The new landlords of the Leadmill have promised a “bright future” for the venue space as “a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield for the next 100 years” after winning a court ruling.
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Just yesterday, it was reported that the venue’s long-serving owners, The Leadmill Ltd, lost its eviction court battle with Electric Group, leaving its future uncertain – its statement on social media informed patrons that “there is no immediate timeline for what happens next.”
Electric Group, the owners of the 900-capacity venue’s building, served an eviction notice on their tenants The Leadmill Ltd in March 2022, which sparked an outcry across the music industry and from gig-goers. The Leadmill Ltd own the trademark for the venue’s name – meaning a new venue in a different building could retain the name and branding of the original.
A spokesperson for the Electric Group has now commented on the ruling to NME: “We welcome the court’s consideration and careful decision to award a possession order for the Leadmill; an important ruling following difficult legal proceedings.
“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.”
The update comes just days after The Leadmill’s planning application to demolish certain parts of the venue, if evicted, was rejected. The Leadmill’s Phil Mills previously said he intended to “gut” the premises of its current fixtures and fittings – including the dancefloor and stage – if forced to vacate the building.
The planning officer who rejected the proposed demolition described it as “purposeless” and without public benefit, adding that if evicted, tenants should “return the building complex to the condition it was in prior to the lease being taken up.”
Electric Group, a joint venture between Dominic Madden and Jacob Lewis, also owns London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX – the group bought the Sheffield site’s freehold in 2017 and shortly afterwards said they had no intention of closing the venue when they ended the current occupiers’ lease.
However, the Leadmills’s management soon hit back, arguing that they were being “exterminated by the landlord”.
“They are destroying our business by evicting us,” they said in a statement to NME in 2022. “They intend to profit from the goodwill and reputation built up over those 40 plus years. It is a cheap, shabby, sly and underhand way of doing business, by forcing companies to cease trading.”
“Millions of pounds have been spent by The Leadmill (not the Landlord) on the fabric of what was once a derelict building. 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. Without The Leadmill, the building we currently occupy would be nothing more than a derelict old flour mill.”
After news of it coming under threat emerged in 2022, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited The Leadmill and encouraged others to “get behind it. He also echoed the views of countless Sheffield locals, hailing it as “the heart of the city”, as well as the stance held by Arctic Monkeys, Jarvis Cocker and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes among the Sheffield artists to have spoken out in support of the venue.
The Leadmill’s management then launched an appeal to fans, asking for support after revealing that landlords were reportedly moving forward with eviction plans in 2023.
Electric Group’s Dominic Madden responded at the time by doubling down on claims that they “intend to continue operating the space as a music venue, focusing on a diverse mix of gigs, club nights and comedy events.”
Madden confirmed in his witness statement that if he succeeded in his eviction, the space would no longer be called ‘The Leadmill’ and all current staff would be replaced. He also stated that he would be evicting the workshop users if he succeeded, putting an end to the tenancies of those still working from The Leadmill.
Sheffield’s Richard Hawley has also been a vocal supporter of The Leadmill for years now – having played a number of gigs there throughout 2022 to raise money and awareness. Some of his shows also saw him joined on stage by fellow Sheffield artists Jarvis Cocker and Rebecca Taylor (aka Self Esteem).
Speaking to NME about the history behind the venue in February 2023, Hawley said that the staff who’ve built up the venue over the years should be allowed to continue running it under the same name.
“The upsetting thing is that if it was a failing business, I’d understand that someone would take it over. What angers me is that it doesn’t surprise me that greedy fuckers buy the land from underneath them. If they threw [the venue staff] out and turned it into flats, it would be an absolute tragedy but slightly easier to accept,” he said.
“The fact that what they’ve basically done is bought the land from underneath them, issued them with an eviction notice, and are going to steal their business. That to me is wildly immoral. If I was running a venue, or even a chip shop, I’d think, ‘Hold on a sec, if they get away with it with these, then who’s next?’ It’s just wrong.”