Manchester City Council has been slammed by musicians and revellers as a popular venue enters a crucial court battle threatening its future.
Northern Quarter’s Night & Day Café was issued a noise abatement notice by the council last year, and if found in breach the bar could close.
The problems started when neighbours in an adjoining property complained about the noise coming from the venue.
Sacha Lord, co-founder of Parklife and The Warehouse Project tweeted: “If you decide to buy a flat in the middle of a thriving night time economy, don’t then complain that noise is a problem.
“You’re the problem.”
Night & Day Café has hosted artists such as the Artic Monkeys, Johnny Marr and Ed Sheeran in its 31-year history.
The complaining resident moved into their flat next door during the Covid lockdown in 2020 and told Manchester Magistrates Court on November 30 they have now moved out.
Jennifer Smithson, co-owner of the bar, said it was “absolutely terrifying” that her business could be taken away from her and told the court she thought Manchester city council would “be proud of us”, The Guardian reports.
Matty Healey, frontrunner of the band 1975, responded to the noise complaint, saying: “This cannot happen. The council need to drop the case.”
Another celebrity reaction came from Jeremy Pritchard, of the rock band Everything Everything, said: “If Manchester cannot protect the Night & Day, it isn’t a music city.”
The third day of the case, launched by Night & Day Café in an attempt to overturn the notice, has been postponed until January 17.
The resident told the court that the media coverage of the case has “consumed” his partner who became a “recluse” and lost 30kg in weight, Manchester Evening News reports.
Guy Garvey, lead singer of Elbow, who received its first contract on stage from Night & Day, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the Oldham Street area only became a desirable place to live once the venue opened in 1991.
He said: “To take it away so that it becomes a nicer place to live says that Oldham Street is only for people that can afford to live there.”
Ahead of day two of the bar’s court appeal, Night & Day Café spoke to Charlatans’ frontrunner Tim Burgess, who said grassroots venues are facing challenges “from every direction”.
He added: “People moving next door thirty years after they were established and moaning about the volume possibly tops the list in terms of ridiculousness.
“This is about taking a stand – not just for Night & Day but all the venues that we love.
“Hoping common sense can prevail!”
Manchester City Council has been contacted for a response.
Image: Google Street View
