Being a teenager in the mid-noughties was great. We’d be at a gig most nights of the week. Sheffield, like many cities had no shortage of live music venues. You’d find us at The Boardwalk, The Grapes, Corp, The Leadmill, Plug or on a train to Leeds for gigs at the Cockpit or Faversham, Manchester’s Academy venues, The Charlotte in Leicester, The Vic in Derby, Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms or the Social.
Times and trends have changed (they always do), we had a thriving scene of bands, there hasn’t been one similar since. Not only have guitar bands died away, so have the venues. Many of those we spent our teens in have no closed, for many reasons.
The ones left were already struggling before lockdown, once normal life resumes a lot of these will find it hard to reopen.
The Leadmill is one of the larger independent music venues, it might be iconic but their future isn’t as bright as its past was.
They have become part of a national initiative launched by the Music Venue Trust to prevent the closure of 100s of independent music venues.
The Leadmill have a target of £10,000 to raise in the next 12 days.The money will be split 50/50, between the Music Venue Trust nationwide funding pot to support those less fortunate.
The Leadmill’s money will go towards
– Staff that they are unable to furlough who are desperately trying to keep the venue alive and kicking for the future
– Financial help for freelance DJs/engineers/crew
– Rent that they are unable to get a holiday period from via our Landlord
– Essential running costs that are a legal/safety requirement
Donate here.
They might not be the NHS or front-line workers but these places need funding too, to pay wages and a provide a space of enjoyment where we can catch our favourite new bands instead of watching gigs being streamed on YouTube.
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