Best Seat in the House: the Cock Sparrer Story Free

FREE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: THE COCK SPARRER STORY PDF

For those of you who have been long-time readers of Maximum Rocknroll, you may remember the cover of issue which featured the seminal English punk band Cock SParrer. Unfortunately as most of you know, Bruce never made it to that gig and went to the big punk-rock show in the sky… In his honor, we decided to carry out his mission to update all you readers of MRR and fans of Cock SParrer by taking the time to interview the band in the most passionate and Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story way that we could think of. We hope you enjoy this and whether you ever had a chance to meet Bruce or not, hopefully you will take the time to remember him and his contributions to MRR and the music scene in general as well! MRR: On the topic of Bruce, and the fact that we always seem to be having these conversations over a pint… Who is the best drinker in band? And of course, to follow that, who is the worst drinker? It just a shame the rest of the band have this chronic drink problem. Unfortunately, it is the cross I Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story to bear. Colin McFaull: Mickey always has the best selection of booze. Mickey Beaufoy: I am the best drinker in the band, as I have the most practice. The boys have always said that I am the same after fifteen pints as I am after two, I just get onto a plateau and stay there. I have also passed about fifteen police breathalyzers in my early twenties after at least six pints of beer, so I must have a lucky metabolism. We know that, at a different time, that would be me. We also have our own favorite drinks, mine being a good single malt scotch whiskey. On tour once, I ordered a large glass of the most expensive one at the bar and was looking forward to sipping it gradually. It took the bastard less than a second to down it and the look on my face is still remembered by the rest of the band. Daryl Smith: In fairness, the whole band can drink pretty well. Seasoned pros! Especially the top shelf. I would say that if the best drinker is measured by the last man standing, then it has Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story be me as the others will eventually go to bed. Worst drinker is probably the band member who wants to fight everyone when drunk—no names mentioned! Steve Burgess: Large single malt scotch whisky with baked beans on toast. Try it—they really compliment each other. I also have a wide-ranging palate for food—anything from steak and kidney pud to curry to sushi. MRR: Alright… now lets jump in to the real Sunday roast! Colin McFaull: This is an almost impossible question to answer. Maybe the first Holidays Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story the Sun in Morecambe, England when we got our first chance to headline a festival? It could be the first date of the European tour in in Monchengladbach, Germany. Why would the Germans be interested in Cock SParrer? Or maybe the recent shows in San Francisco or London? Mickey Beaufoy: So difficult to answer—there have been so many. We want to give everybody that comes a good time. How can I discount a show that, maybe, someone travelled miles to get to and thought it was great? Driving all the way to Liverpool in the snow, playing to about five people. Driving all the way back. Colin McFaull: There have been too many of these as well. However, when we played Vienna the first time inI had a temperature of —so it was tough to even get on stage—but the crowd pulled me through. I enjoy them all. Or had there been some negative history there in London from the past that prevented it? Colin McFaull: No, not really. When we were only doing one or two gigs a year, it was easier just to go and do the big Rebellion type festivals. Daryl Smith: Bit of both really. The band Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story gigging not long after trouble at the Fulham Greyhound in London back in The reunion gig nine years later at the Astoria went really well, but after we finished playing there was trouble. We then found out about our popularity abroad. These fans had bought the records, knew every word to every song and deserved to see the band. So we spent most of the s playing in Germany and the rest of mainland Europe. Even the USA got to see us on both coasts before we would play England again. It was a choice to play in front of people who appreciated us, and also a choice to avoid crowds who wanted trouble. No one deserves to get hurt at a SParrer concert. Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story feel a sense of responsibility to the fans. If so, who supports which clubs? And have you been avid England supporters over the years? You had to take a milk crate with you then to stand on to see the game! Me, Will and Burge have always been West Ham fans and still get over there. Daryl supports Watford, who? Daryl Smith: I support Watford. Not the biggest club and certainly not a hooligan club. Has always had a reputation for being family friendly. Watford is a tough town though with some top boys, but due to the proximity to London, most of them support a London club and run with those hooligans. We had our share of trouble though. Jon and I avoided arrest after one incident as I told the arresting officer that I played classical piano! Most of the role models on the scene now Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story to me to be people with good common sense and more likely to break up a fight than start one. Daryl Smith: You can be a skinhead without being a hooligan. You have to remember that hooligans were a product of a particular social era and point in time. Being a hooligan now and following that way of life is out of touch and dated. Skinheads are proud people and it was always about making something of yourself, bettering your position through hard work and taking no shit from anyone. Mickey Beaufoy: The same way that I feel about left wing extremists doing the same thing—both extremes are as bad as the other. Mickey Beaufoy: To me, punk has always meant being a bit rebellious—remaining true to your roots and having your say. Colin McFaull: Punk just really shook things up for a while. The music industry and the music press in were run by big corporates pretending, in some cases, to be independent. They were focused on the bottom line in the same way that most businesses have been run since the advent of capitalism and still are today. Punk, very briefly, threw away the rulebook and tried to circumnavigate the norm. People were writing fanzines and reviewing shows that were being printed in their front rooms. Independent record labels were sprouting up everywhere and we began to see a rise in the number of alternative comedians. For a short while it was exciting and fresh, but then it began to eat itself and implode. We were never going to wear bondage trousers and go to art school. Can you tell us more about your favorite memories of the early years, working the pub circuit with the likes of the Small Faces, etc…. Loads of bands that we played with were really great blokes and some were complete arseholes. It was all about learning for us. Watching all these great bands, listening to their songs, seeing how they interact with the audience and then nicking everything! Mickey Beaufoy: Yeah, we played with loads of bands—mostly after horrendous trips cramped in Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story back of a GPO van with all our gear, but once in complete luxury when we supported the Small Faces for two whole weeks. Setting up your gear in the corner of a pub behind a post one night and then playing to a thousand on a proper stage supporting someone at the weekend—just for expenses and a few beers—we paid our dues. Obviously that must have been frustrating, but was it ever enough to make you want to quit? Or did it make you more determined to persevere and prove yourselves to the press and the public? Colin McFaull: We had a few gigs that got wrecked back in the day and because it was a Cock SParrer show people either thought that it was our fault it happened or that we were complicit in it. It got to such a stage where we honestly thought that someone was going to get seriously hurt. I had already given up Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story years of my life trying to make it happen and I needed to make some money. As it turned out I only missed about four Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story and was back playing with the boys within a year of so. MRR: What is the one decision being part of this band that you are most proud of? Steve Bruce: Most proud of never ceasing to believe in Cock SParrer, and making us play again… At the same time, risking losing my best mates by driving them Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story, to make Cock SParrer play again. We have never consciously shortchanged anyone, either fan or promoter. We made a decision that if we were going to do this, we would do it properly. Mickey Beaufoy: I could never imagine not playing music with the band—even in the quiet years, I regularly played with Steve and Steve in a covers band in Bethnal Green. It may be that you originally got into it to become mega-rich pop stars, but sometimes you get something just Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story good out of it without topping the charts, maybe something better. Colin McFaull: I hope that our legacy is just that a couple of our songs are remembered and maybe covered by others so that people recognize that we could knock out a tune or two. Mickey Beaufoy: Who knows… It always amazes me just how popular the band has become, so I would hope that people would continue to enjoy our anthemic music and that they recognize us as a group of loyal mates who found a way to share our passion with likeminded people. Colin McFaull: I really like that. We were in a bar at an airport the other day, no surprise there, and some bloke asked the name of the band. Steve Burgess: To be honest, [that line] annoys me a bit. Cock Sparrer - Essentials (, Box Set) | Discogs

