'There was nothing else like it': Mojo celebrates 30 years of changing Leeds' nightlife
‘There was nothing else like it in Leeds’
Mojo has always done things differently.
When the cocktail bar opened on Merrion Street 30 years ago this month, Leeds city centre looked nothing like the vibrant, bar‑packed neighbourhood we know today.
Back then, independent venues were rare, nightlife options were “slim pickings”, and the idea of a music‑driven cocktail bar felt genuinely new.
Mojo was launched by Malcolm “Mal” Evans, who opened the bar alongside Roger Needham and a group of friends including James Hudson.
The cocktail bar launched in the mid‑90s with a simple mission: to create a great space where music, cocktails, ice‑cold beer and inclusivity took centre stage - something the team felt was missing from the town centre.
“We were probably a little bit young and overconfident and excited,” James Hudson told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “We just had some very basic goals. We wanted to make sure the beer was really cold, the cocktails were as good as we could possibly make them, and just have a nice clean bar and let the music drive it.”
Originally an old hairdresser's, Mojo opened on Merrion Street in September 1996. James still remembers prying heavy green tiles from the floor as the team built the bar with their own hands - and a few favours from friends.
“It had these thick green tiles on the floor, cemented down on top of chicken wire,” he said. “We were there on our days off with this big crowbar - I still have nightmares about that.”
Leeds in 1996 was a very different place.
“It was slim pickings to be honest,” James said. “There were a couple of good pubs but also some ropey nightclubs. Indie Joze was the only real independent bar. Harvey Nicks (Nichols) hadn’t arrived. It was a very different time.”
The new venue featured modern music played on minidiscs, a big move away from the traditional jukeboxes which soundtracked many other drinking dens at the time.
“Most places had a jukebox, but we played the whole of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ all the way through,” James said. “You’d drop Oasis at full volume and people would go, ‘What?’… People were just intrigued by it all. There was nothing else like it in Leeds.”
In an age before social media, Mojo received national attention from an unexpected source. By putting music at the very front of its image, Mojo attracted attention from the big magazines of the time.
“I remember going home to mum and saying, ‘Look at this, I’m in this magazine,’” James said. “It wasn’t once - it was dozens of times.”
That attention snowballed. “We kept being featured in big national magazines… and before long acclaimed bartenders were coming up from London,” he added. “Dick Bradsell - who did the espresso martini - used to drink in the bar.”
James left the business around 2000 to focus on other ventures, but returned in 2019 and has had a more hands‑on role since founder Mal retired earlier this year. The business is today run by Martin Greenhow, with James and Peter Williams running the operations team.
A lot has changed since the 90s. But when James returned to Mojo after nearly two decades, he still recognised the bar he helped launch.
“I still had those values in my head. I knew what it was about,” he said. “Martin kept it steady through COVID. When everyone else was losing their shirt he didn’t flinch.”
Leeds, meanwhile, has transformed.
“The whole city centre’s changed and developed. Mostly for the good,” James said. “We’ve got speakeasies, rock ’n’ roll cocktail bars, great pubs, incredible food. It’s one of the best places in Europe to go out.”
And Mojo itself has become a multi‑generational institution. “We had a bar manager whose parents met in Mojo Leeds,” James said. “They had a post‑wedding party there and now their kids work for us. It’s crazy.”
Mojo is marking three decades of music, cold beer, and dancing with a week‑long celebration starting September 14, culminating in a big birthday party from September 18 to Sunday, September 20.
Those who were there all those years ago will be pleasantly surprised by the drinks menu - and the prices.
“We’re putting on nine favourites from back in the day and charging 1990s prices,” James said. “You’ll be able to get a cocktail for £3.90… it’s mental. We’re not going to make any money that week - it’s just for fun.”
The Friday night party will be a nostalgic affair.
“We’ll dig out the old playlists, play the favourite songs,” he said. “The age of the guests will drop a decade every hour - old friends will come early, then the next generation will come in. We’ve even got cowboy hats with ‘30 Mojo’ on.”
So what’s the key to Mojo’s success? James doesn’t claim to know the exact formula.
“If I knew the true secret, I’d be a millionaire,” he said. “But we’ve kept the values the same. We hire on attitude. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We sling drinks, put good music on, and make people feel important.”
As for the future, the team hopes to expand - and eventually pass the baton on.
“We’d like to open a few more sites… maybe we’ve got another 10 years in us,” James said. “Then maybe it’s time to pass it on to new people and watch someone else take it to another level.”