Australian venue closed until April after firebombing attack

Brisbane’s popular indie-grunge venue, Tomcat, has announced it will remain closed until April following a devastating Boxing Day firebombing attack on the tobacconist below. Authorities have arrested 34-year-old Michael Ryan Warburton, who is alleged to have carried out the arson. Tomcat acknowledged the news on Instagram, posting, “Good news and bad news… Good news is they caught the ‘alleged’ man behind the firebombing. Bad news is we will be closed through till April due to the extent of the damage, with a significant amount of repair work that will need to be done.” Initially, Tomcat had hoped to reopen by late January, but extensive smoke and water damage has delayed their plans. In a previous update, the venue apologised to the bands affected by cancellations, expressing gratitude for the support they’ve received: “We will be back! And we will make sure you all know about it when we open our doors again to make up for the New Years Eve celebrations we missed.”