Artists hope Leadmill will stay true to roots under new ownership

The last few artists are preparing to take to the stage at The Leadmill this week, before the building which houses the Sheffield music venue changes hands after 45 years.

Electric Group, which bought the site in 2017, is set to take over operations after a three-year battle with The Leadmill – which owns the club’s name and brand.

Miles Kane, who will be the last artist to play it in its current form, said: “You have to move forwards, but it’s a shame the iconic things can’t just stay. It’s a historic little venue.”

As grassroots spaces disappear across the country, artists are hoping the future venue at 6 Leadmill Road will continue giving a platform to up-and-coming musicians.

Kane said: “You start in pubs, then 200-300 [capacity] venues, and then go a bit bigger – The Leadmill is one of the rungs on the ladder, so it’s sad to see it coming to an end.”

Pulp, which played one of their first ever gigs at The Leadmill in 1980, Richard Hawley and Arctic Monkeys all credit the club as a key part of their early careers.

“For younger bands that have been to see artists there, it’ll be their goal to get to a venue like that, because it’s got all this history,” Kane added.

The K’s frontman Jamie Boyle, who performed sold-out shows at The Leadmill on Saturday and Sunday, said it had been a “massive part” of his career so far.

“It’s a bit surreal that the fans are showing out the way they are in such an iconic venue. It sounds cliché, but we love [The Leadmill], we genuinely do.”

The K’s played there about 15 times, including supporting other artists, he said.

“It is a proper grassroots venue, which are few and far between in a lot of cities. There are so many shutting down all over the place,” he added.

“I hope whoever has it next continues the legacy of giving up-and-coming artists a go.”

The Music Venue Trust (MVT), a charity which aims to protect grassroots venues, said a quarter of its members faced permanent closure last year, while major cities like Bath and Leicester were being left off touring schedules.

Boyle said: “It’s one of the last proper grassroots venues of its size. A lot of venues [feel like] you could be in any city, it’s all very corporate. I hope it keeps its charm.

“In an ideal world, they just completely leave it alone and don’t change a thing.”

Electric Group CEO Dominic Madden has not confirmed the specifics of his plans, other than the fact it will remain a music venue and undergo a refurbishment.

He said: “[We intend] 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.”

Initially up for debate, one thing certain to change is the venue’s name.

After serving The Leadmill’s management with an eviction notice, Electric Group said the business would keep its name.

But at the beginning of a civil court battle between the two companies in May 2024, The Leadmill’s lawyers said continuing the business in the same vein would be a human rights breach.

Electric Group then said they would rename the building and would not reference its flour mill origins.

It eventually won the case to evict the venue’s management, and after the tenant’s request to appeal was rejected in May, the building’s future was sealed.

A spokesperson for MVT said: “The ownership of the buildings which house grassroots music venues [is] the underlying cause of their precarious financial situation and high-risk status.”

Mr Madden said that by purchasing the freehold in 2017, Electric Group has saved The Leadmill from being turned into flats.

Kane, who has been playing the venue for about 20 years, said: “It will become something else, it will be a different vibe and a whole different feng shui, shall we say. But you don’t know [how] until you cross that bridge.”

He said he was “honoured” and “quite shocked” to be asked to play the venue’s final gig on Friday.

“I’m ready to go. Let’s blow the roof off The Leadmill and give it a good send-off.”