Leadmill team hits back at London-based building owners as row over famous venue intensifies

On Thursday night a statement by the management of the venue said their landlord was “forcing us to close” after being given an eviction notice requiring them to quit the building in a year.

But London-based building owner the Electric Group said yesterday that there was “never any question” of the venue shutting its doors and they intended to make “a substantial investment” in the site once they take full control next year.

The company said it had purchased The Leadmill freehold in 2017, making it the landlord for leaseholder Phil Mills.

Dominic Madden, Electric Group’s chief executive and co-founder, tweeted: “For avoidance of doubt, we are music people, we spend our lives running independent music venues and The Leadmill will continue to operate as a special music venue. The management may change but the song stays the same.”

Mike Weller, the head of music at Electric Group, added: “There was never any question of us closing The Leadmill, despite all the social media chat.

“The refurb will make the room better equipped to accommodate the modern wants of live music and club nights for audiences and performers. We want to ensure The Leadmill’s future is as exciting as its history.”

But the club’s management hit back yesterday afternoon, in which it was claimed The Leadmill “is being exterminated by the landlord”.

The statement said: “It is the hard-working, dedicated and local family of staff that have put 42 years’ worth of their blood, sweat and tears into making it the cultural asset it is today. The Leadmill brand and name is owned by us and only us, without us there is no Leadmill. We have received tens of thousands of supportive messages and the music community is asking us how they can stop this appalling development.”

Sheffield-born singer songwriter Richard Hawley, who has played at the venue hundreds of times, said the venue had huge cultural importance to the city.

“Basically it’s like our Cavern, it’s our Hacienda, and to close it down for the mercenary reasons which I presume are for property development of some sort is an act of out-and-out greedy cultural vandalism.

“Everybody’s still in shock. My phone has not stopped all day, whether it be musicians or artists or friends, family, it’s been constantly going with people saying ‘what the hell is happening?’ The city is in shock.

“For The Leadmill to disappear would be a real tragedy not just for the city but it’s one of the premier venues at that level, not just for music, it’s a great place to go out for discos, it’s a great place for theatre, for art.” Pulp star Jarvis Cocker said: “This had better be an April Fool’s joke.”

Stephen Mallinder, formerly of Cabaret Voltaire, who formed in Sheffield, told The Yorkshire Post: “It seems impossible that it could happen as The Leadmill is interwoven with the story of Sheffield music.

“It captured the mood of the musicians and artists who took over the city’s abandoned workshops as the steel industry collapsed in the 80s. It can’t close... I’m playing there later this year!”

Martyn Ware, of Heaven 17, said: “The Leadmill symbolises everything that Sheffield should be cherishing and should support.”

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