The Leadmill
The Leadmill is a live music venue and nightclub on Leadmill Road, Sheffield, England, lying on the south-east edge of the city centre. It opened in 1980 in what, despite its name, was a former flour mill, originally as a Community Centre. This coincided with the rise of several Sheffield bands, including the Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17 and ABC.
Early on, the Leadmill was keen to encourage local music, and hosted the Festival Against Unemployment in September 1982, promoting local bands; New Model Soldier, Party Day and Agent Orange.
Notable early events included a 1982 pantomime directed by Jarvis Cocker and The Housemartins deciding to queue for their own 1984 gig, but being turned away by bouncers.
The venue has also been voted favourite live music venue by readers of the NME on several occasions.
The venue has recently hosted many gigs by bands such as Milburn, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, The Killers, Enter Shikari, Klaxons, The Coral, Explosions in the Sky, Kids in Glass Houses, Elliot Minor, One Night Only, The Audition and The Maccabees. Sheffield's own Arctic Monkeys sold out the Leadmill in 2005 quicker than any other band, well before they released Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
