Arcadia Coffee, Newport
03.07.25. LePub, Newport. Tom Hollister.
Newport’s a shit hole. And I say that as someone with a deep-rooted affection for it. It’s my home city and I spent most of my formative days falling out of Zanzibar, watching bands in TJ’s and rubbing shoulders in Rodney Parade. But it’s true to say that of late, Newport has faced troubled times. The almost-constant development of its bigger sister, Cardiff, has sucked budget and, somewhat inevitably, footfall from the once-endearingly scrappy city. The reopening of the Valley trainline from Ebbw Vale in 2008 brought great hope to Newport with an almost straight line between the two points, promising an invigorating flow of new bodies to the city. But, alas, the train line bypassed Newport straight to Cardiff, cruelly tapping the nail deeper into its coffin. Discount stores quickly replaced nationally-recognised brands and the zombie-like proliferation of vape emporiums choked the remainder of the once-thriving Commercial Street.
We’re here to play a warmup show for our North American Tour in one of the only live music (especially original music) venues left, LePub. Its legacy as a taste maker for new music is etched into the fabric of Newport and despite a location change in 2017, it’s managed to ride the city’s downturn and continues to provide locals with the best new music from Wales and the UK. Long live LePub!
I’ve gone off quietly to grab a coffee on my own. About 500 yards away from the venue on the corner of Newport Arcade is Arcadia Coffee (get it?!). It’s hard at times to close yourself off to the sights and sounds of the High Street but Arcadia Coffee manages to do it perfectly. The decor I quirky - think gothic meets Alice in Wonderland - but the mixture of wingback leather chairs, rich colours and dark wood textures make me want to pop a bit of John Martyn on the headphones and forget about the world for an hour. Everything is local, from the cakes and the furniture, to the local acts they have playing regular open mic nights. It really is a great little coffee house and the sense of community is abundant.
You can still find that community spirit in Newport if you look hard enough. That end of town features the newly-renovated Newport Market, hosting a selection of independent restaurants and businesses and it seems to be bustling. It’s just the High Street that’s struggling and it makes you wonder why Newport doesn’t try what Bristol has done with areas in the city and make the High Street financially-inviting to small, independent traders that would love and care for the city in the way it deserves.
Next time you’re in Newport, stop for a second and look up. You’ll see beautiful architecture and traces of its storied history. You’ll see bullet holes from muskets fired in the Chartist’s Rising in 1839. You’ll see culture - culture born of a city that attracted music giants like Oasis and Green Day, a city that saw Kurt Kobain propose to Courtney Love. A city that has played host to golfing royalty with The Ryder Cup and political titans with the G7 convention.
Newport boasts a rich tapestry of history shaped by resilience, innovation and community spirit. From its origins as a medieval port to it pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution, Newport has long been a gateway to progress. It’s a city forged on the backs of people fighting for democracy and human rights, a legacy of courage that still echoes today in the tired, but not beaten locals.
Once driven by coal and steel, Newport is searching for its beating heart once again. Its story is one of enduring strength - it can once again become a beacon of Welsh pride and possibility.
Where - Arcadia Coffee House, Newport Arcade. NP20 1GF
Vibe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Coffee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
