Cock Sparrer

Formed in 1972 in London's East End by Colin McFaull, Mick Beaufoy, Steve Burgess and Steve Bruce, Cock Sparrer belongs to the most direct strand of British punk rock and has a central place in the Oi! and street punk aesthetic. Their sound blends punk energy with pub rock roots, rhythm and blues accents and traces of glam rock and the British beat of the 1960s, while the lyrics often depict the everyday life of London's working class. After early gigs around London, Cock Sparrer signed to Decca and released the singles “Running Riot” and “We Love You” in 1977; a first album recorded around that time was released in Spain as Cock Sparrer in 1978 and later in the UK in 1987 as True Grit. The band split at the end of the 1970s, reformed in 1982, released Shock Troops in 1983 and Running Riot in '84 in 1984, then took another break. The 1992 reunion stabilized the lineup around McFaull, Beaufoy, Burgess, Bruce and Daryl Smith, leading to Guilty as Charged (1994), Two Monkeys (1997), Here We Stand (2007), Forever (2017) and Hand on Heart (2024). Since then Cock Sparrer has appeared regularly on international punk stages, notably at festivals such as Rebellion and Riot Fest.