Rob Mallows has been running the London Jazz Meetup group for seventeen years and is announcing that he wants to step down from the role. The group has helped introduce people to live jazz, build audience numbers and build a feeling of community and fellowship around an enthusiasm for the music. The group, in Rob’s words, is “a social-purpose group …which brings jazz fans together to enjoy live music in and around the capital.”
Why??? “It feels the right time.” he explains. “Rather than just let it end, however, I’m hopeful a member, group of members or someone new will take over the day-to-day running of the Meetup (and its costs) and keep alive this part of London’s jazz eco-system. So, this post is something of a ‘call to action’.” (end quote)
Rob Mallows remembers: “No one in my circle of friends liked jazz.”
That has always been my standard response to new members of the London Jazz Meetup who have asked why I started running it.
Now I’m bringing to a close at the end of the month my seventeen or so years at the helm, I can reflect on that comment and say confidently: that’s no longer the case.
In fact, I’d wager that a significant number of my circle of friends in London now are jazz fans – and most of them I met through the Meetup.
Indeed, my connection with Seb and London Jazz News (I have been contributing for a similar amount of time) came about through a discussion about the Meetup.
Stopping doing something that’s been great fun to do over so many years is not easy. But it feels the right time.
Rather than just let it end, however, I’m hopeful a member, group of members or someone new will take over the day-to-day running of the Meetup (and its costs) and keep alive this part of London’s jazz eco-system. So, this post is something of a ‘call to action’.
If you’re not aware of what it is, the London Jazz Meetup is a social-purpose group organised through meetup.com, and it does what is says on the tin: it brings jazz fans together to enjoy live music in and around the capital.
The Meetup website allows members who want to go to a gig but don’t want to go alone (or want to share their passion for a particular artist with others) to post it in the calendar and invite members to join them. It’s as simple as that.
London can be a bit impersonal at times and making new friends is, for many, not that easy – particularly if you’ve just moved to the capital from another part of the country, or another country (we have many international members)
I’ve often found myself saying to new members who are a bit nervous about meeting a bunch of people at a gig for the first: the beauty of the Meetup is that everyone has one thing in common with which to start a conversation – an interest in or love of jazz.
From that seed, great evenings of live jazz, good friendships, even relationships can grow.
Over the years I’ve seen some cracking gigs with meetup members: Chick Corea Elektric Band at the South Bank; Daniel Karlsson Trio at the Spice of Life; Stanley Clarke at the International Student House in Great Portland Street. We’ve done social events, done some gigs overseas, held ‘listen and learn’ evenings too to share musical discoveries. Thinking back, I’m surprised how much we’ve done.
I also went with a meetup group to my worst ever jazz gig: Keith Jarrett at the Festival Hall around fourteen or so years ago (cue brickbats). I’ve been to meetups with one other member, and with twenty-five.
I’ve discovered some great new artists through joining meetups hosted by other members. It can be all too easy to just ‘stick with what you know’ and the Meetup’s always been a great way to expand my jazz horizons.
And musicians I’ve chatted to at venues have generally appreciated the support from Meetup members. Indeed, I recall one gig when the seven meetup members present were pretty much the whole audience, much to the (anonymous) musician’s relief.
So, why am I hanging up my mouse? A few reasons.
First, seventeen years is a long time to run anything.
Second, the meetup needs an injection of energy and new ideas. The pandemic did a number on the Meetup (it was moribund for two years) and I don’t think it’s quite been the same since.
And, bluntly, the fees are going up.
So, I’ve reached out to members to see if there’s someone (or a group of people) who’d like to take over as organiser and reshape the London Jazz Meetup in their image.
It would be a shame if it just stopped. But that’s a possibility. As is a promoter or venue sweeping in and taking it over and exploiting the existing membership on a purely commercial basis.
So I hope the Meetup carries on. Not least because I’m still planning to put gigs in the calendar; and there are plenty of people in the membership I’ve yet to get to know.
Jazz is, let’s be frank, something of a minority interest in the capital’s music scene. To thrive, it needs an engaged and supported community of gig-goers.
In its own small way, the Meetup’s done it’s bit to help by encouraging the jazz fan, the jazz newbie or the simply curious to come together and go out and see live jazz together.
It can still do so.”
Readers of interested in offering ideas or practical support can either comment on this post – or get in touch with Rob at this email address:
londonjazzmeetup [at] icloud [dot] com
LINKS: London Jazz Meetup website
Facebook Group / Rob Mallows on Facebook
