The Leadmill Sheffield: Famous music venue's landlord responds to band boycott talk

Electric Group, which owns the building’s freehold, intends to run the venue itself once the current operator’s 20-year lease expires in March 2023 – which is now just eight months away.

More than 38,000 people have signed a petition launched by The Leadmill’s general manager Ian Lawlor calling on the Government to suspend the law under which tenants can be evicted, pending a review.

Although the Government has responded that it has no plans to do so, if the petition hits 100,000 signatures, it must be considered for debate in Parliament.

Electric Group’s CEO Dominic Madden has repeatedly tried to reassure people that the venue would be in safe hands should his firm, which bought the freehold from MCR Properties for £600,000 in 2017, take over.

He has said the company – which already runs Electric Brixton in London and SWX in Bristol, and is set to reopen the former O2 Academy this autumn as NX – would invest around £1 million refurbishing the premises to secure its future as a music venue for the next 30 years.

But that has not stopped numerous musicians and comedians, from Pulp and the Arctic Monkeys to Joe Lycett and Eddie Izzard, backing the #WeCantLoseLeadmill campaign launched by the current operators.

Will new operator be able to keep The Leadmill name, and are current operators looking for a new venue?

When the news first broke, several people suggested that should Electric Group take over, bands and gig-goers alike should boycott the venue, though it is not understood any artists have gone so far as to suggest they would consider this.

Mr Madden this week said he was confident there would be no difficulty in booking acts.

“I am firmly committed to ensure that the Leadmill continues to thrive and play its part as a leading Sheffield music and arts venue,” he said.

“If you look beyond the headlines and social media campaign orchestrated by Leadmill management, which incorrectly paint me and my team as some faceless corporate group, and check our track record of operating music spaces and the type of work we do, I believe that music fans and stakeholders in the creative sector and wider community in Sheffield should rest assured that the Leadmill premises' future is in safe hands.

“Certainly, my discussions with national and influential local music promoters in Sheffield have given me full confidence that the venue will flourish under our management.”

Mr Madden said he could not yet reveal further details of the firm’s plans for the venue, including whether it expects to be able to keep the name, for legal reasons.

But he added: “I look forward to announcing our plans for the Leadmill premises at the appropriate time and once outstanding legal issues with the current leaseholder, Sheffield based businessman Phil Mills, have been resolved.”

The Star approached The Leadmill for an update on its battle to remain in the building, including whether it had taken legal advice about keeping the name and if it had been looking at alternative venues should the operators not be able to stay, but it has yet to respond.