Cock Sparrer are a band who have had their career in reverse. Often known as the biggest punk band most people have never heard of, they are more popular now than at any time in their career or at the ‘height’ of punk.
The members of Cock Sparrer were childhood friends before they began making a noise in the East End of London in 1972. They were playing, drinking, going to football and generally making a nuisance of themselves when the late 1970s punk scene started in London. Finally, it seemed that there were hundreds of like-minded people with the same attitude.
They secured a deal with Decca and released Runnin’ Riot in 1977. Despite being courted by Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren (who they turned away for not buying a round of drinks!), early tours with the Small Faces, Thin Lizzy, Motörhead, and Slade, amongst others, the ‘music industry’ just wasn’t ready for Cock Sparrer. The boys were from the wrong side of town and didn’t quite fit in with the ‘art school’ scene. They’ve always done things the way they wanted to. As punk ended up with its own set of rules they were always on the outside as they just didn’t buy into it.
Once all the hype around Punk had died down and all the ‘famous’ punk bands were no longer invited on Top Of The Pops, Cock Sparrer started to carve out their own path and pick up like-minded people along the way – the Sparrer family. Since then they’ve released seven studio albums, toured the world several times over and headlined punk festivals around the world.
The band may never have made it to Top Of The Pops, but they’re now top of the bill. Any night of the week, anywhere in the world, if they’re playing the Sparrer faithful turn up en-masse to have a party.
Back with their latest (and most likely last) studio album, Hand On Heart is their strongest statement yet. Their first since 2017’s Forever, it’s an album full of their trademark anthemic sound; hooks, singalong melodies and strong mob chorus’ are present in abundance and key tracks like With My Hand On My Heart, Rags To Riches, I Belong To You and Here We Stand stands out as some of their finest material to date. That’s not to say there aren’t a few surprises for old and new fans alike. On My Forgotten Dream, string arranger Simon Dobson (Bring Me The Horizon, Mike Oldfield) has added something truly unique that will excite fans.
