TJ's was a music venue and

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

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 The toilet circuit is the network of small music venues in the United Kingdom which rising indie, rock and metal bands often visit to gain support and promote themselves. The name may refer to the size and often the cleanliness of the venue, or ...

and the Newport music scene, particularly catering to fans of

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

. The club was given the moniker "The Legendary TJ's by Radio 1 DJ John Peel. TJ's closed on the death of owner John Sicolo, but his grandson Ashley now runs a similar venue named

El Sieco's El Sieco's is a pub, bar, and music venue in Newport, Wales which opened in 2016 on High Street, Newport, following the closure in 2010 of TJ's. TJ's was a key part of the Newport music scene and led to the 1990s label of Newport as 'the new 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 Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

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 Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

band Oasis 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 Usk ( cy, Brynbuga) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town, overlooks th ...

and

Rockfield Studios Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward. Facilities Rockfield is a two- ...

in Monmouth, and had begun performing shortly after the release of their single " Supersonic". In a setup similar to the present day

Clwb Ifor Bach Clwb Ifor Bach (, meaning ''Little Ivor's Club'') is a Cardiff nightclub, music venue, Welsh-language club and community centre. It is known to the Cardiff Welsh-speaking community as Clwb ( en, Club, italic=yes) and is often known by others on t ...

, 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, and among the concert goers were members of the

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion, soundscapes), plus ...

. It was later that week that Liam Gallagher was photographed for their first ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' cover in Newport's King's Hotel on High Street.

1990s and 2000s

Catatonia Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...

filmed their single " Mulder and Scully" at the venue. It is allegedly the place that Kurt Cobain proposed to

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

. Other bands who have played at TJ's early in their careers include The Manic Street Preachers, Green Day,

The Offspring The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guit ...

Lostprophets Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh Rock music, rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins (Lostprophets singer), Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band ...

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

The Stone Roses The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. One of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist Ian Brown, ...

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, Primal Scream,

Descendents The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a ...

, NOFX,

Misfits Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...

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, and

Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie are a British rock band whose members include Skin (lead vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Ace (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion). Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded in 2 ...

. 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 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

's broadcast at Newport's T.J.'s.

Popularity and fate

TJ's was voted one of the top 50 'Big Nights Out' in the world by

FHM ''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...

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 Newpor ...

, 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 building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

s facing onto Clarence Place, which have fallen into disrepair in recent years.

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