Richard Hawley has confirmed he will play his “final show” at The Leadmill following the announcement the venue will close.
The Tonight the Streets Are Ours songwriter will tour Coles Corner in full for the first time to celebrate its twentieth anniversary, but first will appear at The Leadmill on June 18. The gig, announced earlier today, was confirmed by Hawley and the venue. A series of live shows from local legends and up-and-coming bands are being planned by the venue, which was told it must vacate the premises after losing a court battle. Hawley, who has played the venue several times and previously spoke to Cult Following about a series of benefit concerts played in support of The Leadmill, will perform his last show at the historic site on June 18.
In a statement shared with his newsletter subscribers, Hawley said: “The Leadmill is Sheffield’s Cavern. It’s our Haçienda. It’s our legendary, beautiful venue that’s been kept going by blood, sweat and tears – and by a hell of a lot of joy.
“I played there with my first band, Treebound Story, on my 17th birthday – 17 January 1984 – and this was long before health and safety, so we had about 1,200 people and they all sang Happy Birthday. I remember it as if it was yesterday.
“There have been so many times like that: for me not just as a musician but as somebody who goes there to listen to music and meet up with friends and socialise. And then I played in 2022, to try to save the venue, after the management was given an eviction notice by the new landlord. We had Helen Sharman, the first British woman in space, and Jarvis Cocker, Self Esteem and Pete McKee – we played Bowie’s Space Odyssey. These kinds of venues, they take risks, cultural and financial risks, and they need protecting. This is true of venues all over the country.
“Now the place has a new landlord; they’re going to kick out the old management. But the Leadmill is a thriving, multimillion-pound business generating a huge economic impact locally and nationally. I hope the prime minister reads this, because there should be some change to legislation to protect successful businesses like the Leadmill from what is daylight robbery.
“The Leadmill has provided so much cultural nourishment, so much succour and so much fun for Sheffielders. The loss of a venue like this far, far outweighs any possible gains that a corporate company from another place could possibly understand or give to this venue.”
This will likely mark the last time Hawley ever plays the venue, with new management set to evict The Leadmill on August 17 this year. Hawley, speaking of The Leadmill in late 2022, told Cult Following: “We’re doing three more concerts there near Christmas as well. We’ve got to do our bit and try and raise awareness about what’s happening to venues in this country. Particularly The Leadmill.
“The company that had bought the lease and the land rights to it, I don’t know whether people know this, but they issued them with an eviction notice. That was a year ago. That’s pretty much coming to an end now. I’m hoping there’s an outside chance that these people are going to see reason and realise the mistake they’re making. But I’m not very hopeful.
“The thing about it is, Ewan, that it’s worrying if you’re running a venue or a bar or any business at all in this country. The laws aren’t laws to protect you from somebody buying the land underneath you and issuing you with an eviction notice. That’s one thing. But to actually steal your business as well seems like something from another time.
“Almost something that you’d read or you’d see in a movie from the American West or something. It’s surreal that in 2022 people can get away with this. The point I make about all of this is, if they get away with it with The Leadmill, who’s next?”
Tickets for Hawley’s last performance at The Leadmill can be purchased here from 10am on Monday.
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