Here we will tell the truth about gigs, albums, festivals, whatever is happening in the punk scene. The truth is the key word, if an album is shite, we'll tell you it's shite. If a performance is a load of bollox, likewise we'll tell you to save your few bob and see someone else. We will take reviews from visitors to the site, but keep it real, although we cannot be reosponsible for all of the content posted here, we will read each review before posting it, if we feel that a review is written just to slag off a person or band out of vindictivness, it will not be posted. Anyone that wishes to submit a review of a new album, a gig they've seen recently or a festival they've been to, submit it to me at colmcallanan@eircom.net , and please mark it Punk Polls  Review.

HERE WE STAND - COCKSPARRER.     The title states HERE WE STAND , CockSParrer stand for themselves, they stand for us, they stand for Oi and they make no apologies for that.   From the first guitar chord and drum beat, every SParrer fan will know not only are they back, they're back on top of the pile where they belong and showing all the pretenders how it really should be done. CockSParrer need never ever have recorded another album and could have used their already popular set list of greatest hits for every gig in the future and the gigs would still be all sold out.             So that was the first sign that not only were the guys willing to put their reputation on the line releasing a new album, it was a statement from them, that they felt they still had something to say, and say it they did.  WE'RE STILL HERE, WE'RE STILL LOUD, WE'RE STILL THE BEST, HERE WE STAND !  And yes they are !                  The beauty about this album is that already every SParrer fan is already imagining singing the catchy chorus's at a gig, because every song has been written in the true Sparrer style, a sing along crowd favourite. But punks and skins still need more than catchy song along songs, they need the lyrics to mean something and here the lads have won through. We all know someone the songs could have been written about or for, in fact most of the songs now give them a problem because they'll only be able to fit some of the songs from this album in future set lists at gigs in order to fit in other crowd favourites.                               Amazingly after rating the songs, 5 out of the 14 tracks had notched up 10/10, TOO LATE, GOTTA GET OUT, DON'T STOP, SO MANY THINGS and SUICIDE GIRLS. With another 6 of the remaining 9 tracks getting 8/10. So how does this album rate with SHOCKTROOPS , I'll probably commit Oi blasphemy here, but I rate it better, it's their best to date. The song ENGLAND BELONGS TO ME , is still their best and will always be their signature tune, the only way they could have improved on this album, would have been to include ENGLAND BELONGS TO ME  as a bonus closing track, so we don't have to change cd's in order to hear it.                       Brilliant album, I have fell out with bands over my reviews in the past, and make no apologies ever for what I say, so believe me when I tell you, get this album, nothing is going to beat it over the next 12 months.                     Well done SParrer.................. True Oi, a true band, true musicians, bring on the pretenders to their crown ! 10/10.............. Reviewed by Colm PSYCHO Callanan