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 The Starwood entrance in early 1979. | |
 Interactive map of Starwood | |
| Former names | P.J.'s (1961-1973) |
|---|---|
| Address | 8151 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood,CA 90046 United States |
| Coordinates | 34°05′28″N118°22′00″W / 34.091028°N 118.366643°W /34.091028; -118.366643 |
| Owner | Eddie Nash |
| Type | Nightclub,music venue |
| Event | Entertainment |
| Capacity | 800 (500 seated) 400 standing at the Rock Room |
| Opened | 1973 |
| Closed | June 13, 1981 |
| Years active | 8 |
TheStarwood was a popularnightclub andmusic venue inWest Hollywood, California from early 1973 to 1981.[1] Manypunk bands andheavy metal bands, includingVan Halen, started their careers playing at the club.[1] The Starwood was located on the northwest corner ofSanta Monica Blvd. and Crescent Heights Blvd.
The Starwood was preceded by P.J.'s, a fashionable jazz and pop music nightclub during the 1960s, which attracted a large number of film and TV personalities,[1] and some old school jazz musicians. Established in February 1961 by Paul Raffles, Chuck Murano, Bill Daugherty, andElmer Valentine, it hosted such acts asThe Bobby Fuller Four,The Standells,[1]Rufus Thomas,Trini Lopez,[1] andKool & the Gang, all of whom recorded live albums there. Other notable performers at the venue wereThe Flying Burrito Brothers, andTim Buckley. The club was managed by Valentine until he left to cofound theWhisky a Go Go in January 1964.
In late 1971, P.J.'s was bought by alleged organized crime figuresEddie Nash[1] and Dominic Lucci,[2] together with Hal Glickman. After receiving a light renovation, the club was reopened to the public in January, 1972.
In 1973, after Nash bought out Lucci's and Glickman's ownership interests in the P.J.'s club, it became the Starwood,[1] which was managed by Gary Fontenot until the club closed permanently on June 13, 1981, by order of theLos Angeles County authorities due to too many citations for underage drinking and noise abatement issues, among others. In May 1982, before its scheduled demolition, it caught fire,[1] though not burning totally. The blaze occurred while unexplained fires befell other Nash-owned properties at the time. Subsequently, the structure was torn down, and amini-mall replaced the nightclub.[1][3]
The Starwood hosted many regional bands and artists includingVan Halen,[4]X, theGerms (who played their legendary last show at the venue),The Go-Go's,Fear,Circle Jerks,The Knack,W.A.S.P. (known as Circus Circus at the time),The Motels,Quiet Riot,Dokken andThe Runaways.
Ray Manzarek's short lived band,Nite City, appeared at the club and recorded their set for their live album,Starwood Club, Los Angeles. 02/23/1977.
Mötley Crüe, one of the most successful bands to emerge from theSunset Strip music scene, played their first concert together as a band at the Starwood on April 24, 1981, with help from the band's bass guitarist,Nikki Sixx, who was employed by the Starwood as a janitor and convinced his boss to let them play there, opening for the already established California-based bandY&T. Sixx had performed at the Starwood prior to forming Mötley Crüe with his former band,London. AlsoTommy Lee had performed at the Starwood beforeMötley Crüe with his band named Suite 19, whereNikki Sixx saw for the first time Tommy perform and liked his style.[5]
Some of the acts from outside of California who played at the Starwood includeBlue Öyster Cult (under the name Soft White Underbelly),Aerosmith (under the name Dr. J. Jones & the Interns),The Damned,[6]Devo,The Jam,Cheap Trick, theRamones, theDead Boys,The Stranglers,AC/DC,Slade,Vince Vance & the Valiants,Rush,Rory Gallagher,UFO,The Fleshtones, andJudas Priest, who did three nights at the Starwood in 1978.[7]
The Starwood had two rooms with a hallway between; one room was a small dance floor and the other was the concert venue. Paid admission allowed access to both rooms, although the concert side was always crowded. The venue was small, what is commonly known today as 'shoebox' size, and configured with a long stage.
The first time that producer Ted Templeman saw Van Halen playing at the Starwood in West Hollywood one night in 1977, he burst out of the club's doors to find the nearest payphone.... "You've got to see this guy," was all he could say, referring to the band's flashy guitar player, Eddie Van Halen.
When Sixx puts together Mötley Crüe in 1981, he debuts them at Starwood
The Starwood Club played a major role in the development of the Los Angeles punk rock scene.
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