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Saw a poster in
Pitts advertising Cock Sparrow-looked vaguely interesting so me and a
few mates decided to check it out. We popped in the Mount Radford's
first for a pint and were greeted by about a million hairy, muscle-bound
macho presumably student teachers from Lukes singing lustily, glasses
aloft in true Viking fashion. "Will we fit in?" we thought, draping our
puny bodies over a few chairs and trying to look harmless.
We wandered up to
the College and forked out our ninety pees. A band with a couple of
girls shaking tambourines and things were on so we went to the bar.
Instant heavy scene. "God! Look at that shirt! My Grand dad wears one
like that!" People kept sort of 'accidentally' walking into us and
things. Then this guy comes up and tells us what a bunch of wankers we
are. Fair enough but he's waving an empty glass at us so John asks him
politely to put it down. "Ooo the fuck are you to tell me to put me
glass down!" he screams, and tries to smash it on the table. It doesn't
break, which looks kind of silly, so he wanders off.
Ann (Radio 1
cop-out) Nightingale meanwhile plays Mink De Ville's 'Spanish Stroll'
and asks "Why aren't you pogo-ing?" At last Cock Sparrer come on and
they're great. We don't know what to expect but they're like mechanics
at a football match-loud, aggressive, high-energy. But more trouble. The
dozen or so punks at the front are being jostled, spat on and given beer
shampoos. The impression is that we're not liked. The band likewise is
getting shit from the hecklers. The more the minority of trouble makers
try to wreck things the more the other minority who are enjoying
themselves are getting into it. And that goes for the band too. Charlie
is really whacking into his drum kit and Colin is falling over a lot.
Colin invites the hecklers to come and have their say into the mike. I
think one of them said "You're wankers". Well, who isn't?
The band come back
on to do an encore for the enthusiastic bunch at the front-not all punks
by the way. The majority of the audience are just standing. They only
dance to disco music I guess. Afterwards we retire to the dressing room.
A guy from 'Worthless Words' tells me he already has an hour long
interview with the band. Shit! Scooped again. Anyway, here are bits and
pieces from the chat we had: Cocksparrow are: Gary-rhythm and vocals,
Colin-vocals, Steve-bass, Charlie-drums, Mick-lead guitar. They've
played together for about two years, have a single 'Running Riot' out on
the Decca label and a new single out soon featuring a revamped Stones
oldie.
They love heavy
metal kids but hate most new wave apart from Clash, Pistols because they
other don't mean it (m-aaan). Reggae is just ripped off rock and roll
according to Steve, and whites play it better anyway. Cocksparrow are
loved by greasers, punks and skinheads, and Cocksparrow love anyone who
loves them. That doesn't go for Teds because they left their heads in
the fifties and Steve reckons there's no hope for them. Steve got his
jacket from Bernie Rhodes-name dropper (By the way Steve, hope you got
in there. Classy bit of stuff eh?) They've played the Roxy but the
Vortex won't have them because they're to violent (!!) Cocksparrow are
not punks. They're football hooligans. They're all on the dole
(Credibility points: 10) Gary says to tell you all that the Poplar Boys
are up on the Finchley mob any day of the week. O.K?
I also had a few
words with one of the students. Up till now I had got the impression
that the people who are going to be teaching our kids are a bunch of
mindless, violent cretins, but he insisted that the majority of students
enjoyed the concert and are just a bit to old and mature to express
themselves as freely as the bunch of punks at the front. He seemed like
a nice guy, so I'll take his word for it. And if anyone who didn't like
the band or us would like to discuss it sensibly, or put something in
the next issue, they can contact me at the address in the front okay? |
