'The Common Room' with Ni Maxine

The Invitation... 

Step out of the noise and into ‘The Common Room’ with Ni Maxine. For one night only, we are transforming the gallery space at The Black-E into a warm, listening room for people to gather and discover new music which speaks to their experience and makes them feel seen. 

This is a deep-listening Black music concept, a resistance to spaces that centre alcohol sales and profit over people, stories and community. With a hi-fi listening experience, a meal and mocktails, this is a moment to designed for you to slow down, rest and reset. 

Leave your shoes at the door and sink into this soft sound sanctuary. This is intentionally a Black female led, queer-friendly, and intergenerational space, an alternative way to gather that holds space for human connection and quiet exchange.

More Information...

A big part of the inspiration behind 'The Common Room' comes from a pair of vintage Tannoy (SRM 12X) studio monitors that my mum passed down to me when I moved to Liverpool, to a house similar to the one she was raised in, just across the park.

Growing up, music was always playing in our house: reggae CDs on Valentine’s Day mornings before school, discovering albums like ‘The ArchAndroid’ (Janelle Monae), given to me by my Uncle Roy the first time I met him in New York, and, of course, studying ‘Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook’ which shaped so much of my early vocal style. I didn't understand how special those listening experiences were at the time.

After over 10 years of being unusable, we are restoring the speakers and building a community listening experience around them. When they're ready, I will listen to my debut EP 'Mother’s Arms' on vinyl for the first time, in the way it was always meant to be heard: communally, intentionally and through a sound system that has been with me for my whole life.

As always, if the ticket price is a barrier, get in touch at ni@nimaxine.com and I'll add you to my guest list, no questions asked.

With love, Ni Maxine x