Breve descrizione degli Skinheads delle mie parti: rasati (non ve lo aspettavate è?), di peso che oscilla dagli ottanta ai centoventi chili, tatuati e incazzati. Breve descrizione del loro comportamento nei concerti: tendenti a pogare "distratti" con il gomito all'altezza dei denti, attendono in prima fila l'artista che dovrà suonare facendo del sano stretching alle spalle tracannando belle pinte di fresca birra. Di comportamento amichevole socializzano con gli estranei (cioè tutti coloro che non sono skin) appoggiando di tutta forza un loro pugno sul naso altrui, causando a volte la fuoriuscita di sangue se non la fatturazione del naso stesso. Nonostante gli skinheads che incontro nei concerti spesso e volentieri mi causano una valanga di lividi ed ammaccature, un esibizione dei Cock Sparrer non me lo perderei per nulla al mondo. Sono sicuro che la descrizione data nella prefazione causerà una valanga di dissapori nel sito ma non è mia intenzione di fare di tutta l'erba un fascio, alcuni di questi tizi (la stramaggioranza) sono delle correttissime persone, ma alcuni mitomani scaduti ormai nella ridicolaggine pura sono la piaga della musica Oi!
I Cock Sparrer non hanno bisogno di molte presentazioni, band londinese formata nella metà degli anni settanta, danno alla luce il loro debut album nel 1982. Caratterizzati da una musica punk Oi! trattante temi sulla classe lavorativa, rivoluzionari spingendo i ragazzi ad un approccio alla vita con i denti stretti. Non mancano però argomenti più leggeri, vedi il calcio e ragazzate.
Il live inizia con gli applausi di un pubblico affettuoso, si annuncia la band e il brano "Riot Squad" viene sparato giù come il più bel saluto che si possa dare. La band è carica, nonostante è passato più di un ventennio dall'inizio della loro carriera, quando ancora si chiamavano Cock Sparrow, quando le loro esibizioni avvenivano per la maggiore nei scuri london pub. Non dico una scemenza ma sembra che stiano suonando dei ragazzini. Il pubblico di San Francisco non può prendere fiato e già gli accordi "Watch You Back" fa tremare gli spalti. Come di tradizione non c'è spazio per discorsi vari e "Working" viene eseguita con la scia della precedente song. Sembra di esserci e quando la fantastica "Teenage Heart" inizia, questa volta annunciata da Colin McFaull, riesco a sentire l'odore del sudore del pubblico, mentre un pogo da paura miete vittime sotto il palco.
La band ha bisogno di prendere fiato e "Argy Bargy" è la canzone che sembra fare al caso giusto, susseguita da "Runaway Johnny", suonata impeccabilmente. Ma se i Cock Sparren hanno iniziato a stancarsi la folla sembra solo stare all'inizio cantando "Take 'em All" a squarciagola. Si continua con "A.U.", "I got Your Number" la stupenda "Because You're Young" e continuiamo così con i classici fino alla diciottesima canzone "We're Coming Back" dopo la quale gli spettatori non vogliono andarsene costringendo la band ad un bis di "England Belongs To Me". Il live è divertente coinvolgente e ben fatto. I Cock Sparren non sono più dei giovincelli, ma rimangono degli ottimi musicisti e riescono a tener vivo un concerto dalla prima all'ultima canzone. Non si sentono particolari errori se non degli impercettibili sbagli che solo un pignolo senza scrupoli potrebbe stare qui a segnalare.
Il lato positivo di questo concerto è che si sente un'aria di divertimento, di fratellanza e di grande rilassamento. Band come i Cock Sparren sono un patrimonio musicale di grande valore e la loro durata nel tempo ha permesso la diffusione del loro orgoglioso messaggio.
In conclusione devo dire che l'album merita davvero, una raccolta live degna di nota.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Watch Your Back (02:19)
everybody's talking bout' revolution
everybody's talking bout' smash the state
sounds to me like the final solution
right wing, left wing full of hate
(Chorus)
we don't wanna fight
because you tell us to
so watch your back when you attack
cuz we might just turn on you
things get worse with every hour
the future fades into the past
all they want is total power
climbing on the backs of the working class
Chorus x2
we don't wanna be part of no new religion
we don't wanna be part of a political dream
we just wanna get on living our lives
Chorus x2
03 Working (03:30)
I been working all day for me mate on the site
Running around like a blue arsed fly
I been working
And I been working all day for me mate
Every bleeding minute I been on the go
Up and down the ladder like a fiddler's elbow
I been working
I been working all day for me mate
[Chorus]
Wait for tomorrow at half past ten
When I sign on, but until then
I'll be working
I'll be working all day for me mate
Aint' got no cards, don't pay no tax
For a score in me hand I'll be breaking me back
I been working
And I been working all day for me mate
Call me a crook, call me bent
But I need more than food and rent
I been working
And I been working all day for me mate
[Chorus]
They try to follow me every day
I give 'em the slip and I'm on my way
None of the other blokes thinks it's wrong
'Coz every one of 'em's signing on
[Chorus]
They try to follow me every day
I give 'em the slip and I'm on my way
None of the other blokes thinks it's wrong
'Coz every one of 'em's signing on
[Chorus]
The benefit boys are out of touch
What they don't know won't hurt 'em much
I been working
And I been working all day for me mate
If I'm caught I'll go down for a month or three
But they'll still Be paying out looking after me
I been working
And I been working all day for me mate
[Chorus]
05 Argy Bargy (03:04)
it started off like any other show.
sunday nights on the radio.
terry played the songs we wanted to hear.
and terry said things no one else would dare.
he gave it all that he had to give.
they said it was his only reason to live.
but we just listened to the ruck n roll.
terry the dj's radio show.
he give it some of that argy bargy.
giving it all the chat.
he give it some argy bargy.
now what do you think of that.
then came the evening of the mile end row.
the ol' bill found out i don't know how.
we know they tried to lock us up that night.
we were ready for a fight.
terry came onto the air at ten.
he said the filth were waiting for us then.
down at the black boy they were there in force.
and he war right of course.
they told him that he'd better change the song.
they said to tell us that the kids were wrong.
they gave him one more sunday night, to get it right.
that was the night when the girls all cried.
that was the night that he said goodbye.
