South Sea Live, or South Sea Dead?

Staghold Ltd, the London-based developer planning the conversion, are hoping to take down the live music venue on Spooner Road, and its accompanying owner’s flat,  and turn it into two blocks, housing two apartments each.

South Sea Live on Spooner Rd, Broomhill.

Surveyors Bluestone slammed the venue in a statement to the Sheffield Telegraph. A spokesman said that two “high-quality bedroom units” would stand in place of the “poorly-designed 1970’s public house”.

Owner Dave Hancock has hit back at the proposal, stating in a Facebook post on South Sea Live’s page that they are “planning on keeping the venue for at least 5 years.”

Dave told the Tab: “We haven’t been seeing as many students here as we wanted. We’d love it if the students wanted to come here and spend some time listening to live acts, but I guess we’re almost too well placed. Being so close to Endcliffe and Ranmoor villages can have drawbacks as a live music venue.”

The venue styles itself more as a “live music venue” than a pub.

Members of the Sheffield music industry have said a proposal like this was on the cards. Bert Meyers*, a 23-year old band manager and engineer working in Sheffield said that the South Sea “has not been doing overly well.”

“bands have complained about the quality of their sound equipment & a few false promises. They’re invited to the venue to perform to what they’ve been told will be a massive audience and a packed pub, and what they get is a poor man’s West Street Live.

“I’d say the problem it has is that it’s like West Street Live, but without the good location or budget. They also run out of beer a lot, the place just isn’t the best”

The bar regularly runs dry, according to Sheffield museos.

Dave has dismissed claims that his pub is modelled on the West Street haunt, insisting his venue has a unique identity.

“This sounds like a cheap statement from someone who knows little about the music scene. The only similarity between us and West Street Live is that we put bands on.

“We don’t get all the mainstream clubbers who just pop in for a bit, making loads of noise and not listening to the entertainment. We like to keep that exclusivity and that alternative vibe. We get a lot of alternative people.

“I want to run an establishment to keep it real. A lot of the bands that you see playing at the O2 you’d have to pay for tickets, most of the time you can see the same bands here for free. It is going to be alternative when you walk in.”

Dave added that student accommodation shouldn’t be a priority for Sheffield Council right now, as there is already plenty going. He said “have you seen how many “to let signs” are about on private rentable property and the amount of estate agents in and around Broomhill? Well let’s say, we haven’t got students going homeless yet.

“Broomhill needs a creative hub of culture and allow us to provide somewhere for alternative people to go, because traditional pubs are not supplying to that demand.

Broomhill needs a “creative hub of culture”

“Punks, metal fans, hardcore fans etc aren’t quite ready for a real ale, elevator music and a cosy open fire.”

A planning decision over whether building will take place is due next month.

* – some names have been changed for privacy

The article was amended on 01/04/14. The article did not indicate that some names have been changed, and did not indicate David Hancock is the owner of South Sea Live. These details have since been corrected.