I'm doing some research into people's perceptions of the Leadmill for my MA dissertation. Generally, the research is along the lines of its image, the brand, quality of nights, how it is perceived now and whether that has changed over time.

If anyone would be interested in expressing their opinions on this, then I'd be happy to hear from you. This might lead to a series of focus groups to take place in the near future, but a gauge of people's feelings on this would be a helpful start. Thanks.

Usual towny nonsense- no different from any of those clubs in town that play chart s**te and are full of drunkards trying to get off with each other.

Very much playing to the lowest common denominator.

Leadmill a place you either love it or hate it. For me Leadmill is the best club In sheffield, a place i have found memories of and may fabtastic nights out. The drinks aren't expensive, the club itself isn't over the top which is a good thing. There's hardly any trouble in there when I've been in.

Never been a fan of the place. Don't like the location and I think the place is scruffy. I've never had a problem with the music though.

leadmill is cheap and cheerful

you get what u pay for, students love it cause it is cheap

i personally am not a big fan of it, although i do enjoy it when i go

monday nights are really good though, cheap drinks and good music, although not every1 wud agre on this

Quality place, where a round of drinks don't cost the earth!!

Wed & Thurs nights........... "Lurvin it"

Thanks

Tony

In summary:

* Nasty industrial toilets

* Always a que at the bar

* No where to go for a 'wander' as you always meet a dead end (unless you go thru the loos)

* A good mix of music - usually summat to suit everyone if your in a big group

* Not what it used to be - now an rnb/indie top40 mish mash everynight - there used to be clear cut themed nights like La Videotach (80's) on a Weds, The Beat club (60's night) on Thurs, Rise (House/Dance music) on a Friday and Step on on Sats (Indie).

- The last 2 comments are contradictory I know!

In the mid to late nineties it was by far the best night club in the city. It catered for everybody and did it well.

A friend of mine used to Dj in the Junction (second room at the beat club on a thursday night) as well as doing the second room on a saturday night when it became step on. It used to be called the joyrider until the music factory shut down. He also did some tuesday nights one summer.

As such i used to get in free and saw the place evolve from a really good club to what it is now. I think that in a bid to attract more and more custom, a lot of the nights have merged into one with the exception of saturday. The all try to appeal to the masses instead of a specific target audience and as such the place has lost a bit of its appeal.

Its still a good club, but its different nights need to establish their own identity properly again.

i used to love monday nights at the leadmill, but it has changed so much and the door staff are so impolite and seem to turn people away just because they can. went there for a freinds birthday on mon night and they turned us away for being all males-how pathetic is that?i can understand on the security side of things but we could not have been more polite in assuring them we would not cause trouble and were there for the music(what leadmill used to be about) but they were so arrogant to us. We even got the girls in our group who were already inside to come to the door but they said they would still not let us in. They also told us not to bother going in separatley because they knew our faces and would turn us away. It was just a joke, the leadmill has no sense of customer service anymore, its just another commercial(must have lots of girls inside) club with a bad atmosphere. i used to boast the leadmill to my friends from other cities but i won't be doing that anymore.

Jazz,

Write to me at The Leadmill and I'll deal with your issue.

Rich Lunn
Front of House Manager
The Leadmill

Thursday nights - excellent!:thumbsup:

Saturday nights - grungy nonsense.

Should play more hard core gangsta rap in the R&B room ionstead of crap like destiny's child.

you can walk in the gents toliets without paddling now:D

the Door staff have got very Republicesque with their door policy in the last few years...(do you look good?, are you female? do I not like the look of you)

gone seriously down hill. Used to love going on Thursdays. Now full of idiots. Music gone terribly abba/chart

expensive drinks/cack offers

Used to love Joyrider on a Sat....

used to be full of student types (uni/collegue) and now all the morons looking for fights go in.

Hi all,

I'm new to Sheffield and happened to hear a demo from a Sheffield Singer which my friend gave to me.
Does anybody know of who this guy is, as this ep was wicked and chilled.

I was wondering whether he had plaed at the Leadmill, or anywhere around Sheffield?

Hope that someone can help!!!??

Pretty please, I need more!

JOey x

was in the same situation as you Jazz... (though i have a feeling i was with you, Tom?)

