Sheffield Bands Fight to Keep Local Theatre Alive

Local promoter Joolz Vernon has decided to take the Cities premier unsigned night SOUNDCLASH to the Theatre, and with true charitable spirit, will be donating all profit to the restoration fund to help keep Abbeydale Picturehouse open.

On Saturday July 17th Sheffield acts Dead Like Harry, Neil Mcsweeney, Feelix and Scoundrel will take to the stage at Abbeydale Picture House for a very special one-off show to raise money for the ongoing restoration of the building, which celebrates its 90th birthday this year.

Two of the acts, Neil McSweeney and Dead Like Harry, have released albums in 2010. The latter, a band that list classic songwriters such as Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen amongst their influences, played to a packed crowd at Glastonbury in 2009, and have just completed a UK tour. They are riding high on a wave of national press interest in their album Know The Joy of Good Living.

“…jangly guitars, rippling piano and male-female vocal harmonies… Dead Like Harry have brought the spirit of Nashville to South Yorkshire.” Yorkshire Post

The Picturehouse was once an outstanding and beautiful grand white striking building designed by architects Dixon and Steinlet of North Shields. Built in neo-classical style, it stands on Abbeydale Road in Sheffield. The building was opened in 1920, and the 1500 seated capacity was packed for decades. Unfortunately with the invention on television the theatre struggled financially and closed its doors in 1975, reopening shortly after as a office furniture sales depot and closing again in 1987 after suffering a huge demise in the fabric of the building. At this point the building was Grade II to prevent further damage being made to it. In 2005 a charitable trust was formed ‘The Friends of Abbeydale Picturehouse’ and they raised sufficient funds to buy the building.

Saturday 17th July promises to be a special evening and provides the local population with an opportunity not only to give a little towards the restoration, but also to enjoy an evening of truly great, original music.