PAUL COOK & TOM SPENCER (THE PROFESSIONALS): “JIMMY PAGE Didn’t Get Back To Me”
When the Sex Pistols split drummer Paul Cook and guitarist Steve Jones wasted no time putting a new band together. The Professionals fed on the raw energy of the Pistols but injected a harder, rockier edge with a huge slab of melody. With Jones now an occasional contributor to the band, it’s left to Paul Cook and singer/guitarist to fly the flag. Mick Burgess called them up to talk about their new album SNAFU and current UK tour. This last year has certainly been a strange time for everyone. How has this time been for you? Paul Cook (PC): When lockdown started our tour with SLF was postponed after two or three dates. I actually had Covid but not too bad which I think I caught on tour and I think a lot of other people came down with it on that tour too. During the first 6 months of lock down we couldn’t do anything so it’s been a bit of a chore getting the album done. We had to do it stop, start, stop, start but we finally got there in the end. Tom Spencer (TS): This lock down has made time go equally fast and equally slow. It’s been the same for everyone else. You just try to deal with it the best you can. The only way we can reference it is by the punctuations when we were able to get together to make our new record which for us was quite lucky as other people have been been unable to work. Your guitarist Chris McCormack left during this period too. What happened to him? TS: Chris has been a mate of ours for years and I’ve played in a band with his brother too but he couldn’t come to the early studio sessions because his daughter …READ MORE
