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BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The Leadmill halts artwork removal amid planning dispute
The operators of the Leadmill have agreed to halt the removal of a piece of artwork above the Sheffield venue's entrance doors after it emerged they did not have planning were seen removing part of a bas-relief sculpture which has been in place since 1989 from the exterior of the building on Thursday - a move the artist said "looks like vandalism".However, the city council confirmed planning permission for its removal had not been obtained and said the artwork, which depicts two musicians playing instruments, would have to be reinstated.A Leadmill spokesperson said the artwork was their property and it was being removed to be stored and "reused by us when we find somewhere suitable". Earlier this year, the operators of the historic event space were told they must leave the venue on Leadmill Road after losing an eviction battle against their landlord, Electric Group."We don't believe we are in breach and in any event our property is protected under Article 1 of the first protocol enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1998," the Leadmill spokesperson added."All we are doing is taking our belongings when we leave, which we are entitled to do." However, Michael Disley, who created the artwork with Martin Winter, said he considered it to be a piece of public art and said its removal "looks like vandalism".Mr Disley expressed his concern about the process of removing the piece, which comprises 10 slabs of stone, arranged five across and two high."I can't see them taking that down and not damaging it," he said."It was a very difficult fix in the first place - it took days and days to put in."The pavement underneath the artwork had not been fenced off when the BBC visited the venue on Thursday evening. A council spokesperson said "temporary measures" had since been agreed with the operators "to ensure public safety following the removal of some of the stonework".They said their request for the artwork's removal to be halted had also been agreed Disley said he and Mr Winter had answered an advert in The Guardian for a sculpture commission in 1987 and were chosen to create the piece after an interview with Adrian Vinken, who formerly ran the venue."It's part of the fabric of the building," he said."Ownership passes on. It's not as though it's got nothing to do with what's going on inside. I would love to see it reinstated."Electric Group, who own the building, said they planned to continue running it as a concert and nightclub venue.A refurbishment is planned once they take control of the site, which appears to have been gutted, on 15 2026 has been given as a reopening date under a new name, Electric Electric Group spokesperson said they were "really disappointed to see the removal of a much-loved Sheffield artwork"."It's been part of the city's fabric for years and has meant a lot to visitors and locals alike."The venue's neon Leadmill sign has now been removed, although a planning application to install two new neon signs with the lettering 'Electric' and 'Electric Sheffield' has been submitted to Sheffield City Council.
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Fans and musicians share memories of Sheffield's The Leadmill
It is a venue that has been associated with music in Sheffield for 45 years, but The Leadmill has hosted its final gig and club night after losing a long battle with its landlords. For fans, musicians and the city it marks the end of an era. For Neil White, a gig-goer in its heyday, the venue will always be "iconic"."People of my age who came to uni in Sheffield, it's just so ingrained in our memories," the 52-year-old said."You feel part of Sheffield. It's the dirty brick. You feel like you're part of the steel city."What you are experiencing is gold because of the music."For Mr White his memories are forever linked to those student nights and £1 vodka and Red Bulls in the 1990s."It was fantastic and people came here, week in and out. I remember the sticky floors." For Sheffield guitarist and singer Richard Hawley, who has played with Pulp, The Leadmill was comparable to the other great northern cradles of live music."It's our Cavern Club, our Hacienda and once the doors close that history's wiped out," he has played The Leadmill more than any other artist, from his first gig with his father and uncle aged 16, through to his most recent show 42 years later, at 58."I've danced on that floor with my wife and with friends who are not here any more."It's just a special place. It is so woven into the very fabric of who we are."The Electric Group acquired the freehold to the building in 2017 and gave the management of The Leadmill notice to owners have said that it will remain as a music venue, but a name change is a long legal fight, The Leadmill's hopes to remain in the building ended in Group said: "What we are intending to do is refurbish the building to create a touring standard space, hosting the coolest club brands and music and live shows, just like we do in Brixton, Newcastle and Bristol." Hawley has said he will not return to the venue on principle."I just really feel for the folks who work here and the people of Sheffield," he said."Because of the success of people like me, Arctic Monkeys, Pulp and all the other great bands, John McClure, the rave scene."It isn't right that somebody from outside who has got plenty of cash just goes 'I'll have that