TJ's was a

music venue A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Ty ...

and nightclub located on Clarence Place in

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

. It opened in 1985 and shortly became a live music venue. It was an integral part of the so-called toilet circuit and the Newport music scene, particularly catering to fans of rock music. The club was given the moniker "The Legendary TJ's by Radio 1 DJ

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

. TJ's closed on the death of owner John Sicolo, but his grandson Ashley now runs a similar venue named El Sieco's on nearby Market Street, which pays tribute to the sounds and interior features from the original venue.

Early form

John Sicolo started the venue with his then wife Vivienne in 1971 as a restaurant named "Cedar's Rest" before becoming a burger bar named "The Pittsburg Diner". Sicolo bought the premises in 1973 and extended into an adjoining property to form the nightclub "El Sieco's", during which time a variety of musical artists, including local folk acts, performed at the premises.

Etymology

Some sources have suggested the venue was named using the initials of founder John Sicolo's two most important people, his sister Jeanette Sicolo, and partner Trilby Tucker, forming ''Trilby'' and ''Jeanette''. However others have indicated the name is a combination of Sicolo's and Tucker's, as it was Tucker was apparently the person who established TJ's as a live music venue on the premises in 1985, naming it ''Trilby'' and ''John's''. A further proposed connection exists which claims it was his daughter, Janet Sicolo, who worked with Sicolo's partner, Tucker, to save the club from bankruptcy in the 1980s, and as a result the name was changed from Sieco's to TJ's, meaning ''Trilby'' and ''Janet''. Trilby reportedly owned TJ's until her death in 1993 however media reports indicate John would then survive her ownership in the 2000s.

History

Oasis

On 3 May 1994, the then up-and-coming Manchester band

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

performed at TJ's following a small venue tour of the UK. The band were in South Wales frequently that year, recording at Loco Studios near Usk and Rockfield Studios in

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

, and had begun performing shortly after the release of their single "

Supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...

". In a setup similar to the present day Clwb Ifor Bach, the band played to the Newport crowd on an un-raised stage, practically level with the crowd. The band performed with local group

60 Ft. Dolls 60 Ft. Dolls were a Welsh rock trio active in the 1990s, known as the Cool Cymru era. Formation They were formed in Newport in 1992 by Richard J. Parfitt and Michael Cole, who met through Donna Matthews (later of Elastica), who was at the time ...

, and among the concert goers were members of the Manic Street Preachers. It was later that week that Liam Gallagher was photographed for their first '' NME'' cover in Newport's King's Hotel on High Street.

1990s and 2000s

Catatonia filmed their single " Mulder and Scully" at the venue. It is allegedly the place that

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

proposed to Courtney Love. Other bands who have played at TJ's early in their careers include The Manic Street Preachers,

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

, The Offspring, Lostprophets, Iron Maiden, The Stone Roses, Muse,

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...

, Descendents,

NOFX NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...

, Misfits, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Lagwagon, The Bouncing Souls, The Vandals, The Ataris, and Skunk Anansie. In 2002, Jeff Killed John (forerunner band of Bullet for my Valentine) released their EP ''You/Play with Me'' through radio airplay on BBC Radio 1's broadcast at

T.J.'s TJ's was a music venue and nightclub located on Clarence Place in Newport, South Wales. It opened in 1985 and shortly became a live music venue. It was an integral part of the so-called toilet circuit and the Newport music scene, particularl ...

Popularity and fate

TJ's was voted one of the top 50 'Big Nights Out' in the world by FHM in December 1997. John Sicolo, owner of the club throughout its period of popularity, died on 14 March 2010, aged 66. A tribute concert in his honour, headlined by

Goldie Lookin' Chain Goldie Lookin Chain are a Welsh comedy hip hop group from Newport, south-east Wales. The group produces humorous, controversial and often explicit songs that satirise hip hop, today's consumer society, the " chav" culture and life in Newp ...

, was held in the city's

John Frost Square John Frost Square is a large public space in the centre of Newport, South Wales, named after the Chartist leader, John Frost. It was redeveloped as part of the Friars Walk shopping and leisure complex in 2014 and 2015. Major features on John ...

on 10 July 2010. On 15 September 2011 TJ's was sold at auction for £242,000. In 2019 it was announced that the property was to become a 58-bedroom hotel, after councillors unanimously backed redevelopment plans. The development will restore the Grade II listed buildings facing onto Clarence Place, which have fallen into disrepair in recent years.

El Sieco's

El Sieco's, on Market Street, Newport, features similar sounds and design cues from the original TJ's. The venue is adorned with salvaged memorabilia and features from TJ's premises on Clarence Place. It has been run by John Sicolo's grandson, Ashley since 2016.

References

External links

Official TJ's website as at 18 February 2010

El Siecos - Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:T. J.'S Newport, Wales Nightclubs in Wales Culture in Newport, Wales Former music venues in Wales Art Deco architecture in Wales Grade II listed buildings in Newport, Wales Landmarks in Newport, Wales Theatres completed in 1938 Music venues in Newport, Wales Grade II listed theatres