Leadmill has certainly gone downhill over the last 18 months for me though. Shame really because it was just about the only club i enjoyed going too, great atmosphere, people and music.

Intersting stuff

Sorry the Mill is the second worst club in Sheffield now (Corporation being by far the worst) in terms of decor and "scruffy", no "wrecked" interiors. Its depressing, dank, too echoey and lost all its individuality back in around 1996 or so. Before that it WAS probably the BEST in Sheffield......those days gone for good. Its saturday nights sued to kick....now they just sludge along and its EXPENSIVE.........I cant think of another club where drinks cost less

Originally posted by daevh
was in the same situation as you Jazz... (though i have a feeling i was with you, Tom?)

Leadmill has certainly gone downhill over the last 18 months for me though. Shame really because it was just about the only club i enjoyed going too, great atmosphere, people and music.

hi daevh yeah it is me, not sure why im called jazz but there you go. leadmill was a farse last week wasn't it? like you say it was one of the few clubs i could really enjoy, so i was gutted.

I started going to the Leadmil in 1993 for the stunningly good night that was rise. I always thought it was abit of a weird shape and a bit tatty round the edges. haven't been for a few years co the last time I went the music was crap and someone stealthily threw up down my back when I was sat in the small room. Total gross out as I only realised when I put my hand there to find out why it felt a bit strange.

There was always a particularly static crowd when the bands are on - why does no one boogey?

we're taking it all on board,
so no one wants free guest lists then??

Dear Leadmill

A refurb is long overdue me thinks. Get rid of that horrible barn like atmosphere, what about lowering the ceilings a bit? It looks too much like the Corporation, dark and depressingly tatty. And the horrible dingy entranceway is crowded and really claustrophobic......what about a total rethink of the way into the club, like move it to another doorway and make people feel like they are entering a club and not a tomb....

And re think ALL that you are doing...it is just bland and lifeless. I remember a time back in the 80's and well up to around 96 when the Leadmill used to really kick ass. It cant kick a wet toilet roll at the moment. It all went crap when it started putting on those dreadful SHAG student nights.......the absolute dregs started to go in and ruined what was once a classy venue with a good and intelligent clientele.

I can't believe no-one has mentioned the quality bands that regularly play at The Leadmill.....this alone makes it by far the best club in the city!! Saw Jimmy Cliff the other week, superb. Will be there soon to see Ed Harcourt, and am hoping there will soon be a Richard Hawley gig.

Im disgraced in this board ,i really am.
The leadmill is the best club in sheffield okay so i havent been to them all (never been to Zero ,Banus ,Orcis(spelling?) ,Niche ,that charles street place) , maybe its not the best deccorated but when the lights are down who really cares what colour the walls are ? They play a great mix of music but also good night like Step on (best modern indie night in sheffield ????). The clubs expensive ,i say ******** to that idea its cheaper than all the clubs ive been in apart from corp.Its a friendly club never seen any trouble inside or out.
It attracts great live acts which makes it better for me.
The crowd it attracts is a wide age group which adds to the atmosphere doesnt attract all the student fasion victims like rep or the townies like kingdom.

Only downside. . . . the doormen are starting to act like tossers.
Me and a friend walking down with a group of 4 lads infront ,they then wouldnt let us all in as they said we were together which we said wasnt the case but they werent having any of it until the other lads walked away and we stayed to argue our case when they finaly let us in.Also a few times not been aloud in as too many lads ,even though we had female mates with us at the time and a few times just acting like ***** - i saw a friend been taken out for been too ****** as she wasnt from sheffield and was a friend of a friend i went out to make sure she was ok ,then the doorman said " your not coming back in now mate " to which i said was fair enough then he blew a resberry at me. . . i mean how pathetic is that ?

Still heart that place though

i love the way it looks. it's more Sheffield like the way it is now... :)

i'm just not keen on some of the music that's played there recently. saying that, there was some good stuff on this Monday (let me in this time!) but mostly newer indie stuff and not the classic Happy Mondays, New Order etc...

true about the gigs, usually something good on and would be great for Richard Hawley to do another gig. top bloke... in fact, Jane Weaver who supported him last time was fantastic, get her back too!

