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Released on November 23, 2021, 7:12 PM EST

Every cultural movement has a North Star. A nightclub with such an attraction, it attracted the crowd who defined art at that time. The disco crowd in the 1970s had Studio 54 in New York, and the new romantic pioneer in the 1980s had Blitz in London. In the 90s, when grunge rock became the antidote to the costume, big hair, and spandex heavy metal scenes, a nightclub became a refuge for generation X superstars who were dissatisfied with their reputation.

Located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Viper Room is not only a cultural mecca, but also an escape room for the hottest stars of that era. Behind the humble front door, musicians, movie stars and models gather, gamble, take drugs and debauchery. The venue provides a protective cocoon where first-line stars can lay down their hair privately. It attracted stars such as Drew Barrymore, Uma Thurman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston, as well as defining musicians of the era, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Guns and Roses.

Viper Room opened as a live music venue in 1993, and the owner Johnny Depp thanked its outstanding clients. At that time, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor and his girlfriend supermodel Kate Moss were golden lovers in the heroin fashion circle. The club became a place where young actors were seduced by stripped anti-system primitive rock and could be addicted to live and private parties.

The writer and performer Pleasant Gehman (Pleasant Gehman) is a regular visitor.

"For young Hollywood, this is the only game in town," she told a Vice documentary. "They wandered there, trying to escape fame. Johnny Depp bravely tried to protect young and famous up-and-coming art stars. He wanted to create a haven for them."

Many actors at the time had their own branch music projects, including Keanu Reeves, Juliet Lewis, Depp and River Phoenix. For various reasons, their names became synonymous with the Viper Room.

Just a few months after the opening of Halloween Night in 1993, Phoenix, then 23, died on the sidewalk outside the club, while his sister Renn was sitting on his chest trying to stop his convulsions. His brother Joaquin desperately called 911 for help.

The young movie idol took an overdose of cocaine and heroin.

Just like the death of Kurt Cobain a year later, this tragic event was a defining moment in the era of grunge rock. However, despite the constant eulogy, almost no one investigated the cause of his death. As far as officials are concerned, this is an open and closed case. Less than two weeks after the tragedy, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office ruled that the cause of death was an accident, caused by "acute multidrug poisoning" involving lethal levels of cocaine and morphine. At the same time, the county sheriff's office announced that its investigation "has not found any evidence of unethical behavior."

Coroner’s Office spokesperson Scott Carrier said that Phoenix toxicology tests not only found deadly cocaine and morphine levels, but also found traces of marijuana, prescription tranquilizer diazepam and over-the-counter cold medicine. No needle marks were found on the body. It is impossible to determine when and how these drugs were taken, but the coroner’s office explained that they were probably ingested or breathed in.

What is shocking is that, nearly 30 years after death, we can reveal that the security officer of the club was never asked about that night and claimed that the club’s CCTV tapes were allegedly destroyed.

In addition, the conflicting version of the incident that night raised further questions about the supply of drugs in the club and indicated that Phoenix may have died after ingesting a "spiked" drink.

The new details come from the famous Hollywood private detective and repairman Paul Baresi, who claimed that he interviewed Eddie'Big Ed' Shaw, the head of the club's security. According to the version of the incident provided by Xiao, Phoenix had been waiting to take the stage on the night of his death. Depp's band P is playing. The lineup includes River's close friend, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. But before he took the stage, Shaw claimed that River began to feel unwell and could not support himself. Baresi said Shaw told him that he coached Phoenix outside the club. Shaw allegedly also told Barresi that someone in the club destroyed the CCTV tape while the police and ambulance were on the road. Xiao said Depp knew nothing about the potential disposal of the evidence, and no police had ever asked him.

Chuck E. Weiss, the co-owner and musician of the death club, confirmed that security surveillance was operating shortly afterwards, but said he believed that Phoenix had crashed outside the camera's range.

According to the version provided by Detective Mike Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department, Frye told Phoenix that the stage was too full that night to perform. He was so disappointed that he couldn't play with his friends, so much so that he started looking for drugs and took a quick shot-cocaine and heroin-and then he began to panic and feel unwell.

"Several sources told me that the word he (Phoenix) used was'this is too much,' or to the effect that this is the word. "Too many, too many," the policeman explained.

Another version of the incident was given in a book written by musician and celebrity rehabilitation center star Bob Forrest in 2013. In his memoir "Running with the Monsters," he wrote that on the night of the star's death, a group of people gathered in the club's office and started smoking cocaine. He described River as "unstable as a boxer who had too many head shots in 15 rounds."

"His complete lack of motor skills makes me think he is drunk. Heroin makes users thin when standing still, but you almost never see them fall," Forrest wrote.

He claimed that Phoenix approached him late in the evening and told him that he thought he had overdose, but Forrest replied that it was unlikely because he was still standing and talking. A few minutes later, Forrest heard a commotion and walked out of the club, where he found River’s girlfriend, American psychiatric actress Samantha Mathis, when her boyfriend convulsed on the sidewalk. She screamed for help.

