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Newport's will go under the hammer for the second time next month, following the withdrawal of previous buyers who had planned to turn the historic music venue into a restaurant.

TJ's venue in Newport. Photo courtesy of Paul Fosh Auctions

Paul Fosh auctions will hold the sale at the Park Inn hotel in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, on 8 December, with a guide price of £175,000. Following the death of the venue's charismatic owner John Sicolo, his family put TJ's up for sale. Any buyer will come into possession of a property which has hosted bands such as Green Day, Mudhoney, Hole, Fugazi, Therapy?, Oasis, The Bluetones, Supergrass, Shellac, Catatonia, Manic Street Preachers and 60ft Dolls.

60ft Dolls' Carl Bevan told us: "There are so many reasons why it should remain as a music venue. Newport has one decent venue left, Le Pub. Everybody knows about the wonderful heritage of TJ's and of course the very badly missed John Sicolo.

"The main thing is a lot if people grew up with that place and actually consider it home! The amount of weekends I have wondered where I could go and then remembered its no longer there. Very sad indeed."

And it's not just old timers who believe it should stay as a venue. , a Cardiff hardcore band, said: "A functioning venue of that size was integral over the past few years, to touring and local bands, especially those of an 'alternative' nature. For all of its latter wrongs, that place was still so right."

But not everyone agrees. Huw Williams of Swansea's Pooh Sticks said: "Newport, like Swansea, gets short shrift due to its proximity to Cardiff so it's very healthy for there to be more venues outside of the throbbing metropolis. I can't figure out a way forward for TJ's though."

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