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The Manc -
23rd March 2020 
The Manc -
23rd March 2020
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Manchester music venue Gorilla finally confirms reopening date after prolonged closure
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s best-loved music venues has finally confirmed when it’ll be reopening after a prolonged closure.
After quietly – and somewhat mysteriously – shutting up shop due what were cited as “unforeseen circumstances” back in the spring, Gorilla has finally taken to social media last night to confirm when it will be reopening its doors to the public, and has revealed how it plans to properly welcome back Manchester music fans.
The intimate music space and bar on Whitworth Street had originally said back in April of this year that it would only be “temporarily closed”, which left many to assume it would just be back open after that weekend – but sadly, that wasn’t quite the case.
Forfeiture notices appeared in the windows of the venue a couple of weeks later, and the countless gigs that were scheduled to be held there kept getting moved to alternative similar-sized venues around the city centre.
Since then, several months passed with no formal word of reopening.
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Until back in June, that is, when the venue confirmed that it will be reopening, but fans would just have to sit tight for a bit longer, as the space was having some “essential building work” done by its landlord.
And now finally, after six long months, Gorilla took to its official social media platforms tonight to thank all its supporters for their patience and the love they’ve shown during the prolonged closure, and more importantly, confirm the date it’ll be reopening once again – which is MUCH closer than most were probably expecting.
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Gorilla will be throwing its doors open to the Manchester public on Friday 3 November.
Announcing its reopening plans in a statement to Instagram last night, Gorilla wrote: “Well it’s been a wild six months, but we are so buzzing to finally announce that we are back [and] we honestly have not stopped thinking about getting back to Gorilla since we found out we were being closed.
“We reopen on 3 November with ‘Hits Different’, a night dedicated to all the pop bangers.
“Our first gig back is with our good mates and local legends Spangled, which we think is a perfect way to kick off celebrations [and then] straight after Spangled, we kick-off another party with Revolver, all the indie tracks, all night long.
“Whilst we have everyone’s attention, we just wanna say a big thank you to everyone for being so sound and supportive to us whilst all this has been happening.
“It’s been a big battle – but not one we ever gave up on.
Read more:
- Gorilla FINALLY confirms reopening plans after mysteriously closing for months
- Liam Gallagher announces three massive Manchester gigs on ‘Definitely Maybe’ 30th anniversary tour
- New Century announces new in-house Sound and Digital Technologies scholarship
“To the Gorilla team, we adore you all and never take any of your dedication for granted. Gorilla babes for life. See you at the bar.”
Featured Image – Gorilla
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Almost half a million Brits given pay rise as real Living Wage jumps to £12 an hour today
Emily Sergeant
Almost half a million Brits have been given a pay rise from today as the real Living Wage has risen to £12 an hour.
The real Living Wage – which is set by the Living Wage Foundation, and remains the only wage rates that are independently-calculated based on what people actually need to live on – has increased its rate increased by 10% in the UK, which means over 460,000 people working for 14,000 real Living Wage Employers throughout the country are set to benefit.
As the cost of living crisis sadly continues to make its impact felt nationwide, the real Living Wage rate’s rise to £12 an hour – which is a £1.10 increase – means hundreds of thousands of workers will get a “vital pay boost” from today.
In London, the rate has now also risen to £13.15 an hour – which is £1.20 increase from before.
Operated on a voluntary opt-in basis, some of the big-name companies currently signed up to the real Living Wage scheme – which launched nationally in 2011 – include Aviva, Burberry, Ikea, KPMG, and Nationwide.
Unlike the Government‘s minimum wage – which is known as the National Living Wage for over 23s, and is currently set at £10.42 – the real Living Wage is the only wage rate independently calculated based on rising living costs, and applies to everyone over 18.
A full-time worker earning the new real Living Wage would earn £3,081 a year more than a worker earning the current Government minimum, and £2,145 more than their current pay.
The Living Wage Foundation said the real Living Wage pay increase today would provide a “lifeline” for many employees that are continuing to struggle with “stubbornly high prices” – with recent research published by the charity having found that, despite easing inflation, the cost of living crisis is far from over for the country’s lowest-paid workers.
50% of low-paid workers were found to be worse off than a year ago, 43% reported regularly using a foodbank at least once a month, 60% have used a foodbank in the past year, and 39% reported falling behind on household bills.
“As inflation eases, we cannot forget that low paid workers remain at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis,” commented the Living Wage Foundation’s Director, Katherine Chapman, as the rate rises today.
“Low paid workers continue to struggle with stubbornly high prices because they spend a larger share of their budget on food and energy, but these new real Living Wage rates are a lifeline for the 460,000 workers who will get a pay rise.
Read more:
- Greater Manchester is aiming to be the first region with all businesses paying real Living Wage by 2030
- M&S, WHSmith, and Argos among 200 companies named for not paying staff minimum wage
- Royal Mail is hiring 16,000 temporary workers across UK in run-up to Christmas
“During these tough economic times, it’s heartening that record numbers of employers are signing up to join the Living Wage movement to protect everyone who works for them.
“The real Living Wage has never been more important.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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