Cock Sparrer

Cock Sparrer hold a legendary position in the annals of UK punk. Forming in East London in 1972, they became a staple of the nascent punk scene, channelling an early pub rock-influenced sound that drew from beat music as much as glam rock and classic rock and roll. Cock Sparrer's original lineup consisted of Colin McFaull (vocals), Mick Beaufoy (lead guitar/backing vocals), Steve Burgess (bass), and Steve Bruce (drums), with Garrie Lammin joining as a second guitarist in 1976. After drumming up a buzz on the live circuit, they secured a deal with Decca Records in 1977—at the height of the punk movement—and dropped their debut single "Runnin' Riot" that May. The single failed to catch on commercially and they were cut from Decca's roster shortly after but this did little to dissuade them. Their debut self-titled album was released in Spain in 1978 and later turned up in the UK as True Grit in 1987, released by Razor Records. The band called it quits in 1978, with Garrie Lammin departing from the group, but their repertoire and legacy took on a life of its own. Their music was given a new lease of life thanks to the burgeoning Oi! scene of the late 1970s and they subsequently reunited in 1982, bringing new rhythm guitarist Chris Skepis into the fold and signing a fresh deal with Carrere Records. Their comeback single "England Belongs to Me" arrived shortly after followed by the album Shock Troops for Razor Records. On a roll, the band dropped their third LP Running Riot in '84 (1984) but decided to stop operations again until 1992 when they re-emerged to perform a handful of reunion shows. A new album, Guilty as Charged, surfaced in 1994 on Blitzore Records with Two Monkeys following in 1997. Ten more years of occasional touring later and Here We Stand landed in 2007, with the band celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2012 at five sold-out shows in the US. Their seventh album Forever surfaced in 2017. In 2024, they had their first taste of UK chart success, over half a century after first forming, when their Hand on Heart LP for Cherry Red reached number 96 in the UK.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.