As a musician, I know why closing down the thriving Leadmill is a blow to all of Sheffield
The Leadmill is Sheffield’s Cavern. It’s our Haçienda. It’s our legendary, beautiful venue that’s been kept going by blood, sweat and tears – and by a hell of a lot of joy.I played there with my first band, Treebound Story, on my 17th birthday – 17 January 1984 – and this was long before health and safety, so we had about 1,200 people and they all sang Happy Birthday. I remember it as if it was yesterday.There have been so many times like that: for me not just as a musician but as somebody who goes there to listen to music and meet up with friends and socialise. And then I played in 2022, to try to save the venue, after the management was given an eviction notice by the new landlord. We had Helen Sharman, the first British woman in space, and Jarvis Cocker, Self Esteem and Pete McKee – we played Bowie’s Space Odyssey. These kinds of venues, they take risks, cultural and financial risks, and they need protecting. This is true of venues all over the country.Now the place has a new landlord; they’re going to kick out the old management. But the Leadmill is a thriving, multimillion-pound business generating a huge economic impact locally and nationally. I hope the prime minister reads this, because there should be some change to legislation to protect successful businesses like the Leadmill from what is daylight robbery.When I was a kid I played blues there on my own, entertaining the old guys with paperbacks in their pockets and pints of Guinness and real ale in front of them. I was a runner for Nina Simone there. She wanted gardenias or orchids for her hair; and this was winter in Sheffield in the nineties! You might as well ask for a trio of giraffes. I met Graham Wrench there, my manager. I was 16 and he was 20 or 21.The Leadmill has provided so much cultural nourishment, so much succour and so much fun for Sheffielders. The loss of a venue like this far, far outweighs any possible gains that a corporate company from another place could possibly understand or give to this venue.
How did you do with our @theLeadmill themed #threeForFriday #music #quiz round?
Yes it was the #housemartins queueing for their own gig, although to be fair to the bouncers you would expect them to use the stage door.
More questions on Friday as always!
#musicquiz #trivia #musictrivia #questions #musicquestions #popmaster #musicfans #musicgame #musicchallenge #quiztime #instaquiz #theleadmill #leadmill #leadmillSheffield #pantomime #Sheffieldmusic #jarviscocker #flourmill @jarvisbransoncocker
With the news that @theLeadmill have lost their appeal against eviction a #threeForFriday #music #quiz about the legendary Sheffield venue seemed like a fun one. See how you get on with these - answers in the comments if you know them.
#musicquiz #trivia #musictrivia #questions #musicquestions #popmaster #musicfans #musicgame #musicchallenge #quiztime #instaquiz #theleadmill #leadmill #leadmillSheffield #pantomime #Sheffieldmusic
New post from A Head Full of Wishes
Photos: Galaxie 500 in Sheffield in 1990 (part 2)
Here are some more pictures from Galaxie 500 in Sheffield during 1990 thanks again to Scragga for taking them and... #Sheffield #Leadmill #Galaxie500 #Pictures
https://www.fullofwishes.co.uk/2025/04/25/photos-galaxie-500-in-sheffield-in-1990-part-2/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ifttt
Photos: Galaxie 500 in Sheffield in 1990 (part 2)
Here are some more pictures from Galaxie 500 in Sheffield during 1990 thanks again to Scragga for taking them and Janet for passing them along. The first few are from their show supporting The Sundays in February 1990 (click on the link to see the picture at full size):
New post from A Head Full of Wishes
Photos: Galaxie 500 in Sheffield in November 1990
After the show in Leeds finished a couple of weeks back, while loitering in the venue Janet came up and... #Leadmill #Sheffield #Galaxie500 #Pictures
https://www.fullofwishes.co.uk/2025/04/22/photos-galaxie-500-in-sheffield-in-november-1990/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ifttt
Photos: Galaxie 500 in Sheffield in November 1990
After the show in Leeds finished a couple of weeks back, while loitering in the venue Janet came up and introduced herself and mentioned that she’d seen Galaxie 500 a number of times in Sheffield back in the day, and that she had some photos from the shows taken by her friend Scragga at the gig. A couple of days later a bunch of emails arrived loaded up with these!
The Battle for the Soul of Sheffield (Official Campaign Launch Video)
Sign Up Here for your Voice to be Heard - https://savetheleadmill.com/More info - https://leadmill.co.uk/2023/07/25/the-battle-for-the-soul-of-sheffield/Face...
Incredible #AnnaMann show tonight at the #Sheffield #LeadMill.
Best laugh I've had in a long, long time.
I still can't believe I saw The Delgados last week. What a fucking high.
#TheDelgados #ChemikalUnderground
#Leadmill
Rob Whiting 📓
Mumubl
Andy Aldridge
Ambigram Art
Metal Mickey
Mark Rigby
Pat
Georgie Watson