El Sieco's facts for kids
The new El Sieco's, a successor to TJ's
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| Former names | 100 Club |
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| Address | 10 High Street, NP20 1FQ |
| Location | Newport, Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°35′22″N 2°59′49″W / 51.589492°N 2.997074°W |
| Owner | Ashley Sicolo |
| Type | Music venue and bar |
| Genre(s) | Rock, punk and alt |
| Seating type | Primarily standing, some seating |
| Capacity | 100 |
| Opened | 2016 |
El Sieco's is a cool place in Newport, Wales, where you can listen to live music and hang out. It opened in 2016 on High Street. It took the place of an older, famous music spot called TJ's, which closed in 2010.
TJ's was super important for Newport's music scene. People even called Newport 'the new Seattle' in the 1990s because of places like TJ's! The person who owns El Sieco's now, Ashley, is the grandson of John Sicolo. John was the original owner of TJ's and passed away in 2010.
El Sieco's has become very popular. It was even named one of the top 5 live music places in Newport by the South Wales Argus newspaper. In 2019, El Sieco's announced it would move to a bigger building. The new spot at 13 Market Street opened on September 20, 2019. It has space for 350 people and two floors. On weekend evenings, you can enjoy music in two different rooms!
Contents
The Story of El Sieco's
TJ's: A Legendary Music Spot
TJ's was a very famous nightclub in Newport. It was located on Clarence Place. The club first opened its doors in 1985. It quickly became a key part of the "toilet circuit." This was a nickname for smaller music venues where new bands often played. Famous radio host John Peel even praised the club. TJ's proudly called itself "The Legendary TJ's."
In 2010, John Sicolo, the owner of TJ's, passed away. He had spent much of his own money to keep the old building in good shape. After his death, the original building was taken over by administrators. Later, it was sold to new owners. On February 2, 2013, a fire broke out at the original TJ's building. It was badly damaged. The building is still empty today.
A New Start: The 200 Club
In 2012, John Sicolo's grandson, Ashley Sicolo, decided to open a new music venue. He wanted to bring back the spirit of TJ's. He first named this new place the 200 Club. It was located on Stow Hill in Newport. The club was decorated with many cool items from TJ's. It even had copies of old TJ's concert posters.
In May 2013, some famous musicians played at the 200 Club. Keith Levene, a guitarist from the band PiL, performed there. Andy Cairns, the singer from Therapy?, also played a show. However, the 200 Club had to close on May 26, 2013. This was because of complaints about noise.
El Sieco's: A New Chapter
Ashley Sicolo tried again in March 2016. He opened another new venue, this time called El Sieco's. It was located on High Street in the Newport city centre. In 2018, El Sieco's moved to the building right next door.
El Sieco's is still doing very well today. It is one of several music venues on High Street that have helped bring live music back to the area. Another popular spot is Le Pub.