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Lars Frederiksen Foreword. Garry Bushell Foreword. The personal story of one of the most influential Oi! Here is the The personal story of one of the most influential Oi! Packed with photographs, memorabilia, tales and anecdotes, this book is a must for any fan. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. More Details Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Best Seat in the Houseplease sign up. Be the first to ask a question about The Best Seat in the House. Lists with This Book. Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story Reviews. Showing Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Feb 09, Jack rated it liked it. Cock Sparrer are one of my favourite bands. This is something of a scrapbook and is sometimes all over the place chronologically but has some great stories. Dec 24, Mike rated it it was amazing. Saw their first shows in US. Familiar names and friends in it. Best seat in the house is the perspective you get when you're the drummer, I still caught a bottle to the head once. I think the funniest thing is when people promote bad reviews of themselves. Mar 22, Joshua Finnell rated it it was ok Shelves: library-journal-review. Library Journal Review: Decca Records passed on the Beatles and dropped Cock Sparrer after one album, but both bands have made a lasting musical impact. A hodgepodge of tour diaries, album reviews Library Journal Review: Decca Records passed on the Beatles and dropped Cock Sparrer after one album, but both bands have made a lasting musical impact. A hodgepodge of tour diaries, album reviews, and band history, the story of Cock Sparrer is inseparable from a parallel tale of enduring friendship. The most enjoyable and remarkable aspect of this band is their genuine enthusiasm for one another. However, Bruce writes candidly and glosses over the lurid anecdotes of sex Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story drugs. Elizabeth rated it it was amazing May 28, Shawn rated it it was amazing Apr 12, Elle rated it it was amazing Apr 13, Peter Kula rated it liked it May 21, Jason rated it liked it Oct 05, Nick rated it really liked it Jun 21, Joe rated it liked it Jan 04, Jonathan C rated it it was amazing Dec 26, Emma Russell rated it liked it Feb 15, Collette Knott rated it it was amazing Jan 04, OneEyed Allfather rated it it was amazing Jan 17, George marked it as to-read Jul 02, Detroit marked it as to-read Dec 19, Jean-claude marked it as to-read May 11, Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story Herbertwest marked it as to-read Feb 18, Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story Deignan marked it as to-read Sep 17, Koko Putranto marked it as to-read Oct 07, Bosco Farr marked it as to-read Oct 11, Helmy Nomaden marked it as to-read Feb 24, Darren Langley marked it as to-read May 05, Dave Sammath marked it as to-read May 17, JC Moretta marked it as to-read May 26, Manolon added it Dec 19, Carlos K marked it as to-read Jan 24, David Agranoff marked it as to-read Mar 07, Courtney marked it as to-read May 17, Fester McHaggis marked it as to-read Jan 28, Cikgu Arif marked it as to-read May 18, Jill Allibone Best Seat in the House: The Cock Sparrer Story it as to-read Dec 04, Ben marked it as to-read Jul 24, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. About Steve Bruce. Steve Bruce. Steve Bruce bornProfessor of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen sinceelected a Fellow of the British Academy in and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh inhe has written extensively on the nature of religion in the modern world and on the links between religion and politics. Books by Steve Bruce. Related Articles. Read more Trivia About The Best Seat in No trivia or quizzes yet. Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Best Seat in the House: A Cock Sparrer Story by Steve Bruce

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