The five best artists to play at The Leadmill
After a long appeal, it was confirmed in May 2025 that the iconic Sheffield venue, The Leadmill, would be forced to close its doors. Music lovers of the city need not worry, as the space will reopen as another music venue, just with a new name (which will likely be Electric Sheffield) and under new management. While it’s good we will keep getting to watch bands in that historic room, it will be sad to look at the Sheffield skyline and not see that iconic red neon light lit up.
If you’ve never visited the Leadmill, you’ve really missed out. It’s a gorgeous venue, one that has music and community built into its walls, and that goes from being a music venue to a nightclub at the drop of a hat, proudly flaunting what Arctic Monkeys wrote about: dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness.
Arctic Monkeys, alongside a number of other great artists, have stepped onto that Sheffield stage and delivered killer gigs. When you walk into the main room, the entrance has the names of all the different people who have played there over the years written on its walls, which include some names you might have never heard of, and the names of the biggest rock stars in the world.
In light of the venue closing, it only seems right that we champion the Leadmill and some of these great artists who have played there. So, here’s our definitive list of the five best artists who have played at the Leadmill.
The best artists to ever play at The Leadmill
Pulp
You know that we’re going to mention Sheffield artists on this list, so we may as well get them out of the way early. Pulp famously played one of their first-ever gigs at the Leadmill, and credited the space for helping them become the band they are today. The stage presence you adore and the iconic performances you stand in a crowd of thousands and gawk at all started because of that worn-out stage near Sheffield train station.
Even now, you can’t go to a club night at Leadmill without guaranteeing classics like ‘Common People’ and ‘Disco 2000’ will be played. The tracks spill from speakers and pissed-up lips like it’s the Steel City’s national anthem, and there is something incredibly poetic about the fact that it all began in that room.
Arctic Monkeys
The first gig that Arctic Monkeys ever played was at a venue called The Grapes. It’s a small pub, and they likely weren’t playing to a whole load of people, but it still started them on their journey. What happened next could only be described as every indie rocker wannabe’s dream, as their songs gained traction and skyrocketed them to fame.
Once they had that traction, where else was the band expected to play other than the Leadmill? They took to the stage before their debut album had even been released and showed the sold-out crowd what the next big thing in music looked like. The four lads from up north would go on to win the Mercury Award that year… not bad going.
Femur
While we’re talking about Sheffield artists, it would be remiss to only look towards the past. Earlier this year, local legends Femur took to the stage in a sold-out Leadmill and managed to prove something that should be recognised across the music industry: Sheffield’s still got it.
That entire night embodies why spaces like Leadmill are so important, as Femur beautifully brandished their unique sound, one which they have been perfecting for years, playing increasingly bigger gigs across the city. They will no doubt have stood on that stage a thousand times before their headline set, but none of their gigs will have come close to the chaos that ensued among the local fanatics that night.
Not a single drop of beer stayed in a glass, not a single forehead avoided sweat, and not a single voice came out of that room unscathed. Femur’s blend of punk, noise and rock vibrated off every inch of the iconic venue’s walls, and if it hadn’t already remained standing for decades, I could have sworn they might’ve brought the bloody thing down.
The Libertines
When we move away from Sheffield artists, we find ourselves in troublesome territory. Near enough every popular band and artist you’ve heard of has played the Leadmill, so it stops being a question of “who’s the best?” and instead becomes one of “who’s your favourite?” Well, this writer believes The Libertines deserve a place on the list.
It’s not just because The Libertines are good, but also because their show at the Leadmill is a pretty good embodiment of what makes the venue special. At the time of the gig, they were a cutting-edge indie band turning heads with their unique sound, one that might not have been established in Sheffield but certainly resonated with the people here. They also played a stacked line-up, with support from a band called Parva, who would later return to the venue much more successful and under the name Kaiser Chiefs.
That sound, and the fact it gives a stage to bands before they make it a big, is a pretty good reflection of everything that Leadmill stands for.
Def Leppard
Okay, the pressure got to me and I chose another Sheffield band, but hear me out. The night that Def Leppard played Leadmill was different to the other bands that did it because Def Leppard were already astronomically famous when they took to the stage. The show took place in 2023, only a couple of days before they were due to play at Bramall Lane down the road. The gig was put on to raise money for the venue and was dubbed Def Leppard One Night Only – Live At The Leadmill.
That night, you weren’t privy to a group of people watching a band who might become the next big thing; you were watching rock legends amongst fans who have followed them throughout their entire career. There is something serene in the intimacy of nights like that, and it’s those moments that music is all about, isn’t it? Not to mention, Def Leppard put on one hell of a show.
