The Leadmill launches Battle For The Soul Of Sheffield campaign in bid for survival

nme.com:

issued them an eviction notice, sparking an outcry across the music industry and from gig-goers.The premises is owned by Electric Group — who also own London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX.

They bought the site’s freehold in 2017 and previously told music fans that they had no intention of closing the venue when they end the current occupiers’ lease in 2023. “The management may change but the song stays the same,” Dominic Madden, CEO and co-founder of Electric Group, wrote on Twitter.The management, however, then hit back, arguing that they were being “exterminated by the landlord” before launching a fresh appeal to fans, asking for support after revealing that landlords were reportedly moving forward with eviction plans .Madden then responded again, doubling down on claims that they “intend to continue operating the space as a music venue, focussing on a diverse mix of gigs, club nights and comedy events.”Now, taking to social media and their website, The Leadmill has launched the ‘Battle For The Soul Of Sheffield’, calling on Sheffield residents and music fans from further afield to sign up to the latest campaign to fight eviction.“This isn’t just about The Leadmill,” said a spokesperson in the venue’s new message. “Everything that’s made our city what it is today is now at stake.“This hostile takeover risks fundamentally and forever changing the course of our great city, our heritage, and our culture.