Originally posted by AlbaKirky
I can't believe no-one has mentioned the quality bands that regularly play at The Leadmill.....this alone makes it by far the best club in the city!! Saw Jimmy Cliff the other week, superb. Will be there soon to see Ed Harcourt, and am hoping there will soon be a Richard Hawley gig.

quality bands? there used to be quality there but it tends to be the same old NME wannabees nowardays (although they have Cathy Davey there in a couple of weeks)

well leaders has The Open , Zutons , Bloc Party ,OCS and Ordinary Boys all soon and to me thats a quailty line up

Had some of my best teenage years in that place. great place for crap chip butties at one in the morning. Also I dont think I would have had half the girls I did if not for t'mill.

One bad memory - closing time. When most people have gone and the building starts to cool down, thats when their sweat turns back to a liquid form and starts dripping off the ceiling - yumyum.

BTW - The bouncers were arsey 10 years ago so sounds like nowts changed!! We used to go down in a group of 10 and before we went round the corner to the queue we'd split and go in stages, mingling in with a group of girls. Felt like a moral victory when we were all inside.

Always thought it was one of the better clubs... it'd be a shame if they made it 'trendy'.

Hiya, I'm new to this site, and i've just been reading everyones opinions about the leadmill, and i have to agree that the music on a monday night is great, theres a good variety and something to suit everyones taste. The drinks are also great because they're cheap, but theres one problem.....The Bouncers.
I understand that the bouncers have to be careful who they let in the club, but they are so nasty to everyone.
I was once with a group of friends and they let everyone in except for the girl at the back of the group. The rest of us was waiting inside the club and had no idea that she had been turned away. I then went back outside and produced the girls ID, but the bouncers still did not accept that! She was obviously old enough but they didnt let her in just because they could turn her away!
Its a big disappointment when you've gone out for a good time with all your friends, and one crappy bouncer who thinks he's god wont let one of you in.
It really spoilt my night, and i havent been back to the leadmill since.
Hayley

Hi everyone, just read through all the posts and was really pleased to see the Richard Hawley mentions, I have known him for 25 years, he would be really touched to read your messages, you should have a look at his web site and let him know, it would be amazing to see him at the Leadmill again.
We used to all hang out there on Thurs and Sat, long live the Leadmill....

To be honest I actually like the leadmill... Got thoroughly fed up of all the "dress to impress" places where you can't just turn up in jeans and trainers because you want to dance your butt off and NOT pull..

Leadmill isn't like that although cattle do abound.. Some of my best nights spent there... Granted I'm feeling a little long in the tooth on weeknights but Saturdays are just what I need..

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tinajones
[

* Not what it used to be - now an rnb/indie top40 mish mash everynight - there used to be clear cut themed nights like La Videotach (80's) on a Weds, The Beat club (60's night) on Thurs, Rise (House/Dance music) on a Friday and Step on on Sats (Indie).

Sat nights still have their own identity but rest of the week does now seem very charty.
Think it a shame Aqua is not taking off. Went to Hot pants there the other week and it was deserted. Sheffield needs to keep clubs where you can have a laugh and avoid the Kingdom lot.

Nice forum, just found it while recovering from a post-leadmill night... first for a while.

Place has gone downhill unfortunately but I can't help thinking would be a good time to start promoting it again. Agree about the bouncers in last 2 years.

Hardly anywhere those of us who just want a fun night out without dressing up and with decent (indie!) music can go.

Could do with a bit of sprucing up but don't make it all bright like every other flipping club and bar.

Also agree that the music has got too much of a mish mash - promote a big 80's night, a big 90's night [both with decent music not just the rubbish], and build Saturday's up again. Add a good non-cheesy dance night and student night and there you go. Maybe even a 70s night, tho can't stand it myself!

Surely not everyone out there just wants cheesy dance or kingdom rubbish...

Or am I on my own and just stuck in the 90's!??!

Right, who wants to go to leadmill this week and request a guest listing so we can be shown how good it really is... ;)

I keep forgetting how terrible the leadmill is then I go back and instantly get reminded.

For instance, drinks are cheap on a week night, but if you go to a gig and pay ten quid they know they’ve got you trapped…so its something like £2.50 for ****e lager in a plastic glass. And the bottles…I've been in the cellar. And seen it when its flooded….dont touch them.

