Sheffield’s oldest venue, The Leadmill, faces closure later this month. Eager to go out with a bang, we welcomed Twin Atlantic to the stage, along with openers Dead Pony and Sheff’s very own Jetski.
Opening in 1980, The Leadmill has hosted a number of incredible artists from The Stone Roses to Danny Jones. Most importantly, it’s given a spotlight to smaller artists, and a chance for local talent to step into the scene. Due to this, many of us were heartbroken last month when they announced that they will be closing their doors after a lengthy battle with eviction.
In a run-up to closure, they’ve announced a series of events, which includes last night’s show with the iconic Twin Atlantic.
The night seemed positive from the word go, having a calm, friendly line outside as I arrived. It seemed that everyone knew each other, and those that didn’t were soon part of the group. Once inside, there was no rushing and pushing to the front. A relaxed migration around the venue, to the bar and to the stage.
It wasn’t long then until Jetski were up there. I wasn’t familiar with them before hand, but I definitely enjoyed them.
A very juvenile pop punk band, with fun and energetic songs. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch any song titles, but I did enjoy the last song of the set, it was a lovely little power ballad. Of course, they stopped to say a big thank you to The Leadmill. The story reminisced on their time in the student flats across the road, and meeting each other in the pit there, before working their way from the small stage to the main stage.
Dead Pony seemed a lot more established, coming on to an introduction involving sirens and a warning message playing out on a radio. I was a little bit familiar with these beforehand, but not enough to recognise their soundcheck, as I’m making off-handed comments about how lovely Anna Sheild’s voice is sounding. A much heavier band, Dead Pony performed the likes of Everything Burns, RAINBOWS and MK Nothing. An incredible warm up, though, bringing the energy and the pits!
The wait for Twin Atlantic seemed forever. I loved them as a teen, and they’ve been on my bucket list of bands to see. Although I’d not kept up with them well, I sat in anticipation. Will they play the songs I loved? Will they be all I’ve ever hoped? Or will I leave incredibly disappointed?
Well, of course I loved them!
The energy was through the roof. Everyone was dancing, the floor was shaking! They opened with their latest single, Salvation, then travelled back to the 2010s with No Sleep and Hold On. Playing songs old and new, the soft and the heavy, there was something for everyone.
I loved living through my teen years again, even getting a bit emotional through Make a Beast of Myself. You could imagine how I was through the actual emotional songs, then.
What hit me most was the atmosphere. It wasn’t just positive; it was a room full of love. A room full of people who loved what they do and loved the music. It was so comfortable, and something that I would love to experience again and again.
For the first time in a while, I was genuinely sad that a concert was over. Not just awe, not just ah, that was fun! Sad. I didn’t want it to end. And it ended perfectly, with them playing Heart and Soul. Of course, they had their goodbyes to say to The Leadmill. They talked about the importance of smaller venues, and said their own thank you.
So, I’ll be adding Twin Atlantic back to my bucket list. I’d love to see them again. As I would like to see Dead Pony and Jetski. All around a good night, and a good way to say goodbye to such an iconic venue.
