THE former owner of the legendary TJ’s music venue in Newport would be “turning in his grave” if he knew about a deliberate fire that engulfed the building at the weekend, according to his ex-wife.

Thirty-two firefighters from Maindee, Malpas, Duffryn, Cwmbran, New Inn and Risca tackled the blaze for more than an hour-and-a-half on Saturday night after smoke filled the derelict building at Clarence Place.

The former venue, which closed in 2010 following the death of owner John Sicolo, played host to the likes of Oasis, the Manic Street Preachers, Green Day, Muse, Iron Maiden, the Stone Roses, the Offspring and Primal Scream in its heyday.

Mr Sicolo’s ex-wife, Vivienne Sicolo, 71, helped him run the building when it was formerly known as Cedars Restaurant and El Siecos in the ‘70s and said she was shocked by what happened to the building after it was sold at auction in 2011.

“John would be turning in his grave,” she said. “Nobody has looked after it. Nobody.

“It’s sad because whoever bought it, they started working on it and all of a sudden, they stopped it and all the down and outs went in there. It’s just gone. Definitely.”

Largely due to TJ’s success, the New York Times’ leading rock critic Neil Strauss dubbed Newport the new Seattle in 1994.

It came as a response to the US grunge outbreak the previous decade and legend has it that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain proposed to Courtney Love in a back room of TJ’s after a Hole gig in 1991.

Local bands such as the 60ft Dolls, Novocaine, Flyscreen and Dub War were also putting Newport on the international map as a thriving nightspot.

Kriminal Records shop owner Dean Beddis, 51, from Alway was among those who performed at the venue with his band, the Cowboy Killers.

He said what made TJ’s so special was not the building itself, but the “community” of the bands, promoters and concert goers.

“I go by the building every day and see how derelict it is – things have got on top of it,” he said. “The fire did bring back a lot of memories and amplified the sadness of it not being there anymore.

“It was like the final nail in the coffin. A lot of people spent the large part of our lives there. It’s a special place.”

Newport filmmaker Nathan Jennings, 29, who has just started filming a documentary about the iconic venue - which has been supported by the Sicolos, Feeder and Goldie Lookin' Chain - confirmed the project would not be delayed as the outside of the building had not been affected.

“It could have been a lot worse, but the smoke coming out of there was devastating,” he said. “It’s heart-breaking for the family.”

A spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire was deliberate, although the “property was too dangerous” to carry out a full fire investigation in.