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Manchester music venues Gorilla and the Deaf Institute saved from administration

<span>Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer</span>
Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

Two celebrated Manchester music venues have been rescued after new buyers stepped in promising to get them back up and running.

Gorilla and the Deaf Institute had been about to close down as their operator, Mission Mars, struggled to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown. But Tokyo Industries, which operates dozens of venues, mainly in the north of England, has said it had agreed a deal last weekend to get them back to normal.

“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 venues like these,” said Aaron Mellor, the founder of Tokyo Industries.

“Over the weekend, we’ve put together some great ideas with SSD Concerts and Tim Burgess [lead singer of alternative rock band The Charlatans] to help save both venues and their existing operating style in a post-Covid world. We’re not so keen on this ‘new’ normal and want to keep the ‘old’ normal alive for when we all get through this.”

Burgess welcomed the news, tweeting: “Let’s work together to help save as many independent spaces as we can.”

Mellor acknowledged that a “difficult few months” lay ahead, saying the businesses would not be viable until social distancing rule were removed. He said his firm had been given guidance from Whitehall that a decision was expected by early November and that it was likely the restrictions would be eased by the end of 2020.

“Grassroots venues are already very difficult to run. We do this out of a love of new music,” he said. “Music will come back and a city like Manchester that is built on music will be back.”

The incoming and outgoing owners on 21 July released a joint statement confirming news of the deal. They said all staff would be kept on and had been informed.

“It’s really great news for our teams and the music-loving people of Manchester that both venues have found such a perfect new home,” said Roy Ellis, chief executive of Mission Mars.

Gorilla and the Deaf Institute were among four well-known venues in Manchester and Hull threatened with closure. In Hull, two historic venues, the Welly and the Polar Bear, have gone into administration.