Hello, I’m Gaz Mayall, founder of Gaz’s Rockin Blues, London’s longest running one-nighter club, which opened in July 1980. Gaz’s Rockin Blues features vinyl only DJs and a different live band each week. We’re famed for specialising in black dance music throughout the ages, particularly US blues, R'n'B and soul, Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae also mixing gospel, calypso, rockabilly and British beat among many others. The array of live talent that’s passed through the club since its inception includes a who’s who in the history of the genres of music above, as well as introducing new talent that have ultimately risen to great heights.

I have lived in Notting Hill since 1970 and have been involved in Carnival since 1976. Gaz’s Rockin Blues sound system appeared at Notting Hill Carnival for the first time in 1982, and has been a chief feature ever since. Our stage was for many years the only platform for live music, and is still one of the few static sound systems where you can hear live bands.

Our stage spans a whole block of Talbot Road, between Ledbury Road and Powis Square. Originally based outside The Globe at 103, Talbot Road, that was one of the few and earliest Jamaican owned clubs in Notting Hill.

Every year we come up with a different theme and dress the stage and ourselves accordingly. This involves months of planning and weeks of building and preparing.

Until 2010 I personally funded the cost of this myself, and local people would volunteer to build, paint and decorate in the weeks leading up to Carnival and on the Saturday before, the build day.

Every year the costs of this endeavour increase due to the expansion of our project over the last 10 years, and we have been lucky enough in the past to receive a grant from the Arts Council. Without their help we wouldn’t have been able to put on such a show.

This year unfortunately, the Arts Council funds have been heavily reduced due to the pandemic and the necessary funding needed to support numerous artists through the Cultural Recovery Fund, which has been essential to support struggling creatives. This has resulted in our projects proposal being rejected. And with less than 5 weeks until 2022 Carnival, there is no time for us to re-apply and await our application result.

Our intentioned theme for this year was the Sunken City of Atlantis, highlighting climate change, dwindling sea stocks and rising sea levels. We have already designed the stage and DJ booth and artists have submitted drafts for props and backdrops.

I love Notting Hill Carnival, it’s one of the highlights of my year, and this year’s was intended to be a particularly special one, the first one in three years due to the pandemic. It would break my heart not to be able to participate and put on a spectacular show for everyone.

Please help make Gaz’s Rockin Blues at Carnival 2022 possible. It will cost us more than £20,000 to get our production up and running at full capacity. We will be grateful for any help we receive, even if we manage to raise £12,000 our team will pitch in and still create something memorable, albeit at a reduced scale. So any contribution would be more than welcome.

I must say I feel uncomfortable asking for help, however those involved who are close to me are saying this is something that is an integral part of Carnival and that I should request for financial help from the public this year.

I hope to see you all there on Talbot Road on the 28th and 29th of August.

Max Romeo at Gaz's Rockin Blues at Notting Hill Carnival