Posted on May 2, 2010 - by Editor

Review: The Best Seat In The House: A Cock Sparrer Story

The Best Seat In The House: A Cock Sparrer Story
Steve Bruce
Cherry Red Books

The front cover of the thick white book has an iconic punk rock image; in the middle of the cover photo in the backdrop of the bodiless stage setup sits the red and white Cock Sparrer logo. The red spanned red wings and title are synonymous with the East London Oi and streetpunk heroes and adorned and respected the world over. This 300 odd page scrapbook put together by the band’s drummer and engine room Steve Bruce is a personal and intriguing timeline read, tracing the bands history through a collection of newspaper clippings, photographs, band stories, diary entries and magazine reviews.

With their recent triumphant London headlining return and increasing demand at European festivals and Stateside, the band has a legion of fans that include most punk rock bands and their members since the 70’s. Lars Frederiksen of Rancid fame and Gary Bushell both have forwards at the start of the book and their heartfelt and respected tributes to the band nicely sum up probably how many people stumbled across and have been influenced by Cock Sparrer and how their lyrical content dealing with working class issues gave the band a universal appeal and familiarity.

The personal, informal and well written manner of the book, with narrative largely provided by Steve makes for easy and insightful reading tracing from his school days, the early band days and anecdotes from Dagenham through to touring escapades. I don’t want to in this review reveal too many nuggets of revelations as it’s a book I feel you should be purchasing but it’s the most definitive read of the band out there. Highlights do include the shape of the music scene in the mid 70’s through to punk rocks explosion and encounters with the late Malcolm McLaren.

As well as the bands shared love for football and ‘The Hammers’, West Ham United, beat downs, deaths and marriages, their lives are slightly peeled open but never intrusively so as Steve Bruce weaves together almost effortlessly every important little epic moment which is impressive considering the bands length of existence.

Personally other little highlights include Colin’s tour diary of their European tour 1994 in and Steve’s anecdotes of touring generally running into various well known musical names.

Of course it’s not all been highs, dealing with the commercial side and ongoing record label disputes and funnily dealing with technology and the band passing down their own record collection to kids in the family and Steve’s daughter’s (Samantha’s) involvement with the band and the book itself.

Towards the end of the book the bands revitalisation is discussed and the bands own humbling acknowledgement that the demand for Cock Sparrer is as high as ever. Most apt is the little anecdote when the band was playing in 2008 at the Rebellion festival and Steve encountered by a ticket tout unaware of who he was, offering a ticket to get in to see Cock Sparrer play; Steve responding “No thanks I have the best seat in the house.