COCK SPARRER + THE ATTACK – CHALK, BRIGHTON 7.12.24
Christmas was now well and truly descending upon us with its big size tens, so we could now officially get festive towards all things merrily on high. What better way to celebrate, than with a Cock Sparrer gig at Brighton’s Chalk. Even Cock Sparrer themselves were in on some of the yuletide action, by selling their very own Christmas jumpers online (braces not included).
Cock Sparrer emerged from the backstreets of the East End of London, way back in the year of 1972. Formed by lifetime friends Colin McFaull, Mick Beaufoy and Steve Bruce (they’ve known each other since they were 11 years old), the band went on to influence and pave the way for many Oi! and Street punk bands we see and hear to this day. They cut their teeth by playing pubs and clubs in and around London and even almost got managed by Malcolm McLaren after a meet up in 1976, but sadly it wasn’t to be (He wouldn’t buy a round). They signed to Decca Records in 1977 and had many big name bands of the future support them on the gigging circuit. They split up in “78 after releasing their debut single (‘Runnin’ Riot’), but after a resurgence of interest (after being included on various Oi! and Punk compilations) they decided to resurrect the band in Punk’s ‘second wave’ of 1982. A year later, they recorded their highly influential ‘Shock Troops’ album, showcasing the band’s unique mix of Punk and Pub Rock with a healthy dollop of foot stomping ‘Glam’ thrown in for good measure.
Fast forward to the year 2022, and Cock Sparrer are celebrating their 50th anniversary over two sold out nights at London’s Roundhouse. They have been going from strength to strength since their reformation, managing to hold on to three quarters of their core members too (which is no mean feat). They sell out concerts all over the UK and abroad, and this evening’s gig is part of a mini tour promoting their latest well received album, ‘Hand On Heart’.
My wife is a huge Cock Sparrer fan, so as a result, I have seen the band in both the UK and overseas, in numbers well exceeding the double figure mark. This evening was to be a more intimate affair, and ourselves and the queuing crowd outside were more than up for it. The Attack from the USA were supporting too, but more on them later.
After having a few liquid liveners in the East Street Tap with friends, it was time to head to ‘Chalk’. I could tell from the people gathered in the pub that tonight was going to be a lively one (and I wasn’t wrong). A classical piece of music suddenly rang out over the speakers (‘Overture’ by Heavy Metal Kids) and before we knew It, the clock struck 8:30pm. Just like clockwork (orange?), Cock Sparrer took to the stage and blasted straight into their classic tune, ‘Riot Squad’ which gave the crowd a good taste of what was to follow. By the time ‘Watch Your Back’ was given an airing, the crowd were already in full flow, singing along to every word and pumping their fists in the air (a familiar tradition at Sparrer events). One of my favourites, ‘Working’ was up next with its immortal chorus of “I’ve been working….working all day for my mate”. This song had me, and every possible blue collar worker in the building, singing along in boisterous unison.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the best place to be at a Cock Sparrer gig is right at the front. The atmosphere was party-like, as people were having a sing song and occasionally hugging strangers to those highly infectious, rabble rousing Sparrer anthems. The band can still write a memorable tune too, which they swiftly showed us, by playing the opening track from their new album, ‘With My Hand On My Heart’. The band were on top form tonight and Colin McFaull was good at getting the crowd going as per usual. He told us that Steve Burgess (bass) was responsible for writing most of the band’s songs over the years, but he said that Daryl Smith (a relative newcomer to the band. Mind you, he joined the band in 1992!) could write a good tune too, and he certainly wasn’t wrong. ‘What’s It Like To Be Old’ got a welcome airing, with its relatable lyrics about not understanding the ways of older people when you’re a kid. ‘A.U’ from the band’s ‘Two Monkeys’ album was another memorable tune of the night, as well as ‘Here We Stand’ from the new album.
One of my favourites was served up next, in the form of ‘Because You’re Young’. A great song that they wrote in 1994, which can comfortably stand up with its head held high, next to the old classics. Talking of old classics, ‘Take ‘Em All’ was up next, which got the packed room singing along with gusto. ‘Where Are They Now’ is another fan favourite, and the crowd were forming a proper mosh pit at this point, so it was time to hold onto your pints. Cock Sparrer seemed to be happy to be back in Brighton again and we were happy too. All good things must come to an end though, so the band treated us to the classic song, ‘We’re Coming Back’ and we all hoped they would keep to that promise in the future. I can honestly say, I’ve never seen Cock Sparrer play a bad gig, and tonight’s performance was no exception to that rule. The only shock for me was the fact that they didn’t play ‘Runnin’ Riot’ (one of my favourites) but I can live with that. They once again dished out their unique brand of ‘Yob Rock’ to a very appreciative audience, and hopefully sent that Storm Darragh packing with a flea in its ear.