I wouldnt eat there either. I remember the kitchen staff catching a rat under a bucket one sat night…as food was getting made. Grim.

The Leadmill was a co-operative…now its just about profit and its awful.

And the music…man. Andy who dj's on a Sat night has an amazing record collection…but he's not allowed to use and has to stick to the indie by numbers disco which is drab, predictable, mainstream and downright boring.

As to the bouncers. I went a good while back with a few mates when Evan Dando played. There was a really drunk girl who kept pushing into us etc. who then had the nerve to go up to a bouncer and say my mate had grabbed her breasts! He grabbed my mate and slung him outside, no questions asked, when it was plain to see we were just standing there stone cold sober and this girl could hardly stand up. W@ankers.

...oh and that guy rupert...hahahhaa...give me a break

Yep, same thing.....bouncers. They need a good slap. I went down with a group of work mates. They decided to not let in one of the guys in my group, claiming he was drunk. He had had a few like we all had because you generally do go for a few drinks prior to clubbing. He wasn't falling over, slurring speach or causing any trouble whatsoever. The bouncers were just being w*****s. We were a group of professional workers with money to spend and at an average age of 30, quite sensible really. We all left, as we weren't going to go in without him and went to the cashbar and had a really good night.

So message to the Leadmill....learn to run a business. You lost custom that night which the cashbar gained, and none of us have bothered to go back to the leadmill since so you've lost long term business. I would seriously consider having a talk to your bouncers before their ego **** behaviour drives away everyone.

well...I guess its clear Leadmill....do something about your bouncers.

It's a shame really because I worked at the leadmill about 4 years ago and they had a really sound group of doorstaff. Seems it's all gone wrong somewhere.

I'm really saddened by this thread - in the early/mid 90s the Leadmill was THE place to go for a great night out in Sheffield.

It always featured in the Top 3 UK venues of the year in the NME.

I LOVED the place, and enjoyed a couple of my favourite-ever gigs there (Marion, and the Manics). And was priviledged to be present at a rare-as-gold-dust performance by Peter Perrett, formerly of the Only Ones.

Let's hope something can be done to restore the venue to its former glories - it was a club that Sheffielders could be proud of and boast about to anyone in the UK!

StarSparkle

Friday nights just wouldn't be the same if the Leadmill were to become like every other up its own arse place in the city. Where else (except Corp) can you go wearing whatever you happened to be wearing when you accidentally got drunk on rose wine and have a cracking time? Never seen any trouble in there, although did meet a queue based knobhead once (who did get let in by the bouncers, oddly enough, despite having threatened to punch me (and i'm a girl)). Quite often we don't even mean to go, it's just a reflex reaction when we get in the taxi. Seemingly all roads do lead to the Leadmill, who knew??
Do feel a bit sad sometimes when we recognise people purely on the basis of going to the leadmill every friday, and realise that perhaps people think that about us as well. Case in point: does anyone else ALWAYS see the very tall grumpy looking man near the DJ booth? He's always there, but then i suppose, so are we. Hmmmm.

Thanks for all your replies to my original questions. It's been interesting, if not that surprising, to see how varied people's views are on the place.

Anyway, while this has been going on, I've been running some focus group discussions down at the Leadmill for people to give their opinions. The people taking part up to now have all been from the Leadmill's mailing list. Tonight I'm holding the last one, focussing on people who visit any of the club nights (starts 8.45pm). I'm a couple of places under strength, so I was wondering if any of you would like to take part.

If so, please pm me, telling me what nights you tend to visit the Leadmill, how often, how long for etc. and I'll give you the details.

Thanks

Chris

surely a focus group woth people from the mailing list isnt going to give you very good results?

...or is it just me?

Its like asking member of the gareth gates fan club if hes good...isnt it?

It depends what it is you're trying to find out. It's a dissertation into users of the Leadmill and how they perceive the way the club is run, what its branding means to them and how it has changed. You have to find an interested sample from somewhere.

Not all the people on the list are there every week and going to the same nights. Part of the aim is to find the difference between people who visit the club on its different club nights and gigs. People who go on a Saturday night tend to be looking for something very different to those who go on a Tuesday.

I'm not sure Gareth Gates has become diverse enough in his offering for this comparison. Not yet anyway.

ah right fair enough...in my mind the thread had translated into "leadmill....good or a pile of crap?"

but dont diss big Gaz G! have you not heard his hip hop album released under his sudaname ?

ground breaking I tell you mate.

DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE NEW TO SHEFFIELD???

ANT MKTING STRING....

I KNOW A P FLETCHER THAT SANG ... A SONG AT HIS MOTHERS WEDDING...



Originally posted by joey007
Hi all,

I'm new to Sheffield and happened to hear a demo from a Sheffield Singer which my friend gave to me. The demo was called 'She Got Soul' and was by someone called Paul / Pete Fletcher?

Does anybody know of who this guy is, as this ep was wicked and chilled.

I was wondering whether he had plaed at the Leadmill, or anywhere around Sheffield?

Hope that someone can help!!!??

Pretty please, I need more!

Em's x

Ah....the Leadmill. Actually have very fond memories of it as I was lucky enough to DJ there on Wednesdays for around 2 and a half years in the mid 90's......the pre Planet Earth 80s night. I used to love working there and generally it was a friendly place and the bouncers seemed fine. Of course, being a paying customer is a whole different experience and you notice all kinds of things someone who works there might not.

But yes the nights there some years back were far more focused and all very different. Wednesdays and Thursdays for example, one 80's night, and the other 60's/70's, were totally contrasting events. Same with the old Saturday night and Fridays, all very different.

but then, the very market base of customers is by the very nature of the market, going to stimulate change and development of any clubnights. New student intakes, generations getting older and stopping clubbing, etc, etc, everything has to change in accordance with the market base or the perceived culture of the changing market base.

The leadmill is fantastic, people of sheffield should embrace it. It is the hacienda of sheffield a true indie mecca, the reason i moved to sheffield in the first place. Saturday nights are what its all about, nobody cares what the club looks like, weather you stick to the floor or weather its smirnoff or romanoff vodka behind the bar.

It has never tried to be cool it just is, not in a new york kind of cool but a Sheffield cool. Although the other weeknight arrangments are a not taken into consideration here, nor should they, it is the gig bus outside the venue on the every saturday morning, the list of bands on the posters outside and most importantly the music lovers who go there every week without fail, it doesnt want a dress code like kingodm, nor a vip list like bed. Everyone is equal and the fact it is its a part of sheffields great musical history.

Originally posted by Geordiecarl
The leadmill is fantastic, people of sheffield should embrace it. It is the hacienda of sheffield a true indie mecca, the reason i moved to sheffield in the first place. Saturday nights are what its all about, nobody cares what the club looks like, weather you stick to the floor or weather its smirnoff or romanoff vodka behind the bar.

It has never tried to be cool it just is, not in a new york kind of cool but a Sheffield cool. Although the other weeknight arrangments are a not taken into consideration here, nor should they, it is the gig bus outside the venue on the every saturday morning, the list of bands on the posters outside and most importantly the music lovers who go there every week without fail, it doesnt want a dress code like kingodm, nor a vip list like bed. Everyone is equal and the fact it is its a part of sheffields great musical history.

I agree it has always been a beacon of sheffield's great night life but it seems the bouncers are ruining it for many people

depends on the night. It's cheaper than most other clubs. Used to have a good Hip Hop/ RnB night on a thursday but not been for a while so don't know if they still do. Saturdays are ****e. All they play is rock/inie and it's full of nobheads with long hair and weird sideburns

Yet another club I have never visited. Not sure I would like this one though. Isn't it all heavy rock or am I wrong again?

wrong. they have an indie room and then a main roon which is more chart dance and pop sorta stuff, weeknights are the best there.

the mill is a good place- went last thursday it was a good night- then again like all uva nights it depends who ur out wiv. me and 3 lasses all single so we had A BLAST!!! its a mix of indi/ old skool anthems/ r'nb/ current dance on thursdays so a bag of pic n mix tunes to please everyone!! the beer is ****ing foul but we were tanked b4 hand s'all gud :)

yeah the vodka is proper manky there too, tastes like off rum :gag: its a good club ive always had a great night there every time but yeah make sure your drink plently before you go

Dont care for the place. Very busy, very sweaty, crap music:gag: , too small and lot of pervs who kept groping my x's upper half!

Hey, thats my opinion:thumbsup:

Dont mind bands there though