{"id":168397,"date":"2025-06-08T19:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T19:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/168397\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T19:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T19:49:09","slug":"the-man-who-has-played-here-more-times-than-anyone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/168397\/","title":{"rendered":"The man who has played here more times than anyone else"},"content":{"rendered":"

Richard Hawley<\/a> has announced he will play one final show at the Leadmill in Sheffield this month, before its current owners are evicted.<\/p>\n

Last month, the iconic venue was denied an appeal against their eviction notice from Electric Group<\/a> and given three months to vacate the premises on Leadmill Street. Their final event will be held on Saturday, June 28<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hawley, a Sheffield native with close ties to the venue, will play there for the last time on June 18. \u201cOne final time with the man who has played here more than anyone else,\u201d the venue said in the announcement, describing him as a \u201cSheffield icon and Leadmill family member\u201d.<\/p>\n

Tickets for the show, which will feature support from Tom Hickox, will go on sale on Monday (June 9) at 10am and you will be able to find yours here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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New Show \u2013 @RichardHawley<\/a> \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n

One final time with the man who has played here more times than anyone else \u2013 Sheffield icon and Leadmill family member Richard Hawley joins us for one last show this June \ud83c\udfb8<\/p>\n

Tickets on sale Monday at 10am from https:\/\/t.co\/WxDeGIJRIb<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kSxs3Wn6nA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Leadmill (@Leadmill) June 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Richard Hawley \u2764\ufe0f @Leadmill<\/a>
Wednesday 18 June
With Special Guest @tomhickox<\/a> <\/p>\n

Tickets on sale Monday 9th June at 10 amhttps:\/\/t.co\/wO8bDNy9pt<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/IN0GmyGFXx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 richardhawley (@RichardHawley) June 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Last month, Hawley spoke to NME about his \u201coverwhelming sense of sadness\u201d over the Leadmill\u2019s closure<\/a>, pleasing for the government to change the law to stop the same thing from happening to other venues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying not to get angry, but it\u2019s very difficult because they say I\u2019m the musician that\u2019s played there the most by a long, long way,\u201d said Hawley. \u201cIt\u2019s probably true. I don\u2019t want that to stop, and not just for me but other people. It\u2019s a rite of passage. The people running it now are best placed to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cThere desperately needs to be a change in legislation. If someone comes along and buys the land under your business and building and throws you out and turns it into flats \u2013 which happens all the time \u2013 or if they kick you out but steal your business, we\u2019re talking about a serious moral issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

The current Leadmill owners have operated on the site since 1980 and have played host to local legends including\u00a0Pulp<\/a>,\u00a0Arctic Monkeys<\/a>,\u00a0Self Esteem<\/a> and\u00a0Bring Me The Horizon<\/a>, as well as the likes of Muse<\/a>, Coldplay<\/a>, The Strokes<\/a>,\u00a0Oasis<\/a>\u00a0and many more.<\/p>\n

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After over four decades of unforgettable nights, historic gigs and a community that has stuck with us through it all, Saturday 28th June 2025 will be the final event held at The Leadmill.<\/p>\n

We will miss our home more than words can say. Lets make these last weeks count \u2764\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/qZ5RcREvFq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Leadmill (@Leadmill) June 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe will miss our home more than words can say, but this isn\u2019t the end for us,\u201d they wrote in the announcement of their final show. \u201cIt\u2019s just a new chapter in our story and yours. Let\u2019s make these last weeks count.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo everyone who has supported us, whether from around the corner or across the globe: thank you. Our walls might be changing but our community isn\u2019t going anywhere. See you on our dancefloor\u2026one last time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other acts set to play a show before the eviction include Miles Kane<\/a>, The K\u2019s<\/a>, Dinosaur Pile-Up<\/a> and King Creosote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0venue was first served an eviction notice in 2022<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 to\u00a0the uproar of music fans and artists alike<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 when it emerged that Electric Group had bought the freehold for the site of the Leadmill in March 2017.<\/p>\n

The Electric Group runs a number of venues across the UK, including Brixton Electric, and\u00a0has vowed to keep the building as a music venue<\/a>\u00a0that will \u201ccontinue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans, and community projects for the next 100 years\u201d.<\/p>\n

Last year saw\u00a0the UK lose one music venue every fortnight<\/a>, with\u00a0warnings that the rate would increase to one per week in 2025<\/a>\u00a0without urgent government action \u2013 only adding to regional areas suffering from what has been called\u00a0\u201cthe complete collapse of touring\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Over the last few years, there has been\u00a0an increased call for music venues to own their own buildings to prevent them from being kicked out by landlords<\/a>. As a result,\u00a0the Music Venue Properties scheme has been buying up buildings<\/a>\u00a0for beloved gig spaces and is\u00a0now stepping up its efforts<\/a>\u00a0in what\u2019s been described as a \u201cNational Trust for music venues\u201d scheme.<\/p>\n