By Robyn Smith
Then future for iconic Sheffield music venue remains uncertain as customers speak of their anger at the threat of its closure.
The Leadmill, originally opening in 1980, is one of the biggest and longest running music venues in Sheffield, being the starting point for the biggest names in the Sheffield music scene and club nights for students of both sides of the cities Universities. However, with the increasing pressure of rising prices, The Leadmill is at threat of closure by its landlords, destroying a historical landmark for live music.
The original announcement came on March 31st, 2022, from The Leadmill’s social media pages, explaining that in a years’ time, the landlord would be evicting the current renters, forcing The Leadmill to close, along with the hashtag #WeCantLoseLeadmill.
The hashtag campaign originally consisted of Leadmill customers sharing their treasured memories of the club on social media to show the landlord why the venue should not be forced to close, but over the last year the campaign has developed into much more than just a hashtag.
World famous artists such as Def Leppard and Eddie Izzard have all performed gigs at the venue in support of #WeCantLoseLeadmill and Jarvis Cocker from Sheffield band Pulp released a statement on the possible closure of the venue. Along with this, a change.org petition was launched by the venue to help get government attention to the threat of the closure.
Generations of Sheffield residents have their own experiences with the venue from when it first opened to the present day. When Lynn Crookes, a Leadmill attendee since the late 80s, was asked for her thoughts on the possible closure of the venue, she said: “The thought that they could close such a monumental landmark for local music was shocking.”
She added: “The nostalgia for me and loads of other people my age makes Leadmill such a special place and something that Sheffield should be proud of.”
Leadmill has also managed to find an audience with the younger generations through their gigs and club nights at the venue. Latisha Barnard is a former Sheffield Hallam University student and Sheffield resident, when asked to comment on the Leadmill closure, she answered “Losing it would be such a blow to students and people who are into more alternative music, it’s a safe space”.
As of May 2023, the venue is still not free from the lingering threat of closure, with an Instagram post being made on May 3rd stating that the venue was still at risk and that more information on how the public can help save the venue would be posted at a later date.