because that's really successful.' " One of The Leadmill's members of staff who spoke about the impact of its closure was events assistant Mike Cross."I know a lot of Sheffield is feeling gutted," he said."It's hard to lose a grassroots venue, especially when they are the heartbeat of the community and provide so many people with a safe place."He said it could also impact artists at the beginning of their musical careers with so many venues closing."It will potentially mean less and less homegrown British artists coming through," he added. Allan and Paula Rickwood from Woodhouse, Sheffield, have been married for 41 years and have attended gigs at The Leadmill for four Rickwood said the venue's draw over the years had been the range of artists it had supported."Bands like Pulp. a lot of people started out here."Just the way they are prepared to put on the local bands and then watch them grow. It's a great scene."Mr Rickwood was not sure if he would return after the new owners took his wife was more positive."I think I would come back to see how it is," she said. Over the decades The Leadmill has hosted Pulp, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses and 21, Thomas Ball is too young to remember these bands in their pomp, but the student and his father Jonathon, 50, have attended recent gigs."I think it's the history," he said."I've been massively into music for years, seeing some of the bands who have started here and performed here I've always felt more of a connection than anywhere else."He said the venue "felt a bit like a second home"."Walking in there and seeing the same familiar faces – it will always be a special place for me."Jonathon, who travels from Leicester to be part of the audiences, added: "We always keep an eye on who's performing."Its not the closest (venue), but any opportunity to come up. We saw The Kooks do a little impromptu acoustic set, but really The Leadmill is the home of Richard Hawley and we've seen him a few times."His son added: "You see the same four to five walls, the same faces, the same people on the door, behind the bar. It feels more like a family in that sense."Thomas was not convinced he would return following the closure."As much as I love the building, probably not."It would almost be a disservice to The Leadmill to go to the new venue. I can't do it. It just won't feel the same." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Not all grassroots venues are struggling': Sheffield's Leadmill may be closing, but the city's DIY hubs are thriving
'I'll never set foot in this venue again,' Richard Hawley proclaimed from the Leadmill stage last week, as he bowed out with his final shows there. Hawley first played the much-loved Sheffield music venue in 1984, four years after it opened in 1980. This week, it's closing its doors – at least in its current incarnation. Miles Kane will give the final performance on Friday. 'I feel honoured to be closing it,' says Kane. 'It's the end of an era and we have got to do it justice.' While these closing gigs indicate a venue going out on a triumphant high, there's no ignoring the fact that the end of the Leadmill has been clouded by a hugely acrimonious, bitter, prolonged fight and accompanying legal battle – one that isn't as clearcut as some headlines around the crisis facing Britain's small venues. In March 2022, the Leadmill was served an eviction notice by its landlords Electric Group, a company owned by Dominic Madden, which also operates multiple venues across the UK such as Electric Brixton and NX Newcastle. Madden bought the building that houses the Leadmill in 2017 and later announced plans to continue operating it as a new, refurbished, music venue. The initial story, and reaction, was of the big bully London landlord coming to Sheffield to boot out a beloved institution and trade off its hard-earned success. Many people, such as Hawley, still passionately feel this is the case. He has described the process as simply 'theft'. The Leadmill ran a campaign called 'The battle for the soul of Sheffield', stating: 'If we don't stop this hostile takeover, the very soul and character of our great city is at risk.' There have been many angry and inflammatory exchanges ever since. The Leadmill's director, Phil Mills, even applied for permission to demolish part of the building before having to vacate. The Leadmill did not respond to multiple requests for comment and Madden said he would only speak off the record. The campaign prompted support from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker – 'they may own the bricks and mortar, but they don't own the spirit of the Leadmill' – and local MP Louise Haigh, who described it as 'devastating'. But the story has transpired to be much more knotty and complex – largely revealed in superb reporting by Victoria Munro of the Sheffield Tribune. When the Leadmill opened in the 1980s, the venue was a multi-arts co-op that was rooted in social and political issues and intended to help address sharply rising youth unemployment in the city. It later became a charity and by the 1990s, with Mills at the helm, was turned into a for-profit business. Some argue this professionalised the venue and made it the success and cultural touchstone it is today. Others feel that it killed the original spirit of the place and was akin to what Electric Group are doing today. One of the original founders, Chris Andrews, has publicly wished bankruptcy on Mills during the legal dispute. The Leadmill finally lost their appeal for eviction and