Samantha felt very distressed by what happened, and she didn't talk about it until 2018. Her view of the incident was different again. She explained that she and Phoenix never planned to stay at the club that night, just to send his siblings there. But when they arrived, River explained that he wanted to play on stage. Mathis admitted that although she did not see anyone taking drugs, the excitement of her boyfriend made her "uncomfortable" and "dizzy". She asserted that when he was in the club, he took the heroin that killed him.

She said she came out of the bathroom and saw what she thought was Phoenix fighting with another man. The two were pushed out the side door by bodyguards. When she chased them, Phoenix had fallen to the ground and convulsed. She shouted at the other man: "What have you done? What are you doing?" She claimed that he told her not to disturb her dying lover because "You are destroying his happiness." She tried to return to the club for help, but the side door was closed, so she ran to the front and found Rain and Joaquin, and they both rushed outside.

In another version, Phoenix smoked heroin in the bathroom, then vomited, then swallowed Valium to stabilize himself, and then passed out in the bar. Then he stayed at the club for an entire hour, and his condition got worse and worse, until his siblings took him outside and he fell.

Perhaps the most disturbing version, as described by writer and journalist Gavin Edwards, has been confirmed by some eyewitnesses, claiming that River drank an alcoholic drink.

In the absence of any CCTV evidence, it is unlikely that the identity of the person who provided He with drugs that killed him or provided him with deadly drinks would be known.

The Viper Room protection bubble that many first-line stars talked about also seemed to protect the secret of what really happened that night.

In fact, the patron talks about the sanctuary the club provides to the outside world in an almost mysterious way.

After the band's first album was released in 1993, when he was struggling with mental health issues, Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz attributed his life to the Viper Room. Even if the recording became a multi-platinum record, he took care of the bar just to get rid of the attention he received from the outside world.

He said in a documentary: "Everyone sneezes just for fame. I live in the snake room most of the time, at night, at night. There are many interesting people who can talk to me. This is what the snake means to me. , A place worth visiting.

"The whole world became uncomfortable for me. When I needed a home, Viper Room gave me a home. It gave me a second chance in my life."

But just like the Phoenix lives two lives; one is a healthy and clean vegetarian, and the other is a desperate addict, the snake room is also a duality, isolated, safe and protective, and at the same time flooded. Drugs, according to some, there is corruption and violence.

The building at 8852 Sunset opened as a grocery store in 1921. In 1946, actor Lew Leroy transformed it into a music venue called Cotton Club, promising that "a five-act, five-member band is all right." In 1947, the building was bought by rogue Mickey Cohen, who reportedly started business in the basement. Over the next 50 years, it changed hands many times and became a rock club called The Central. Chuck E. Weiss resided here on Monday night and frequented by fans Johnny Depp. When The Central went downhill, Weiss approached Depp about the acquisition. His friends and other business partners (including Depp's 21 Jump Street actor Sal Jenco) jointly purchased the building and opened the Viper Room.

The building’s tortuous history and mob connection continue, even after the cool Hollywood scene moved in. According to Barresi, security boss Xiao revealed to him that one of his colleagues "went in with a smart guy from New York," a soldier and an Italian mob, one night at the club, he hit with a rifle butt. Their heads. The dumbfounded gangster pulled out the gun, and the men were separated before the bullets started to fly away. After the incident, Shaw told Barresi that Depp instructed Jenco to buy branded bulletproof leather jackets for security personnel, but Shaw told his boss that his team preferred formal suits and ties.

The awkward bodyguard who once danced with Naomi Campbell in the club became Depp's lifelong friend. Depp was on the payroll for a long time after leaving the club and was paralyzed in a traffic accident in 2006.

Although customers and management like Shaw, some customers are not so enthusiastic. In 2003, the famous fishbone guitarist Rocky George filed a little-known lawsuit against the club. Depp claimed that in September 2001, he was attacked by several security guards, including Shaw. Xiao led the charge. Johnny didn’t know that, in his absence, Baresi unearthed a newly discovered legal document that had never been reported before. It was said, “At about 2 in the morning, the plaintiff (George ) Was leaving the nightclub peacefully, and suddenly, without warning, he was physically attacked.

According to the case file, George was knocked to the ground and kicked in the face, "causing facial bruises and broken teeth." On November 21, 2003, after mediation, George received US$13,500 in compensation.

This is not the first time Shaw's name has been linked to a lawsuit involving club quarrels. In 1998, it was reported that photographer Russell Einhorn was paid more than 200,000 by Mick Jagger after he was beaten by a heavyweight in the club of the Rolling Stones. Dollar. The photographer claimed that he took a photo of Jagger with actress Uma Thurman in one of the comfortable booths at the venue.

Einhorn told reporters: "He kissed her and covered her with his hands." "His legs were on hers. This photo is too good to be missed. Can you imagine? Rock's greatest idol kisses Uma. My instinct was to take this picture."

Jagger's karate expert bodyguard Rowen Brad and two bodyguards allegedly grabbed the camera and threw Einhorn out of the club.

"I started talking to bodyguard Ed," Einhorn explained. "I asked him what was going on. He told me that I should be clearer than taking pictures. He told me that I was banned for life. I also asked him which bodyguard threw me on the ground, and he said if it was one of them, it was Mi K’s personal bodyguard."

