Meatwhistle was a theatre / arts workshop and stomping ground for teenagers set up by Sheffield City Council around 1974. Started initially for a six week period, it was so successful and popular that the people who ran it (Chris and Veronica Wilkinson) received a grant to keep it going for a further four years. They managed to get a building from the council - the Holly Building on Holly Street.
Meatwhistle was a boiling pot of creativity and a breeding ground for a lot of the talent that went on to represent Sheffield music. Amongst others there were Phil Oakey, Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Glenn Gregory, consequently The Human League members spent their formative years there..
The Human League started out in 1977 founded by members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh. They began to perform live under the name of 'The Dead Daughters'. The two then went on to form a band with Adi Newton (Clock DVA) called 'The Future'.
'The Future' was a solely electronic band, which at the time was almost unheard of, and only lived a short life before Adi left to form Clock DVA in '78. Martyn set out to find a vocalist and recruited school friend Philip, who would go on to become the long standing original member of The Human League.