are now due to vacate the premises. To hit home just how messy the narrative has become, Kane was unaware, in our interview, that it was even continuing as a music venue. Many locals are understandably mourning the loss of a name and sense of place that holds a lot of memories and formative experiences for them – even if perhaps not everyone is reliably informed about what exactly will come next. Which is somewhat understandable. Concrete plans and dates for the new venue are not yet public but the building is going to have a refurbishment estimated at a cost of around £2-3m that Madden initially said 'will be a slightly more polished, probably modernised, version of the same thing'. Later, after tensions had flared and he had been accused of benefiting from the Leadmill's reputation, he stressed that he was 'going to do something very different'. The Leadmill, as a promoter, still has pre-existing bookings stretching to spring 2026, which have been moved to other Sheffield venues. But the idea that Sheffield's independent music soul is being ripped out as a result of the Leadmill furore overshadows the city's thriving DIY music culture – something that should be held up as an antidote to the small venues crisis. 'It's as strong as I've known it for a long time,' says Paul Tuffs, who runs Sidney & Matilda, an independent venue with three gig rooms varying from 80-250 capacity. 'It's not all doom and gloom.' The city has always struggled with mid-sized venues. 'There's a bit of a ceiling in Sheffield,' says Tuffs. 'We miss that 500–900 space. If you go to Leeds, there's probably half a dozen. Manchester is the same.' It's frustrating – although there are more gigs popping up at the 500-cap Crookes Social Club – but in its place has blossomed a genuinely thriving and diverse collection of smaller venues and DIY spaces with strong identities. Gut Level is a queer-led event space and collective that leans towards dance music. Delicious Clam is the kind of place you'll find Crack Cloud or Hotline TNT playing before they blow up. The Lughole is a mecca for punk and hardcore; Hatch is a haven for experimental goings on, while promoters Sonido Polifonico regularly use a 1500s Tudor building, Bishops' House, for intimate shows. There's also a £7m council-funded venue, Events Central, due to open next year. Then throw in Alder, Hagglers Corner, Dryad Works, Plot 22, Yellow Arch, the Greystones, Network, plus independent music festivals such No Bounds, Get Together, Float Along, and Sensoria, and what Sheffield has is a healthy, vibrant and staunchly independent network. A genuine community has sprung from this. 'We've started a network of independent venues to get together and help each other,' says Gut Level's Katie Matthews. 'It's about moving away from the idea that all grassroots venues are struggling. It's not really a good message to put out there – it's quite depressing.' Gut Level is a members' club and has a total of about 5,000, with roughly 600 paying monthly – a remarkable feat for a venue that has only been in its current location and iteration for a year. Sign up to Sleeve Notes Get music news, bold reviews and unexpected extras. Every genre, every era, every week after newsletter promotion 'For a long time nobody has really been arsed about us, unlike in other cities where you might get a lot of development and investment,' says Matthews. 'But it means that we've just been left alone and so the people of Sheffield have created things for the other people of Sheffield. There is a real grassroots spirit. Maybe in a different city you'd have one space that has different nights – but we have these micro clubs that all have their own different flavours.' For Nick Potter, often found manically pinballing around audiences in a wedding dress as the frontperson of experimental rock band Dearthworms, this has resulted in a key cultural attitude. 'It's almost like an anti-growth argument in a way,' he suggests. 'It shows you can have something that's really healthy and beneficial but it doesn't have to be vastly successful and constantly growing and getting bigger. Plus, these places are cheaper.' To Potter's point, if you head to Sheffield City Hall – recently taken over by ASM Global, the world's largest venue management company – you'll now pay £8.25 for a pint of mass-produced beer. At Delicious Clam it's £4.50 for a pint from a local brewery. If there's one person who understands the huge significance in embracing and celebrating the smaller end of music venues in Sheffield, it's Tuffs, who has been putting on gigs in the city since his days working at the Grapes back in the early 2000s. The small Irish pub utilised its upstairs function room for gigs, including the first ever show by Arctic Monkeys. 'It's important to treasure these sacred places,' he says. 'They're the lifeblood of the city in many ways. Without places like this, the story of Sheffield would be a lot shorter. And a lot more boring.' And so as the Leadmill winds up its heroic 45-year run, there is no denying its vastly important role in the history of music in the city, or people's sadness at the end of an era. But if you're searching for the independent soul of Sheffield music in its wake: you really don't have far to look at all.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Last gig at Sheffield's Leadmill music venue to feature indie favourite
