Arctic Monkeys are raffling Alex Turner’s Fender guitar to save The Leadmill

Famous Sheffield band, Arctic Monkeys, have vowed to raise critical funds for The Leadmill and other grassroots music venues around the UK.

Due to lockdown, The Leadmill has had to cancel or reschedule around 120 events which placed the future of the iconic venue into uncertainty. In the early stages of their career, Arctic Monkeys played regularly at The Leadmill along with other legendary artists like Oasis, Stone Roses, Pulp, Arcade Fire, and more.

The Leadmill on Facebook

In order to support The Leadmill and other independent music venues at this critical time, Arctic Monkeys have announced they are holding a raffle auctioning off Alex Turner’s Fender Stratocaster guitar. The guitar was used during the band’s early career including during performances at The Leadmill and Reading Festival in 2006.

On their official Twitter page with over 1.6m followers, they stated that entry is £5 and you can enter as many times as you wish. The competition runs until 6pm on Tuesday 25 August.

Everyone who enters will also receive an invite to a special screening of Arctic Monkeys’ performance at Reading Festival in 2006. The performance will be shown at 8pm on Wednesday 26 August and will remain available for 24 hours. Those who enter will be sent an exclusive link two hours before.

The Leadmill is very grateful for this fundraiser, and speaking to the Sheffield Tab said: “We’re so thankful to Arctic Monkeys and their team, it’s been brilliant to see that even though they’re so successful these days, they still care about and want to show support for their hometown and the places where they cut their teeth.”

Fans are also loving this announcement with Facebook user, Rob, commenting on The Leadmill’s post saying “I need that fucking guitar” and another user, Theo, stating “this is worth it for the Reading performance alone”.

The competition is open worldwide but you must be at least 18 years old. Enter here.