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The club’s interior is in a bad way, photos put on Facebook reveal
New photos have emerged showing the rundown state of a renowned former rock venue with a cachet of cool that once attracted big names from home and abroad like Oasis and Green Day.
TJ’s in Newport was once a shining light on the Welsh music scene.
But since closing more than a decade ago the building has fallen into disrepair and has been deemed structurally dangerous by the council.
The city-centre building found fame in the ’90s for playing host to the likes of The Stone Roses and Muse, while soon-to-be-huge transatlantic acts such as The Offspring and Hole also took to the TJ’s stage.
Hole singer Courtney Love even brought boyfriend and Nirvana star Kurt Cobain along to their gig in 1991, and the story goes that the future grunge legend even proposed to her right there.
Kurt Cobain turned up for a Hole gig at TJ’s in 1991
Indeed, grunge was a fitting description of the overall TJ’s charm, with its tightly packed, 400-capacity, spit-and-sawdust vibe a huge part of its appeal.
Its reputation would even extend as far as the New York Times, which described Newport as the Seattle of the UK.
Late BBC DJ John Peel also constantly referred to the place on his shows as “the legendary TJ’s,” while FHM magazine put it in its ‘Top 50 Nights Out in the World’ round-up in 1997.
Image source, Jaggery/ Geograph
TJ’s as it looked in 2010, when it shut down after years attracting bands
Originally known as Cedar’s when it opened in 1971, it later became El Sieco’s before finally changing its name to TJ’s in 1985. Some 5,000 bands would pass through its doors before the death of its owner John Sicolo saw the business shut down in 2010.
It has stood derelict and crumbling ever since, and in 2016 it was ravaged by fire.
In 2017, its new owners – London-based 121 Ventures – were successfully prosecuted by Newport council for allowing the building to fall into disrepair.
Liam Gallagher performing with Oasis at TJ’s on their way to becoming Britpop superstars
The firm was fined nearly £54,000 for non-compliance with previously served safety notices.
Now new photographs detailing the extent of the damage inside the building have appeared online.
Uploaded earlier this month on the Newport Concert History music memorabilia Facebook page, the anonymously supplied shots were taken by so-called “urban explorers” trespassing on the premises. They have been so far viewed more than 100,000 times.
Damage from the 2016 fire is still visible in the newly published photos
Hundreds have commented on the post, with most expressing their anger and disgust at how it has been allowed to atrophy.
“Breaks my heart to see it like this,” said one former staff member, while another poster called it “an absolute disgrace” and “so incredibly sad.”
There have been plans to turn TJ’s into a four-storey 58-room hotel. In 2019 development firm 45 Croydon Way Ltd applied for full planning consent for the revamp project – although it is unclear it was the building’s owner or acting on their behalf.
Hotel plan is quashed
What was established though was that the finished product would be run by easyHotel, the budget chain with 44 branches across Europe. However, that plan has now been quashed by easyHotel itself, BBC Wales has learned.
It said: “We have in the past discussed with the building’s owner the possibility of opening a franchised easyHotel there.
“These discussions are no longer progressing and so an easyHotel will not be coming to the site.”
A spokesperson added that all structural work remains the responsibility of the building’s owner.
The club’s owner has faced legal action over its deteriorating condition
On the ongoing legal action, Newport council said: “We have taken enforcement and legal action on more than one occasion due to concerns over this privately-owned property.
“Last year, scaffolding was erected after the council’s building control team served a dangerous structure notice on the owners.
“This required stone balustrades on the front façade to be reinstated and renewed. Other loose material that posed a risk also had to be removed and repairs carried out to the roof.”
The council said two notices were served on the owner, whose appeals were dismissed. A court later asked the owner to set out a timetable for repair work, which it did.
The council said that recently “significant work has been undertaken to the roof and façade of the building”, which had been mainly hidden by scaffolding and netting”.
“Like many others in the city, the council would like to see the building completely refurbished and brought back into beneficial use.
“Planning permission was granted in 2019 for it to be used as a hotel and the consent is still valid but the owners have not confirmed whether the proposal is going ahead.”
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