Sheffield's famous Leadmill music venue has announced its final gig will be on June 27, featuring indie favourite Miles Kane. Last month, the club announced it would have to leave its premises in the city after losing a long-running eviction battle with its landlord, the Electric Group. On Wednesday, the venue announced the final gig, saying Kane's appearance will be 'a remarkable full stop to The Leadmill's concert history'. Live promoter Ben Hartley said: 'Miles has been a cherished friend of The Leadmill for well over a decade. 'After the support he has shown us throughout our eviction campaign and the countless memories of sold-out shows throughout the years, it feels entirely fitting that he joins us one last time to add a remarkable full stop to The Leadmill's concert history.' Well-known names such as Pulp's Jarvis Cocker pledged their backing to the club after it emerged in 2022 that the Electric Group had issued the eviction notice, triggering a lengthy legal battle. After it lost an appeal last month, The Leadmill said the judgment will mean the loss of more than 70 jobs. It described the decision as a 'heartbreaking moment not just for our team but for the entire Sheffield community' which 'feels like a betrayal of the cultural fabric of our city'. The appeal ruling came three months after a judge ruled in favour of the Electric Group, which owns the building and runs Electric Brixton in London plus venues in Bristol and Newcastle. The group has always stressed that it intends to keep it as a music venue, promising 'substantial investment' when it takes over the running of the club. After it won the court case in February, the Electric Group said: 'The successful legal outcome paves the way for a bright future for this venue, ensuring it will receive the substantial investment it needs to thrive. 'It will continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans and community projects for the next 100 years.' The Leadmill opened its doors 45 years ago and has played host to countless bands including Pulp, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Muse, Oasis, Stone Roses, The White Stripes, Jorja Smith and Michael Kiwanuka. A plaque on the building marks Pulp's first gig, which was at the venue in August 1980. Kane first performed at The Leadmill in 2011 and has gone on to sell out the venue a further four times as a solo performer, most recently in December 2023. He also appeared in 2007 as part of The Little Flames, who were opening for Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10am from The Leadmill website.
Glasgow Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Last gig at Sheffield's Leadmill music venue to feature indie favourite
Last month, the club announced it would have to leave its premises in the city after losing a long-running eviction battle with its landlord, the Electric Group. On Wednesday, the venue announced the final gig, saying Kane's appearance will be 'a remarkable full stop to The Leadmill's concert history'. Miles Kane will be the last act to perform at The Leadmill (Andrew Milligan/PA) Live promoter Ben Hartley said: 'Miles has been a cherished friend of The Leadmill for well over a decade. 'After the support he has shown us throughout our eviction campaign and the countless memories of sold-out shows throughout the years, it feels entirely fitting that he joins us one last time to add a remarkable full stop to The Leadmill's concert history.' Well-known names such as Pulp's Jarvis Cocker pledged their backing to the club after it emerged in 2022 that the Electric Group had issued the eviction notice, triggering a lengthy legal battle. After it lost an appeal last month, The Leadmill said the judgment will mean the loss of more than 70 jobs. It described the decision as a 'heartbreaking moment not just for our team but for the entire Sheffield community' which 'feels like a betrayal of the cultural fabric of our city'. The appeal ruling came three months after a judge ruled in favour of the Electric Group, which owns the building and runs Electric Brixton in London plus venues in Bristol and Newcastle. Sheffield rockers Def Leppard played a 'One Night Only' gig at The Leadmill in 2023 as the club's legal battle against eviction continued (Danny Lawson/PA) The group has always stressed that it intends to keep it as a music venue, promising 'substantial investment' when it takes over the running of the club. After it won the court case in February, the Electric Group said: 'The successful legal outcome paves the way for a bright future for this venue, ensuring it will receive the substantial investment it needs to thrive. 'It will continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans and community projects for the next 100 years.' The Final Leadmill Concert – Miles Kane 🚨 Indie icon @MilesKaneMusic joins us on our main stage with full-band in tow for our last ever concert ❤️ It's been an amazing 45 years Sheffield, tickets on sale Friday at 10am from — The Leadmill (@Leadmill) June 4, 2025 The Leadmill opened its doors 45 years ago and has played host to countless bands including Pulp, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Muse, Oasis, Stone Roses, The White Stripes, Jorja Smith and Michael Kiwanuka. A plaque on the building marks Pulp's first gig, which was at the venue in August 1980. Kane first performed at The Leadmill in 2011 and has gone on to sell out the venue a further four times as a solo performer, most recently in December 2023. He also appeared in 2007 as part of The Little Flames, who were opening for Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10am from The Leadmill website.
