The owner of Nortons, a live music venue and Irish bar in Digbeth, has issued an apology after directing an expletive-laden rant at a local resident on social media. The outburst, which the owner described as a 'pint-induced rant', occurred on X, formerly Twitter, when a resident expressed excitement about the future of the area amid ongoing construction of the Midland Metro through Digbeth.
Rant Details
The resident, Reiss Omari, shared photos of the Metro works and commented: 'Hopefully we'll see some new businesses open up.' The Nortons Digbeth account then quoted his post, responding with a series of profanities, including 'ARE YOU F***ING MENTAL?' and 'F*** the f*** off.' The owner also criticised the 'beige business' that might open along the route, claiming the resident knew 'nothing about Digbeth.'
Apology Issued
After being called out by Omari, the Nortons account apologised, admitting the comments were 'completely out of order.' The owner explained that the venue had faced a 'really hard six months' due to road closures and was at risk of closure. He said: 'Hands up @ReissOmari that was completely out of order. We've had a really hard six months with the road closure and the last few weeks it's looked likely we'll have to close. My apologies for the late-night, pint-induced rant. I shouldn't have directed that anger at you.'
Following an understanding response from Omari, the owner added: 'Thanks for understanding. I am really sorry. You were being positive about the future of Digbeth and it just hit home that it might be a future where we're no longer there. I shouldn't have lashed out at you for it. Hopefully the road gets open soon and we'll be back in business.'
