Remember the other week when Manchester venues Gorilla and The Deaf Institute announced that they would be closing?
It came after the news that the grassroots venues will shut their doors permanently after suffering a huge financial hit due to the covid 19 pandemic.
Well, now…. they aren’t! They’ve been saved at the eleventh hour after Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord told NME originally that the venues were on the verge of being saved after early talks and now, Tokyo Industries, who owns several other Manchester properties including The Factory and South have purchased both venues the Manchester Evening News Reports.
Staff will keep their jobs as part of the terms agreed between the company and the venue’s current owners Mission Mars.
In a joint statement, the venues will operate: “in much the same way as they have done in the past”.
Aaron Mellor, founder of Tokyo Industries, said: “These are extremely difficult times for all grassroots music venues around the UK. It’s vital venues like Gorilla and The Deaf Institute are kept alive, the cultural fabric of our city centres depends on venues like these.”
Almost Anything Music 