The Electric Group has formally announced its plans for the Sheffield venue formerly known as The Leadmill, providing more information about what it calls a “£2 million transformation” at what will now be known as Electric Studios Sheffield. The revamped complex, due to open next spring, will also include a new “collaborative workspace” for the “next generation of musicians, DJs and artists”.
The company’s CEO Dominic Madden says, “Sheffield is a special city and, with the plans for Electric Studios, we are committed to a programme of substantial investment, refurbishment and curation for it to thrive - with a modern vision that respects the cultural significance of the building and history of the existing venue while putting the artist and fan experience front and centre of our plans”.
The Electric Group - which also operates venues in London, Bristol and Newcastle - acquired the building that housed The Leadmill back in 2016. Then, in 2022, it gave the company that ran the venue, led by Phil Mills, one year’s notice to vacate the premises, so that it could start directly operating the building.
That prompted Mills to launch a multi-pronged legal and PR battle in a bid to keep hold of the building, and to keep operating it as The Leadmill. His PR campaign, involving lots of Sheffield artists, enjoyed quite a bit of success. However, the legal battle, although long drawn out, never really went in Mill’s favour, with the courts ultimately granting The Electric Group an eviction order earlier this year.
Throughout the legal battle, Mills said that - if he was forced to leave - he would first strip the venue bare, leaving just a shell of a building. And he pretty much made good on that commitment, even though the local council stopped him from actually pulling down a wall and toilet block that had been added during his tenancy.
When The Electric Group finally got control of the building in August, Madden described what was left by Mills and his team. He said “What has happened these last few weeks behind closed doors is devastating, how anybody can do so much damage is beyond belief”.
But, with the long and very public battle with Mills finally over, The Electric Group is now able to speak in much more positive terms about the future of the building. “A new d&b audiotechnik PA system, paired with advanced lighting and production installations, will ensure world-class sound and visual experiences for artists and audiences alike”, says an official statement.
The “£2 million transformation” will also increase the capacity of the venue, to 1050 for gigs and 1450 for club nights. Plus, the statement adds, based on “feedback from locals and industry” there will be “all-new bars, improved stage sightlines and enhanced backstage facilities for touring artists”.
Programming will be led by The Electric Group’s Head Of Music Mike Weller, who says, “I hope to collaborate with the best in the business, from local and up-and-coming future stars, to established and international teams and artists, in the mission to make this venue a must-book and must-attend destination for promoters, producers, performers and music fans”.