'cos no matter who paid him, terry never told us a lie.
07 Take 'em All (03:48)
We worked our way up from east end pubs
To gigs and back stage passes
Ex-boxing champs, West end clubs
Americans in dark glasses
Driving ten grand cars, they drink in hotel bars
They're even making money in bed
They wouldn't be no loss, they aint worth a toss
It's about time they all dropped dead.
[Chorus]
Take 'em all, take 'em all
Put 'em up against a wall and shoot 'em
Short and tall, watch 'em fall
Come on boys take 'em all
Well tough shit boys, it aint our fault
Your record didn't make it
We made you dance, you had your chance
But you didn't take it
Well, I gotta go make another deal
Sign another group for the company
I don't suppose we'll ever meet again
You'd better get back to the factory.
[Chorus]
Take 'em all, watch 'em fall [x4]
[Chorus Repeat...]
08 A.U. (03:40)
A U Come outside
I'm fed up with you looking
Like the cat who got the cooking
I said A U
You and me outside
You've got the kind of face
The face of a git
And I really want to hit it
I said A U
You and me outside
Coz I've been watching you
Chatting up all the girls
And I'm fed up with you
And I've drunk enough
[Chorus]
Someone's gonna get a slap tonight
Someone's gonna get whacked tonight
Someone's gonna get a smack tonight
From me
And it's gonna be you
A U You look like a poof
How loud do I shout it ?
Tell me what you're gonna do about it ?
A U You and me outside
You're a bloke who's heading for one
A real fist magnet if ever I saw one
A U You and me outside
I saw you kiss that girl
Over in the corner
It's not jealousy
It's just you and me
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
You've got too much dosh, you're everything I hate
You talk all posh, you make me so irate
You're so cock sure, you're a liability
I told you before, it's not jealousy
It's not jealously
It's just you and me
[Chorus]
09 I Got Your Number (04:14)
It can't be right what I'm reading here
No one believes in all this stuff no more
Our ideas don't see eye to eye
You get your press with a pocketfull of lies
Telling everybody every word is true
One day soon they're gonna see through you
[Chorus]
I got your number
You can fool some people some part of the time
I got your number
I aint ever gonna toe that particular partyline
There'll be some people gonna back you up
But don't look here for moral support
Don't you ask no favours from me
I don't believe in charity
Telling everybody you're wonderful
What are you gonna do when there's no one left to tell it to
[Chorus]
You think you're so special
But you're only fooling
Tell your lies to anyone but me
You think you're so special
But you're only fooling
Tell your lies to anyone but me
[Chorus x3]
10 Because You're Young (04:00)
Because you're young, sharp as a knife
You need that buzz to come alive
Out on the edge, out on the town
You ain't got time to settle down
You're always sure, you're always right
You see it all in black and white
You never listen to anyone
Because you're young
Because you're young, you're torn between
A world of hate and a world of dreams
So much to lose, so much to gain
So much to fight for, so much to change
You don't look back, you don't look down
You gotta turn everything around
You live your life like a loaded gun
Because you're young
Stop talking back, get off the phone
You're late again, you missed the last bus home
This ain't the way you wanna live
I know something's got to give
You're always sure, you're always right
You see it all in black and white
You never listen to anyone
Because you're young
11 We Love You (04:05)
We don't care if you only love "we"
We don't care if you only love "we"
We love you. We love you, and we hope that you will love "we" too
We love "they". We love "they", and we want you to love "they" too
Ah...........
We don't care if you hound "we" and love is all around "we"
Love can't get our minds off
We love you, we love you
You will never win "we"
Your uniforms don't fit "we"
We forget the place we're in
'Cause we love you
We love you. Of course, we do
I love you. I love you
And I hope that you won't prove wrong too
We love you. We do. We love you. We do.
12 Secret Army (01:53)
collecting funds for the holy fight
like a door to door salesman in the dead of night
russian guns help him on his way
bought with money from the usa chorus.
and the ordinary people say what's it for
and the ordinary people say we want no more
but the man at the top knows where to do the most harm,
he's in he secret army.
and this man with a gun says not a sound
i want this aeroplane turned around
he spent his life learning how to fill a man with lead
he'll probably spend the rest of it dead
when a bomb goes off in a city street
when a man gets killed for his beliefs
when a mother cries for the son she had
that's when the world's gone mad
17 England Belongs to Me (03:29)
Years of being told you ain't as good as us
Join the line, sign your name
And they all said that our country's going bust
But no-one's fooling us again
CHORUS:
England belongs to me (you'd better believe it now)
A nation's pride the dirty water on the rivers
No one can take away our memory
England belongs to me
We'll show the world that the boys are back to stay
And you all know what we can do
Heads held high, fighting all the way, for the red, white, and blue.
CHORUS (4x)
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