollywood films such as 'Almost Famous', 'Rock Star', 'This is Spinal Tap' and 'The Doors' starring Val Kilmer.

If you're going to LA this is the hotel to make a reservation.

Visit: www.westhollywood.hyatt.com

The Viper Room

Perhaps most famous for being owned by Johnny Depp until 2004 and the club where actor River Phoenix overdosed in 1993. Also, just outside the club is where Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was famously video taped assaulting a photographer getting a little too close to himself and then wife Pamela Anderson-Lee.

But despite the scandals The Viper Room is considered as one of LA's premier live music venues and has hosted acts such as Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Iggy Pop, LA Guns, Beautiful Creatures, Buckcherry, Rhino Bucket, Jetboy, The Donnas and Australia's own Airbourne.

The venue only holds around 250 people but the owners pride themselves on an intimate setting styled on the 1920s jazz clubs. Upstairs houses the main live performance area, full bar, dance floor and DJ while downstairs is more of an "intimate parlor".

It was also used during the shooting of 1991 film 'The Doors' as the old London Fog club back in the 60s.

Visit: www.viperroom.com

The Cat Club

Located next to The Whisky and owned by Stray Cats drummer, Slim Jim Phantom, The Cat Club is an intimate live venue providing a comfortable lounge setting complete with booths in close proximity to the stage. It's predominantly a rock n roll club but provides everything from DJs to karaoke and comedy nights.

Every Thursday and Saturday night as part of the Starf**kers house band Slim Jim, Eric Dover (Alice Cooper/ Slash's Snakepit), Dizzy Reed (Guns N Roses) and Stephen Adika (Dee Dee Ramone's band) and all-star jams featuring other rock stars aren't uncommon.

Visit: www.myspace.com/thecatclub

The Body Shop

Last but not least, The Body Shop. Perhaps one of the most famous strip clubs in LA. It started out as a topless joint that only served cocktails but progressed onto full nudity and a fully stocked bar open until 4am. This club is the longest running strip club in LA, since the 60s in fact, and has been a favourite for rock stars, celebrities and locals from the beginning.

Stories are hard to find (the rich and famous don't exactly advertise their strip club adventures) but two of the better known ones are when Motley Crue held a listening party at the club before the release of 4th album 'Girls, Girls, Girls' and supposedly this is also one of the places where Demi Moore "researched" her role in the movie 'Striptease'.

Visit: www.thebodyshophollywood.com