London, England – December 18, 2023 – Some bands say all they have to say at the very beginning of their career, with diminishing returns the longer they hang around.

That could not be further from the truth, however, for the legendary Cock Sparrer, the “biggest punk band most people have never heard of.” As the band gears up for the April 5th, 2024 release of their eighth and final studio album, ‘Hand On Heart’ and looks forward to celebrating their 52nd year with headlining shows and festival appearances, it’s never been a better time to be Cock Sparrer than right now! To celebrate the album, the band has announced two special record release shows in the UK:

04/06/2024: London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
04/13/2024: Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy

The 10 tracks that comprise ‘Hand On Heart’ will thrill the Cock Sparrer faithful with their iconic, anthemic sound, but the band still has surprises and new tricks up their sleeves, including a string arrangement by Simon Dobson (Bring Me The Horizon / Mike Oldfield) that lends a touch of class to the affair. With production overseen by James Bragg & guitarist Daryl Smith, as well as mastering by Grammy-winning engineer Kevin Tuffy, the lads sound better than ever, and for once, more of the budget went into the studio than down the pub! Pirates Press Records have teamed up with Cock Sparrer to make ‘Hand On Heart’ available for pre-order on classic 12” 180 gram black vinyl, 12” 180 gram Milky Clear vinyl, 12” 180 gram Claret & Blue AsideBside vinyl in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, 12” picture disc with alternative artwork, digipak compact disc, and limited edition cassette! Astoundingly, the four core members present at the band’s 1972 inception – vocalist Colin McFaull, guitarist Mick Beaufoy, bassist Steve Burgess and drummer Steve Bruce – are still the ones in the studio and onstage today, joined by their “new member,” guitarist Daryl Smith, who has a “mere” 31 years under his belt! This atypical longevity and stability are a part of Sparrer’s legacy of shoving any rules and expectations put on them by anyone else. They were childhood friends, and were already well underway playing, drinking, and rabble rousing by the time punk became a recognized social movement. Nowadays, the band’s “career in reverse” sees them enjoying more success than they ever experienced in the “good old days.” While Cock Sparrer found a level of kinship with punk, their relentless independence meant they wouldn’t go down with the ship when the pop culture attention span moved on to the next big thing. While most bands were only getting started, Sparrer had already logged touring miles with luminaries like the Small Faces, Thin Lizzy, Motörhead, Slade, and had already seen a contract with Decca Records go up in flames. Sex Pistols impresario Malcolm McLaren’s offer of management was rebuffed due to his refusal to pick up a round of drinks. So the decline of punk was yet another opportunity for the band to soldier on their own terms, as they have continued to do for decades ever since!
Cover songs from a huge and diverse array of artists from Rancid to Against Me!, The Bouncing Souls, The Interrupters, Ted Leo, and more are a testament to their wide ranging influence, as is their status as an in-demand live act at festivals all over the world. However, as always, it is at their own headlining club shows that Cock Sparrer are most in their element, playing for sold out crowds of adoring fans of all ages. It turns out, over 50 years of doing things their own way has attracted legions of like-minded faithful!

Track listing:

1. With My Hand On My Heart

2. Mind Your Own Business

3. I Belong To You

4. Rags To Riches

5. No Way Out

6. Take It On The Chin

7. Nowhere To Be Found

8. One Way Ticket

9. My Forgotten Dream

10. Here We Stand

Cock Sparrer are:

Colin McFaull – vocals
Daryl Smith – guitar
Steve Burgess – bass
Steve Bruce – drums
Mick Beaufoy – guitar

Photo by: Roberto Pavic