An East Lancashire music venue is set to reopen this weekend after falling profits, the cost of living crisis and other issues forced its closure at the end of 2022.

Darwen’s Sunbird Records, a grassroots live music venue which opened in 2016 by the late Jonathan Lindley, ceased trading at the end of 2022 and began consulting with liquidators.

New business owners Nathan Howard and Danny McDonough are set to reopen the venue on Good Friday (April 7).

Lancashire Telegraph: Danny McDonough (left) and Nathan Howard (right)Danny McDonough (left) and Nathan Howard (right) (Image: Nathan Howard)

In a Facebook status the new business owners said: “The venue will open once more to the gig-going faithful of Darwen and Blackburn from this Friday onwards, with a special weekend of events scheduled to take place over the Easter break.

“At the close of 2022, Sunbird sadly announced it had little other option but to hang up its gloves and give up the fight to the economic storm battering at its windows and doors.

“Rising inflation, a cost of living crisis and the fallout of the pandemic brought the venue to its knees.

“In March we, a group of Jonanthan’s earliest collaborators, opened talks with the venue’s long-standing landlords and came to an agreement on a new tenancy.

“Determined to continue our dearly missed brother’s legacy and vision of bringing people of all walks of life together through music, art and culture, our new team has worked tirelessly over the past month to ready Sunbird Records for its grand second coming.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Jonathan Lindley Jonathan Lindley (Image: NQ)

Musicians are set to take the stage and entertain guests over the bank holiday weekend, including: Jodie Millner, also known as DJ Risque, Craig Kirkham of Beats Rhymes Life, Miles Berry and The Lavelles.

Nathan, from Darwen, said: "I felt like it wasn’t the right time for Sunbird to close. It has a lot more to give to the community as a grassroots music venue.

“Darwen needs a platform for local talent, bands and artists.

“The revamped Sunbird has the same ethos as it started with and the aim is to provide a platform for the community, local talent, bands and artists.

“People travelled to play on this stage and to see acts perform here.

“Jonathan was passionate about giving people a space to share their talents and musical abilities. He believed in these artist.

“We want to carry on this ethos.

“I am so excited to get everybody back through those doors. I hope they enjoy the music and have a fantastic weekend here.”

In February Jonathan’s dad Steven Lindley was hopeful that a new owner would take over the venue.

Steven said he is “delighted” that the venue and his son’s legacy is able to continue.

He said: “I am so pleased that my son’s legacy is able to continue. This team in charge were all close with Jonathan and the also have this close connection with the venue.

“If Nathan and Danny hadn’t have taken it over I don’t think it would have reopened as none of the other interested parties had the same vision for the venue.

“They want to preserve Jonathan’s legacy as this was his idea and what he worked for. I am so chuffed.”

After talking with the new team Steven said it appears that the new Sunbird will have the same ethos that it started with.

He said: “When Jonathan first launched Sunbird the whole ethos was to promote new, interesting and possibly experimental music artists to give them a place to perform.

“A lot of these new bands couldn’t find venues to play at. While there were plenty of pubs they generally wanted artists to play covers and popular songs instead of their own music or anything experimental.

“This team have a fresh start now and don’t have the hangover problem from Covid that we had.

“It’s all looking very promising [for them].”