Jeremy Corbyn joins campaign to save Sheffield’s Leadmill: “Get behind it”

NME

Jeremy Corbyn is the latest high-profile name to join the ongoing campaign to save The Leadmill in Sheffield.

• READ MORE: If Sheffield’s Leadmill – the venue that helped break Arctic Monkeys – goes, we all lose something

It comes after the iconic Sheffield venue and club recently told music fans of the “devastating news that in one year’s time, our Landlord is trying to evict us, forcing us to close,” leading to an outpouring of upset and support from the music world.

The current bosses of The Leadmill then responded to the owners, denying their intentions to close the venue. Leaders of Electric Group, the company who bought the freehold for the site in March 2017, argued that they’d be removing the current management but keeping the building as a music venue after renovations.

Last month, The Leadmill launched a petition to the government in a bid to “prevent landlords unfairly and unjustly evicting long standing tenants for their own financial gain”, which you can gain access to here.

In a new video shared by Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project, the Labour politician, who filmed the clip during a recent visit to The Leadmill, issued a plea to save the “fantastic music venue”.

“I’m here in The Leadmill in Sheffield, founded in [the] 1980s. Fantastic music venue. Fantastic place for poetry… entertainment, education, activation, everything,” he began. “Giving people a place to meet, a place to come together in a fantastic musical event and atmosphere.”

He continued: “And it’s now threatened with closure next year. But none of us want it closed. So, sign the petition. Get behind it, get yourself active and save The Leadmill!”

In a follow-up post, Corbyn shared a photo of himself holding a “#WeCantLoseLeadmill” poster outside the venue, with the caption: “The @Leadmill music venue in Sheffield is a different class, but is under threat from closure. Join the campaign to save this iconic part of the city’s music heritage.”

The Leadmill also shared a post thanking Corbyn for visiting the venue and lending his support, alongside a photo from his visit.

“Thanks so much to @jeremycorbyn for stopping by yesterday to add his support towards the #WeCantLoseLeadmill campaign, joining a variety of political figures and artists who have been incredibly vocal about preventing our eviction,” the venue wrote.

It comes after a host of artists including Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon, Richard Hawley and Jarvis Cocker threw their weight behind the campaign to save the iconic Sheffield venue and club.

The likes of Eddie Izzard, Sea Power, The Subways, Ash, Joe Lycett, Nish Kumar, Rolo Tomassi, Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley, Paul Heaton, Manic Street Preachers, The Brudenell Social Club, Enter Shikari, Sleaford Mods and many more have also spoken out in support of the venue.

Last month, it was announced that the legendary Nambucca venue on London’s Holloway Road would be closing its doors, having “tried everything they could” to stay afloat.

Championing new and upcoming acts, they’ve played host to early gigs from the likes of The Libertines, Florence + The Machine, Frank Turner and Wolf Alice. The venue’s final night as Nambucca took place last Friday (May 13).

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