Peter Bacon reports on some changes at the Vortex:

I’d forgotten about painting parties – when you got all your friends round, handed them each a brush, and rewarded them for revitalising your tired digs with some cheap wine and takeaway pizza – ah, the fun of youth!

Thankfully, the friends of the Vortex, the individualistic jazz club in Dalston, North London, have better memories than mine. All hail the Vortex DIY Makeover Day. The club is offering just that heady mix of beer, emulsion, pizza, screwdriver action and cameraderie next Saturday and Sunday, 22/23 September 2018.

One of those club friends, Rick Simpson, has organised a gofundme campaign to assist in the revamp (link below). I asked him what else is going on… And, it seems, a lick of paint, etc, is just part of it.

“We feel like the vortex is on the verge of a renaissance,” he told me.

“Other changes afoot are the appointments of Kim Macari as programmer and Ali Strick as creative director and marketing/comms strategist,” Rick said. “They’re both absolutely brilliant, talented people and are bringing a new energy and optimism to the future of the club.

“Kim has already put together a fantastic programme for the rest of the year. And Ali has redesigned the flyers, the twitter account, mailing list and, more importantly, is directing the new aesthetics of the club’s interior. She’s also introduced cocktails to the Vortex for the very first time.

“The club has been extremely dear to people for the last 30 years and really is the bastion of contemporary jazz in London. We’re all looking to the future and working to make it even better. It’s also great that we have two dynamic young women at the forefront of these changes.”

And what’s going to happen next weekend?

Rick explains: “We’re going to repaint the walls, touch up any bits that are in disrepair and give the club a fresh, new look, while still appealing to old members. We’re looking to redesign the bar and get some plant life in there too! We think that a fresh aesthetic look will only help being more appeal to the club.”

So, you’ve heard the call – volunteers are needed to help with the spruce-up. And even if you can’t be there next Saturday, you can still help by donating to the cause (They’re over halfway there, so please help them reach – or exceed – that target).

LINKS: The Vortex Makeover Day gofundme page

What’s coming up at the Vortex