Sheffield music venue, The Leadmill, has been denied its eviction appeal and given three months to vacate the premises in a blow for the city’s scene.
The Leadmill – which has hosted huge acts including Oasis, Def Leppard and Arctic Monkeys since its inception in 1980 – has been battling against a new landlord, the Electric Group, since 2022.
Electric Group – who also own London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX – served an eviction notice to their tenants in March 2022 as they look to rebrand it to Electric Sheffield.
It has now been revealed that the eviction appeal brought forward by the Leadmill team has been rejected and the closure of the venue is imminent.
The initial announcement caused a passionate response from many high-profile figures including Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Arctic Monkeys, with Cocker simply stating: “This had better be an April Fool’s joke.”
The Leadmill team have taken to Instagram to share a statement, hitting out at the legal ruling and revealing that they are “truly devastated by this outcome.”
Talking to their 46.5k followers, The Leadmill said: “We’ve fought tirelessly to protect this independent venue which has supported countless artists, musicians and creatives for over four decades… Today’s decision feels like a betrayal of the cultural fabric of our city.”
They also warned all business tenants throughout the country that they could be next, saying: “The judgement in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal confirms that tenants have no rights whatsoever, that if a landlord wants to profit from evicting the tenant and copying the tenant’s business, it can do so.”
Despite this heartbreaking news, a new location for the Leadmill could be a “possibility”, altough potentially not in Sheffield. Speaking last December, the company’s director Phil Mills said: “If we found a suitable premises in Sheffield we would effectively be competing against ourselves because The Leadmill’s name and legacy is indivisible in our customers’ minds”.
Electric Group have argued that the venue is in need of renovation and investment, leading to this legal outcome. Commenting on the initial ruling, the company told NME: “The successful legal outcome paves the way for a bright future for this venue, ensuring it will receive the substantial investment it needs to thrive.
“It will continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans and community projects for the next 100 years.”
This ruling will come as a blow to independent venues up-and-down the country after a Government committee explored the state of UK grassroots music just this week.
The committee heard from industry leaders and musicians, who urged the Government to act with more urgency if they truly wish to save independent venues in the country.
Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd encouraged the Government to implement a compulsory £1 ticket levy on arena level and above concerts – with the intention to put this money back into the industry to support the grassroots scene.
Despite these calls, The Leadmill’s closure is a sign that the problem is not being effectively addressed – with independent venues across the country holding their breath, hoping they’re not next.
