Event details

The book launch for Daniel Dylan Wray's Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: A History of Independent Music in Sheffield.

Launch line-up

Daniel Dylan Wray in conversation with Elizabeth Alker

DJs
Warp Records
Memory Dance
Do It Thissen
Gut Level

Plus: ACID KLAUS' Bingo Bonanzo - hosted by Adrian Flanagan. Entry included in ticket price. Prizes to be won. Nonsense to be had.

About the book:

Spanning seven decades and with over 150 new interviews, including Richard Hawley, Arctic Monkeys, Self Esteem, ABC, Pulp, Def Leppard, The Human League, Toddla T, Cabaret Voltaire, Warp Records, Clock DVA, Heaven 17 and many more.

From dazzling electronic futurism to pioneering post-punk, via pop, metal, bassline, bleep techno and generation-defining indie rock, Sheffield has long been a crucible for world-leading music.

Some artists have excelled on the fringes, others have achieved global success, but all remain connected through a fervently independent ethos. In Sheffield, creativity flourished in the face of isolation, economic decline and bleak political circumstances, resulting in some of Britain's most groundbreaking and singular music. But the region's ingrained humility and dogged stoicism means it has never been documented or celebrated to the level of more hubristic cities.

In Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, acclaimed Sheffield journalist Daniel Dylan Wray sets out to remedy this, telling the story of the city's DIY spirit and the musical visionaries and innovators who helped build its inimitable legacy.

Both a compelling cultural study and an unapologetic love letter to the city, this - finally - is the definitive musical history Sheffield so richly deserves.

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Daniel Dylan Wray is a music and culture writer, primarily writing for The Guardian, he has also written for: BBC, Pitchfork, The Times, New Statesman, The Financial Times, Time Out, Uncut, The Quietus, Crack, AnOther, Dazed, The Face, Huck, DJ Mag, Mixmag, Empire, VICE, Bandcamp, Loud & Quiet, The Yorkshire Post, Sheffield Tribune and more.

Elizabeth Alker is the author of Everything We Do is Music: How 20th-Century Classical Music Shaped Pop. She is also a presenter for BBC Radio 3, where she hosts Unclassified and the afternoon show, Classical Live, and worked as a reporter and presenter for Radio 6 Music.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/groovy-laidback-nasty-sheffield-book-launch-tickets-1984468381349

Event details

An after-hours ghost tour inside Sheffield’s historic Lyceum Theatre
Step beyond the curtain and into the shadows with Spectres Beyond the Stage, an intimate late-night ghost tour of the historic Lyceum Theatre.

This atmospheric guided experience invites visitors to explore the Victorian-era theatre after dark, uncovering chilling stories of jilted lovers, lingering spirits, and long-departed theatre managers who, according to legend, still refuse to leave their posts.
What to expect on the tour
As you move through backstage corridors and hidden corners of the Lyceum, your guide will share both the theatre’s legendary tales and first-hand accounts of unexplained encounters, drawn from the experiences of staff who work in the building today.

Designed to entertain as much as unsettle, the tour blends history, folklore, and personal storytelling — creating a memorable evening that remember why theatres are among the most haunted buildings of all.

Expect:
Supernatural legends rooted in the Lyceum’s Victorian past
Stories of ghostly sightings and strange occurrences
Access to rarely seen areas of a working theatre
A spooky but welcoming atmosphere (rather than jump-scares)
Important information
Age guidance: 12+
Duration: approx. 1 hour 15 minutes
Access: Stairs are used during the tour
Wheelchair access: Please contact the Box Office in advance
Box Office: 0114 249 6000
Perfect for fans of ghost stories, local history, and anyone curious about Sheffield’s haunted heritage.

🎟 Tickets & dates:
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/lyceum-ghost-tours

Organiser: Sheffield Theatres

Event details