Celebrity anecdotes are based on the folklore of the entertainment industry in the nineties and nineties. It used to be the site of an underground poker circle, reportedly founded by Spider-Man actor Tobery Maguire, welcoming Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and notebook director Nick Casa Wiitz and other first-line stars. This ring inspired the 2018 movie "Molly's Game".

Between 1995 and 2001, Pussycat Dolls was also established here, a burlesque group that often resides in the venue. They auditioned in front of Depp, and Depp immediately gave them the opportunity to perform.

But the story of drug overdose has never been far away. In 1995, more than a year after Phoenix's death, Depp hosted a birthday party for Kate Moss. Australian soap star turned singer Jason Donovan (Jason Donovan) appeared on the guest list, smoking cocaine all night, and eventually collapsed due to cocaine-induced seizures. He was carried out of the snake room by a stretcher.

In his memoir "Between the Lines: My Story Uncut", Donawan recalled: "My heartbeat speeds up, my vision is blurred, and I start to lose my way. I try to stabilize myself, but my legs are falling. I bent underneath and I fell to the floor. I'm not sure what will happen next, but I know someone has unplugged the music and is calling for an ambulance. A group of people circled me around, Michael [INXS's Hutchence] Standing beside me trying to empty my trouser pockets. "Is there anything on you? He kept asking me. I tried to speak, but couldn't. "If the medical staff finds anything on you, it won't be cool," he whispered. After that, I must have passed out again— My next memory is being carried out of the club by paramedics on a stretcher."

Two years later, on January 20, 1997, John Frusciante, the guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, performed again in the Viper Room. He performed an endless drug show at the club on the night of his death in Phoenix. The scene that triggered. This should be a form of return to victory. On the contrary, it was a disaster. When drug abuse was at its worst, Frusiante could hardly sing.

One critic wrote: "His upper teeth fell, his legs, arms and ankles were burned by cigarettes, and his nails bleed. At only 28 years old, Frusciante is already an acclaimed guitarist and is praised. To reinvent art-it has become a cliché of rock drugs."

Despite the excessive and slutty stories, Depp is said to be not in the club as often as people realize, but he still sticks to his pet project. In the end, it was business, not controversy, that forced him to give up the safe haven he was trying to create for his friends.

In 1999, he found himself involved in a multi-million dollar lawsuit brought by his business partner Anthony Fox. Fox owns 49% of the company and has begun legal proceedings against Depp, accusing Depp of conspiring with four other people to fabricate books, commit fraud and transfer millions of people from the club.

At the end of 2001, Fox was preparing to testify against Depp, but on December 19, he and his pickup truck and 0.38 caliber rifle disappeared. This car was found abandoned in Santa Clara, California on January 6, 2002. There is no trace of Fox, his bank account has not been touched, and his disappearance remains a mystery.

The fact that Fox disappeared shortly before testifying led people to suspect Depp was responsible. There are also rumors that he was the victim of a mafia attack. Fox's family continued to file a lawsuit. In 2004, Depp finally reached a settlement and handed over his share of the Viper Room to his former business partner's daughter Amanda.

However, this may not be the end of the story. According to a shocking report in the National Enquirer last year, Baresi claimed to have traced Fox to the UK. He also told reporters that he had spoken to Fox’s ex-wife, who claimed that she had seen him in Los Angeles six months after his disappearance-or at least someone who looked like him-and that he had been with them before. In her relationship, she made a disappearing behavior in order to stay away from her. Baresi’s claims have not been confirmed.

With the advent of Depp, the Viper Room lost its star appeal. Movie stars and musicians have found new meeting places. By the early 2000s, a new generation of celebrities began to invade the Gaza Strip. Reality show stars such as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie chase fame and fortune for fame and fortune. They build their own "brands" through publicity. Celebrities become business. Fame is no longer a by-product of artistic talent. This is a means to an end. These upstarts eager to publicize want to be seen. They confided to the paparazzi when they were out of town and happily disclosed their dirty secrets in public, because all publicity is good publicity.

For this new type of celebrity, the idea of ​​going to a club that can protect their privacy from prying eyes has no commercial meaning. The viper room spirit of the sanctuary has become a quirk of a bygone era.

But the club continued. Amanda Fox sold it to restaurant owner Harry Morton in 2008. In 2018, Arizona real estate company Silver Creek Developments purchased the block where the club is located for $80 million. It plans to demolish and replace it with a stunning 15-story new Development project. According to the plan, the new building called 8850 Sunset Blvd will rise 189 feet above the Las Vegas Strip and include a 115-room hotel, 41 residential apartments, 15-story restaurants, retail units and large digital billboards . The project is currently awaiting approval. If approved, the demolition will begin in September or October 2022.

Although this will mark the physical end of the original Viper Room, the name will continue to exist in the new live music venue proposed in the design.

Will one of Hollywood's most notorious nightclubs rise up like a phoenix gleaming in the ashes? maybe not. The name of Viper Room will always be associated with the tragic events of October 31, 1993. Any gleaming incarnation of a new building can be seen as a gorgeous tombstone and a monument to the tragedy that defines an era. The real viper chamber died a long time ago.

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