Cockney Rejects

Cockney Rejects have a long and eventful history in British rock’n’roll.

The band were formed in the late 1970s in East London as an answer to the art school punk that had dominated the scene up until then.

Fiercely working-class in stance and attitude, the band eschewed the political themes of punk’s first wave and sang about the circumstances that surrounded them and many street kids in Britain’s inner cities: police harassment, street battles and football.

Signed by EMI after four local gigs, they soon played sell-out tours across the UK and saw their debut album achieve chart success.

The band returned to the live circuit in 2000 and have played extensively in the UK and abroad. With the divisions of the late ’70s and early ’80s behind them, Cockney Rejects now perform with a new line-up.

After an initial announcement in 2022 that the band would finish extensive touring at the end of 2023, they planned to continue with festivals and occasional shows in 2024. After further discussion at the end of last year, the other members decided not to continue into 2024 and called it a day.

After considering the band’s future, Jeff Turner, the original singer, chose to continue the band and to honour festivals and shows that were already booked for the year ahead.

A new line-up has been formed, featuring Olga (The Toy Dolls) on guitar, JJ (The Last Resort) on bass, and Ray Bussey (Knuckledust, Argy Bargy) on drums. Cockney Rejects play Queens Hall on 27 November 2026 at 7:30 pm.

- Jeff Turner - vocals
- Ray Bussey - drums
- JJ - bass
- Olga - guitar

Support: Tear Up.