Cock Sparrer Will Always And Forever Be..Colin McFaull - Vocals, Steve Burgess - Bass Guitar, Steve Bruce - Drums, Mickey Beaufoy - lead guitarist Daryl Smith-Guitarist and Will Murray - Road Manager..
Influences
Clash,Rolling Stones, Johhny Thunder and the Heart Breakers, New York Dolls, Etc.
It started off like any other show ("Argy Bargy")you see, the thing about Sparrer is that they're not just a band. The four original members (Steve Bruce - drums, Mick Beaufoy - guitar, Steve Burgess - bass and Colin Mcfaull - vocals) together with their tour manager, Will Murray, have known each other since the age of eleven. They were born and raised in London's East End, growing up in an atmosphere of football and rock music. For most of their lives, they've been mates.They all attended the same school and, in 1972, swapped homework for rehearsals in order to form a group, playing Small Faces songs and not much else. They were later joined by Garrie Lammin, the first of several rhythm guitarists. Garrie had a lot going for him: he owned a Marshall stack, had a spikey haircut and was Burge's cousin. Thanks to Terry Murphy, who ran the Bridgehouse pub in Canning Town (East London's coolest rock venue), the boys were never short of somewhere to play, even if it was only a wet Monday night with an audience of just Terry and his bar staff.Sparrer began to write their own songs. They were based on the life they led and the characters they met while supporting West Ham Football Club every Saturday afternoon. The sound that evolved was more raw than the prevailing heavy rock favoured by their contemporaries and soon attracted a regular following. The gigs at the Bridgehouse were now being supplemented by support slots at The Marquee in London's West End (thanks to Archie, The Marquee's dodgy jock doorman).Malcolm McLaren came to see the band rehearse in a room over The Roding pub in East Ham with a view to taking them under his wing and turning them into the 'next big thing' (sound familiar ?). Bondage trousers and safety pins met Doctor Martins and jungle greens. It was not to be. Malcolm invited the boys to play with the newly formed Sex Pistols at a strip club in Soho but his inability to buy them a beer did not go down well and the association ended there (if onlyOh well, who gives a shit ?)Shortly afterwards the music scene was changed forever with the release of 'Anarchy In The UK'. Suddenly record companies were rushing to find anyone who didn't sound like the 'dinosaur' rockers that had now become so 'un-trendy' and Cock Sparrer signed their lives away to Decca Records (along with 'Slaughter And The Dogs' from Manchester). Fame and fortune were just around the corner.
They all lived in a house in Dagenham, Essex. When not gigging, they spent the time in the kitchen playing football, drinking in the local pub or praying for Will to win enough money on the horses to pay the rent. They had 'acquired' boxes and boxes of both their singles which they used for rifle practice in the back garden (they're sick when they now see them being offered for huge amounts of money in record collector magazines).
Cock Sparrer were, are and always will be:
Colin McFaull - vocals, Steve Burgess - bass guitar, Steve Bruce - drums, Mickey Beaufoy - guitars, Will Murray - road manager
Five blokes in a pub, five mates having a laugh, more than just a band.
Plus new boy Daryl Smith (he's only been with the band since 1992)
SPARRER NEWS
Live, New Updates from the "Godfathers of Oi"
CHERRY RED BOOKS
ADVANCE INFORMATION
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
A Cock Sparrer Story
Steve Bruce
The book will be published by Cherry Red Books and advance orders are being taken now. The first 1,000 copies will be in a numbered Limited Edition, and we’re very happy to say that Cherry Red have agreed that anybody who pre-orders the book by December 31st 2009 will have their name included in a “Friends of Cock Sparrer” section at the back of the book! It promises to be something very special and a real must have!
Click on the Book Cover to Pre-Order yours now!!!!
Cock Sparrer are widely considered to be one of the most influential streetpunk bands in history, and helped pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the significant Oi! subgenre. The band’s fate has been to enjoy a career trajectory the polar opposite of that which the industry promotes and aspires to - commercial success threatened but ultimately eluded them during the 1970s and 1980s, but the 1990s’ punk revival saw them rediscovered by hordes of new younger fans. As a result, for the past fifteen years they have enjoyed huge success as a live attraction, particularly in the UK and Europe, and now find themselves headlining bills consisting of far more familiar punk names and performing their own shows to crowds which many of today’s younger bands would sell their grandmothers for.
Best Seat In The House tells the band’s story from the perspective of drummer and driving force, Steve Bruce. From their beginnings in London’s East End, through the mid seventies’ punk boom, Malcolm McLaren’s attempts to mould them prior to his adventures with The Sex Pistols and entanglements with Carrere Records, into the eighties and the reality of civvy street, and on into the nineties and beyond, a period which sees them as surprised as anybody to find themselves touring the world, releasing new material and enjoying the respect and love of the punk and Oi! community.
The band are childhood friends, and their relationships and Bruce’s own extra curricular adventures on the East End pub circuit add a warm background to this tale, making it the polar opposite of the tired sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll cliché that comprise the bulk of today’s rock biogs (and all the more interesting for it). In all likelihood, this book won’t find high street shelf space, but it really doesn’t need it - to a large diehard community across the world it’s the long awaited, all access story of one of their most treasured bands and is certain to sell very well amongst that brand loyal group, wherever it might be found.
The book’s initial run will be a numbered limited edition, but we confidently anticipate further runs as the band’s live activities continue next year. Cock Sparrer will be fulfilling live commitments in Europe and America for the remainder of 2009 before headlining two homecoming shows at London’s HMV Forum on 26th and 27 March 2010.
In Bruce’s own words: “I'm 54 years old, I've been married for 25 years and am a founder member of the band that was to become Cock Sparrer, which we formed at school in the year 1972. The four original members are still together as friends and a band today. We’ve never been on "Top of the Pops", but these days we seem to be Top of the Bill”.
OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE
Shirts, Belts, Hoodies Available From These Sites..
OFFICIAL DVDs
Live Cock Sparrer DVDs, Videos Available From These Sites..
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For European Sales Available from www.hitshop.org
If anyone wants a ticket for the Melkweg saturday then the venue have released 25 more so you can get them from the venue in advance or on the day at 25 euro. Cheers Daz
2 new albums gone up on my picture album page. One of CockSParrer San Francisco with nearly 200 pics and an album featuring pictures of fans at the gigs and from the weekend. Enjoy, and anyone can use what they want. If you spot yourselves in any pic that you want, message me for a full size format of the pic and I'll send it to you. Oi Oi Oi .............. Colm
Hi wie alle jahre ist es mal wieder soweit die Blood and Tears Geburtstagssingerparty dieses jahr mit dem Motto Finnland das heißt nur finnische Rockmusik von Kotiteollisuus bis Sentenced iß alles dabei und natürlich Blood and Tears Live und Orginal Finnisches Bier Lapin Kulta für einen kleinen Unkostenbeitrag von 2.50Euro kannst du dabei sein dafür gibt es freibier melde dich einfach über die Myspace Bandseite an bis zum10.12.09 die feier findet am 19.12.09 statt Ort ist coswig industriestr.48 bei fragen einfach auf bandseite schreiben bis dahin Andreas von Blood and Tears
What Up Thanks For The Support....... Check Out Our Tunes........... myspace.compurgeatdawn New Pics Songs Flyers Shows & Videos..... Your Feed Back Is Appreciated Comment Our New Logo And Put Us On Your Top Freinds For Support Yea... Hell Yea Thnks Dudes..........
Unfortunately unable to travel to Amsterdam from the UK this weekend and have two tickets. Looking only for face value as dont want them wasted if possible. If anyone wants or knows someone who wants then drop me a reply?