The Viper Room is a nightclub

Nightclub

A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

 located on the Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip

The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...

 in West Hollywood, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp

John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...

 until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix

River Phoenix

River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...

 died of a drug overdose on Halloween

Halloween

Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

 morning in 1993. The Viper Room has undergone several changes in ownership, and continues to host music of multiple genres, including metal, punk rock

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

, and alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

.

The space where the club is located was formerly home to another venue called The Central, which was close to shutting down before Chuck E. Weiss

Chuck E. Weiss

-History:Chuck E. Weiss grew up in Denver, Colorado, where his parents owned a record store . Through his parents, and by spending time at the local blues bar Ebbett's Field, he met Lightnin' Hopkins. Lightnin' was impressed with his drum playing and took him on tour, where Weiss had the...

, who had performed there for years, suggested to Johnny Depp that they revitalise the spot and rename it "The Viper Room".