Club Days
Bingenheimer flew back and opened a nightclub initially called the "E Club" on Sunset Strip with two partners. Outside there was the British flag, the Union Jack. It served "British bangers" and beer. It had a small "VIP area" which was a roped-off section near the dance floor.
| “ | The decor consisted mainly of mirrored walls. ... The dress of choice: feather boas, platform shoes, high-drama makeup and, of course, glitter. After three months, the club outgrew its space and reestablished itself down the street as Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. The dance floor was packed with glittered-booty shakers, but the real action could be found in the VIP booth. Led Zeppelin, Andy Warhol, Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, the New York Dolls, the Kinks, Michael Des Barres or Marc Bolan held court while getting liquored up on imported ale. ... The English Disco closed when glitter faded in the late '70s. -- reporter Kastle Waserman in the Los Angeles Times in 2001 | ” |
The club opened in October 1972 at 8171 Sunset, near his various West Hollywood apartments, and Bowie was one of the club’s first guests. It subsequently moved to 7561 Sunset and was renamed Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. In this version it became a favorite hangout for many rock stars (and a favored haunt for young female groupies) and through the Disco Bingenheimer introduced much of the Los Angeles music scene to glam rock. At one point, Elvis Presley dropped by for "pints of Watney's".
The English Disco also featured occasional live performances, including appearances by The New York Dolls and The Stooges in 1973, and Iggy Pop staged his infamous concert on 11 August 1974, during which he performed an improvised “play” called Murder of the Virgin (in which he was whipped by guitarist Ron Asheton, who was dressed in a Nazi uniform) and which climaxed with Iggy repeatedly slashing his chest with a knife. In October 1974, Jerome T. Youngman and the band Punk performed with fellow Detroit band Mighty Quick.
Speaking of this period, David Bowie later recalled:
| “ | Alone in LA, Rodney seemed like an island of English nowness. He even knew British singles and bands that I wasn’t aware of. Rodney singlehandedly cut a path through the treacle of the Sixties, allowing all us avants to parade our sounds of tomorrow dressed in our clothes of derision. -- David Bowie | ” |
When the club closed in 1975, Bingenheimer was reportedly disenchanted with the stylized dance genre disco to the extent that he abruptly abandoned his club “English Disco,” so as not to be associated with the popular movement. But a later report suggested that a disagreement between the owners was the primary cause of the club's closure.
Bingenheimmer briefly resurrected the English Disco in the early 2000s. The Los Angeles based punk/new wave group, The Von Steins, performed at the grand re-opening.
Read more about this topic: Rodney Bingenheimer
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