ABOUT THE EVENT

In East London in 2020, where rising costs and decades of systemic neglect threatened spaces for young voices, ‘Mezzo’s Corner’ offered a rare sanctuary. Founded by Mezzo — a bedroom metalhead at heart — it was a place for young musicians to channel the instabilities around them into raw performances that felt as much like defiance as music. It started with an amp, a guitar and a mic around a Hackney Wick picnic bench. Early jammers described it as therapy first: rung in by Mezzo’s now-iconic four chords, they’d step up and spill

It was built on the energy of a community exploring their creative identity. Bedroom MC’s brushed shoulders with classically trained horn players and neo soul singers. For time these ‘third spaces’ have fueled Black British music’s evolution, from grime, garage, and jungle—born of resilience and DIY defiance in and out of London’s youth clubs and night clubs through musical cross pollination.

Overwhelmed by the pressures of life in London and the demands of running the jam, Mezzo had to step away, leaving the community without its space for escape for the first time in four years. Two years on, this residency marks his return — partnering with Grow, whose grassroots ethos, independent spirit and role as a musical cornerstone of Hackney Wick make it a natural home for a jam born in Queen’s Yard. Across three months, two stories rooted in the same creative community come together, as Mezzo brings the jam back to its roots with a new perspective and a space that has long championed the culture around it.

House Band

Shanise Hall (trumpet)
Dragon King (guitar)
Angus (keys)
Reuben (sax)
Mezzo (guitar and host)

ENTRY INFORMATION

Doors 7pm
£5 advance tickets via DICE
£7 on the door