The Legendary TJ's | |
 TJ's, on Clarence Place inNewport | |
 Interactive map of TJ's | |
| Address | 16–18 Clarence Place, NP19 0AE |
|---|---|
| Location | Newport, Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°35′27″N2°59′29″W / 51.590849°N 2.991337°W /51.590849; -2.991337 |
| Owner | John Sicolo (founder, 1971) Trilby Tucker 1985-93 Mehmood and Ozzeer Hassan (2011) |
| Type | Music venue andNightclub |
| Event | Alternative |
| Seating type | Primarily standing, some seating |
| Capacity | 400[1] |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1971 |
| Expanded | 1985 |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Website | |
| web | |
TJ's was amusic venue andnightclub located on Clarence Place inNewport,South Wales.[2] It opened in 1985 and shortly became a live music venue.
It was an integral part of the so-calledtoilet circuit and theNewport music scene, particularly catering to fans ofrock music. The club was given the moniker "The Legendary TJ's by Radio 1 DJJohn Peel.[3]
TJ's closed on the death of owner John Sicolo, but his grandson Ashley opened a venue namedEl Sieco's on nearby Market Street, which paid tribute to the sounds and interior features from the original venue.[4] El Sieco's permanently closed in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic lockdown.[5]
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 "ThePittsburg 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 localfolk acts, performed at the premises.[4]
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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, formingTrilby andJeanette.[6]
However others have indicated the name is a combination of Sicolo's and Tucker's,[6] as it was Tucker was apparently the person who established TJ's as a live music venue on the premises in 1985, naming itTrilby andJohn's.[6]
A further proposed connection exists which claims it was his daughter, Janet Sicolo,[citation needed] who worked with Sicolo's partner, Tucker, to save the club from bankruptcy in the 1980s,[citation needed] and as a result the name was changed from Sieco's to TJ's, meaningTrilby andJanet.[citation needed]
Trilby reportedly owned TJ's until her death in 1993[citation needed] however media reports indicate John would then survive her ownership in the 2000s.[7]
On 3 May 1994, the then up-and-comingManchester bandOasis 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 nearUsk andRockfield Studios inMonmouth,[8] and had begun performing shortly after the release of their single "Supersonic".[8] In a setup similar to the present dayClwb Ifor Bach, the band played to the Newport crowd on an un-raised stage, practically level with the crowd. The band performed with local group60 Ft. Dolls, and among the concert goers were members of theManic Street Preachers.[8] It was later that week that Liam Gallagher was photographed for their firstNME cover in Newport's King's Hotel on High Street.[9]
Catatonia filmed their single "Mulder and Scully" at the venue. It is allegedly the place thatKurt Cobain proposed toCourtney Love.[10] Other bands who have played at TJ's early in their careers include The Manic Street Preachers,Green Day,The Offspring,Lostprophets,Iron Maiden,Sabaton (band),The Stone Roses,Muse,Primal Scream,Descendents,NOFX,Misfits,Mighty Mighty Bosstones,Lagwagon,The Bouncing Souls,The Vandals,The Ataris, andSkunk Anansie.[11]
In 2002, Jeff Killed John (forerunner band ofBullet for my Valentine) released their EPYou/Play with Me through radio airplay onBBC Radio 1's broadcast atNewport'sT.J.'s.[12]
TJ's was voted one of the top 50 'Big Nights Out' in the world byFHM in December 1997.[13] John Sicolo, owner of the club throughout its period of popularity, died on 14 March 2010, aged 66.[14] A tribute concert in his honour, headlined byGoldie Lookin' Chain, was held in the city'sJohn Frost Square on 10 July 2010.[15] On 15 September 2011 TJ's was sold at auction for £242,000.[16] On 2 February 2013, the building was damaged by a fire, suspected to be arson.[17] In 2019 theSouth Wales Argus reported that the building was to be converted into a hotel, under development plans approved byNewport City Council. The development will restore the Grade IIlisted buildings facing Clarence Place, which had become dilapidated.[18]
El Sieco's, on Market Street, Newport, featured similar sounds and design cues from the original TJ's. The venue was adorned with salvaged memorabilia and features from TJ's premises on Clarence Place. It was run by John Sicolo's grandson, Ashley since 2016[4] until its closure in 2020.[5]
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