Cock Sparrer:
Colin McFaull – vocals
Mick Beaufoy – lead guitar, backing vocals
Steve Bruce – drums
Daryl Smith – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Steve Burgess – bass, backing vocals
Cock Sparrer setlist:
‘Riot Squad’ (from 1982 ‘Shock Troops’ album)
‘Watch Your Back’ (from 1982 ‘Shock Troops’ album)
‘Working’ (from 1982 ‘Shock Troops’ album)
‘With My Hand On My Heart’ (from 2024 ‘Hand On Heart’ album)
‘Mind Your Own Business’ (from 2024 ‘Hand On Heart’ album)
‘What’s It Like To Be Old’ (from 1992 ‘Rarities’ album)
‘Tough Guys’ (from 1994 ‘Guilty As Charged’ album)
‘Take It On The Chin’ (from 2024 ‘Hand On Heart’ album)
‘One By One’ (from 2017 ‘Forever’ album)
‘Nothing Like You’ (from 2007 ‘Here We Stand’ album)
‘A.U.’ (from 1997 ‘Two Monkeys’ album)
‘Here We Stand’ (from 2024 ‘Hand On Heart’ album)
‘Because You’re Young’ (from 1994 ‘Guilty As Charged’ album)
‘Take ’em All’ (from 1982 ‘Shock Troops’ album)
‘Where Are They Now?’ (from 1982 ‘Shock Troops’ album)
‘Suicide Girls’ (from 2007 ‘Here We Stand’ album)
‘England Belongs To Me’ (1982 single)
‘We’re Coming Back’ (from 1982 ‘Shock Troops’ album)
As mentioned earlier, The Attack were the openers for tonight, who hail all the way from Orlando, Florida (USA). They are also no strangers to playing Brighton (they played The Pipeline last time round), and seem to be constantly touring. Their press pack biography tells me that they are ruled by a DIY ethos (for the uninitiated – nothing to do with putting up shelves), and I fully respect those particular ideals . Basically, it’s the art of doing things for yourselves, while not relying on managers and big record labels to get your message and music across to the people. Their other goal is to unite the Punks, Skins and Hardcore kids via the band’s crossover hybrid of melodic Punk Rock and hardcore styles. Two of the band members (Charlie and Mikey) were once in a Ska/Punk band called ‘Spitvalves’, who toured Europe with The Business and Murphy’s Law in 2001 on the ‘Spirit Of The Streets’ tour. In fact, the band are good buddies with The Business, and The Attack have toured the U.S with them too.
It was soon evident that The Attack don’t mess about, as they took to the stage and served us their own brand of melodic Streetpunk. I heard a lot of bands with this sound back in the 90’s, and this band do it very well. The opening song, ‘1234’ was energetic and I soon realised that this band are very suited to a big stage. ‘Bettin’ Man’ was particularly memorable and their front man Charlie certainly knew how to get the audience’s attention. Most of the crowd were in the process of defrosting themselves from just being outside, so The Attack were literally….wait for it….the warm up band (Boom Tisch!). ‘Call To Arms’ was another good tune and the band also treated us to a Christmas song called ‘Father Christmas’. The band looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and the bassist in particular was full of smiles. They finished their set with a song called ‘Breaker’ and bid us farewell, and I think they were looking forward to seeing Cock Sparrer as much as we were. This hard working band are a class act and after seeing them for the first time tonight, I think you should check them out immediately in a town or city near you.
The Attack:
Brad Palkevich – guitar
Charlie Bender – vocals
T.J – drums
Mikey Cortes – bass
The Attack setlist:
‘1234’ – Long intro
‘Reason’
‘Get Lost’
‘Getaway Car’
‘Call To Arms’
‘Vagabonds’
‘Four Of A Kind’
‘Bettin’ Man’
‘Father Xmas’
‘Stolen’
‘Ruined’
‘These Lights’
‘Sons’
‘Breaker’
