The Moonlight Club

ABOUT

The Moonlight Club was a music club in the basement of the Railway Hotel at 100 West End Lane, West Hampstead, in the late 1970s and early 1980s; the Klooks Kleek club had used the same building in the 1960s. It stopped putting on nightly gigs at the end of April 1983 and became a disco. The building is still The Railway pub, with offices and flats on the floors above.

SIGNIFICANCE

U2 played there on 1 December 1979, the first of eleven London shows that month listed in the band's archive. Joy Division played on 2 and 3 April 1980, and their cover of 'Sister Ray' from those nights was released on the album Still.

MUSIC & CHARACTER

SOURCES

Details compiled from public sources. Run this venue? Get in touch to confirm or correct the listing.

1. https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/west-hampstead-pub-rooms-where-stevie-wonder-and-jimi-hendrix-once-played-be-turned-fl (news article)Supports: The Moonlight was in the basement of the Railway Hotel; the 1960s Klooks Kleek club had used the same building.
2. https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/railway-west-hampstead/find-us (official website)Supports: The building is The Railway pub at 100 West End Lane, and Camden approved offices and six flats on the floors above it in 2014.
3. https://www.rhino.com/article/joy-division-announce-eternal-live-first-official-collection-of-live-concert-recordings (official website)Supports: Joy Division played the Moonlight Club on 2 and 3 April 1980; their cover of the Velvet Underground's 'Sister Ray' from those nights was released on Still.
4. https://www.u2.com/blogs/london-dates (official website)Supports: U2 played the Moonlight Club on 1 December 1979, the first of eleven London shows that month in the band's archive.
5. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/New-Musical-Express/1983/NME-1983-04-30.pdf (news article)Supports: The Moonlight stopped putting on nightly gigs after Saturday 30 April 1983 and became a disco.