The Limelight

The Limelight was the name of a number of clubs run by the Canadian restaurateur Peter Gatien (* 1952 ).

The clubs

The first Limelight opened in Hollywood, Florida in the 1970s . After a few years of operation, the building was destroyed by fire.

In 1980 the second Limelight opened in Atlanta . It developed into a “hot spot”, not least because of parties organized by Interview magazine , at which celebrities such as Andy Warhol , Grace Jones and Debbie Harry were spotted. It closed in 1985.

The most famous Limelight Club was founded in New York City in 1983 . Disco and rock events started in a former episcopal church on Sixth Avenue designed by architect Richard Upjohn in 1844 . Many well-known live bands and electronic acts also performed. In the 1990s the concept changed to techno and industrial . A VIP room designed by HR Giger was created under the roof . The club had to close several times due to raids. From 2003 to 2007 a similar club was run at this point under the name Avalon . Since 2010 the place has housed the luxury shopping center Limelight Marketplace . In 2011 a film documentary about the New York Limelight was released .

In Chicago there was another club from 1985 to 1989 in a historic building belonging to the Chicago Historical Society . Then the Excalibur large-capacity disco moved into the premises.

In London , the club opened in 1986 in a former Presbyterian church from 1888 on Shaftesbury Avenue . In 2003 the club was closed.

literature

• Frank Owen, 2003 Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture, St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-28766-6