Sheffield’s beloved venue ‘The Leadmill’ served eviction notice
Sheffield’s beloved live music venue, The Leadmill, known for rearing talents like the Arctic Monkeys, has been served an eviction notice by the landlords.
The venue has been struggling for funding for years now with several campaigns launched to try and save the Sheffield nightlife hotspot. However, that battle has hit yet another hurdle with the latest news that landlords plan to take over the venue.
The current management shared a statement explaining: “Our landlords are moving forward with their plans to evict The Leadmill by applying for a premises licence.”
Continuing: “If granted, this would allow them to operate their own business from this location. This could result in The Leadmill ceasing to exist after 43 years.” The venue has until May 24th to object to this request in a bid to save the business.
Back in 2022, the venue had a similar battle, as they declared almost exactly a year ago: “Today we have received some devastating news that in one year’s time, our Landlord is trying to evict us, forcing us to close.”
It continued: “Since 1980 The Leadmill has spent millions of pounds on what was a derelict warehouse, transforming it into one of the U.K’s most respected venues where countless acts from across the globe have performed over the years.”
The problems faced highlight a wider trend. As the Music Venue Trust recently informed us, 35% of the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues sadly being forced to close their doors in the last 20 years.
They added: “GMVs are at the heart of their local communities, providing early-stage access for artists and creatives to experiment, grow their skills and develop their talent. They are the Research and Development labs of the £5.8 billion per annum UK Music Industry – a world leader in music and culture.”
Continuing: “They foster and develop new talent in an open, non-profit driven model which enables creativity to flourish. In many locations, they provide an outlet for people otherwise left behind by other local creative and cultural offerings.”
This sentiment has been echoed by many bands, including The Snuts who recently told us: “Grassroots venues are so crucial to the live music / touring infrastructure in the UK. The likes of The Leadmill in Sheffield, The Sugarmill in Stoke, King Tuts in Glasgow… these venues promote countless positives for the local community, artists and fans. We must do everything we can to support them and keep them open at all costs.” You can find more information on the importance of cultural institutions here.
The Leadmill is appealing for any assistance that can be offered in helping to save the beloved venue. For more information please visit http://leadmill.co.uk/object
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