The Ritz was a New York City rock club in the 1980s. Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area...

History

The Ritz was founded in 1980 by Jerry Brandt on 11th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue in the East Village part of New York City. Formerly a ballroom known as Webster Hall, The Ritz still retained some of its previous incarnation's Art Deco style. As a venue, it focused primarily on live performances, often of newer acts, but also featured dancing. The Ritz was one of the first clubs to use incorporate video as part of the club experience. In its heyday, top acts including Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Guns N' Roses, Prince, Sting, KISS, B.B. King, Parliament-Funkadelic,and 10,000 Maniacs performed on its stage. In 1986 it became the home to Chris Williamson's Rock Hotel club. Many bands such as The Ramones, Dead Boys, Bad Brains, Leeway, Agnostic Front, U.S.CHAOS, The Cro-Mags appeared there. Mainly due to concerns over their liquor licence, they relocated to the larger 254 W.54th Street, the former home of Studio 54, in 1989. The 11th Street location was reborn as a dance club, reverting back to its original name, Webster Hall. East Village Also known as Newmyers Seven Nuts, named for its inventor Chris Newmyer, East Village is a community card poker game. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939) is an eight-time Grammy Award-winning American pop/rock singer and actress. ... The famous Clapton is God graffiti Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century,[1] garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958), known from 1993 to 2000 as (or informally, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, TAFKAP, or simply The Artist), is a popular and influential American musician. ... For professional wrestler Steve Borden, see Sting (wrestler). ... Kiss (sometimes typeset KISS, to fit the official logo) is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. ... Riley B. King aka B. B. King (b. ... ... 10,000 Maniacs is a United States-based alternative rock band, formed in 1981 and active with various line-ups since that time. ... The Ramones (L-R, Johnny, Tommy, Joey, Dee Dee) on the cover of their debut self-titled album (1976), cementing their place at the dawn of the punk movement. ... The Dead Boys were a early punk band that formed in Cleveland, Ohio about 1975, evolving out of the band Rocket From The Tombs. ... Bad Brains are a highly influential American all-black hardcore punk band, originally formed in Washington, D.C. in 1979. ... Leeway is the lateral movement of a ship to the leeward of her course; drift. ... Agnostic Front are a New York hardcore punk and crossover formed in New York City in 1982. ... U.S. Chaos are an United States hardcore punk band from New Jersey, formed in early 1981. ... The Cro-Mags were a hardcore punk band from New York City. ... The original Studio 54 logo. ...

Public Image Limited

The club received national attention after an antagonistic performance by Public Image Limited on May 15th, 1981. The band was more interested in creating performance art than giving a traditional concert. To this end, they appeared onstage deliberately obscured by a projection screen and played their records through the club's public address system while playing entirely different music onstage. Taunted by singer John Lydon, the Ritz's unhappy patrons rioted, throwing bottles and pulling on the tarp that covered the stage. Public Image Ltd (PiL) is a band formed in 1978 by John Lydon, formerly and later Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. ... John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten, is an English rock musician. ...

On Record

• U2 performed their first live show in the United States at the Ritz on December 6, 1980.
• Ozzy Osbourne recorded Speak of the Devil at The Ritz in 1982.
• Iggy Pop recorded Live in NYC at the venue in 1986.
• Bo Diddley recorded Live at the Ritz with Ron Wood in 1987.
• Guns N' Roses recorded a full concert for MTV in 1988.
• White Lion made a television recording at the club in 1988.
• The Dictators recorded a few tracks at the club in the early '80s, eventually released on their live album New York, New York.
• "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?", the only live track on The Misfits' Walk Among Us, was recorded at the Ritz in 1981.
• "Memories Can't Wait" from the Living Colour EP Biscuits was recorded live at the club on April 22, 1989.

This article is about the Irish rock band. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... James Newell Osterberg, Jr. ... Bo Diddleys emphasis on rhythm largely influenced popular music, especially that of rock and roll in the 1960s. ... Ronald David Ron Wood (born June 1, 1947 in Hillingdon, London) is an English rock guitarist and bassist best known as a member of The Rolling Stones, The Faces and The Jeff Beck Group. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... White Lion was a hard rock band active in the 1980s and early 1990s. ... The Dictators are a proto-punk band from New York City. ... The Misfits are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 and led by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Anzalone) and bassist Jerry Only (born Gerald Caiafa). ... Walk Among Us was the ninth release from the Lodi, New Jersey punk band The Misfits. ... Living Colour is a hard rock group formed in New York city in 1983 by Vernon Reid. ... Biscuits was an EP of live and unreleased released cuts by Living Colour, released on July 16, 1991 (see 1991 in music). ...

Notes

Sting made his solo debut at The Ritz Dream of the Blue Turtles was not yet released. It was in March 1985.

External links

• 1980 New York Times club scene article
• A personal account of the infamous Public Image Limited show
• A reprint of the Rolling Stone magazine article on the Public Image Limited show