Peter Carter: A British vocalist on the Costa with a new trick up his sleeve

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The Coín-based singer has launched his latest musical project aimed at one of the UK's most influential musical movements

Tony Bryant

Coín

Friday, 26 December 2025, 11:58

One of the Costa del Sol's most established rock/pop bands has decided to rebrand in order to create the first Cool Britannia movement tribute show in the province. After eight years performing at venues along the coast, the acclaimed live band New Tricks has announced the launch of a new project, The BritPop Authority - a tribute to one of the most influential musical movements of the 1990s that was spearheaded by Pulp, Oasis, Blur and Suede.

Fronted by Pete Carter, a former bus driver (among other things) from London, the new band aims to recreate the exciting music and cultural movement that emerged in the UK during the early 1990s. BritPop produced catchy alternative rock with lyrics that emphasised national identity, with a special focus on clothing, similar to the mod movement of the 1960s. Brit Pop saw the rise of bands emerging from the independent music scene from this period and, according to Carter, it was "one of the most exciting eras in British pop music".

Born in Catford in 1965, Carter, who moved to the Costa del Sol from London 20 years ago, began singing in function bands in England in his late 20s, which, as he points out, was "quite late in life".

"I didn't realise I could sing until I went to a work Christmas party and entered a karaoke competition. I sang Achy Breaky Heart and won a bottle of whisky," he tells SUR in English, bursting into laughter.

Weaned on jazz and swing

Carter, who possesses a typical London sense of humour, grew up listening to jazz and swing because his parents were huge Frank Sinatra and Glen Miller fans, so when he first arrived in Malaga, he started performing a one-man swing show.

A huge Bowie, Rolling Stones and Batman fan, the Coín-based 60-year-old vocalist has since performed in several bands on the coast, but he eventually decided to form New Tricks with Stephen Toal, an Irish guitarist who also lives in Coín. The band recruited bass player Mark Hopkins, another British musician who has played with numerous bands on the coast, and Spanish drummer Gonzalo Rubio. Although this lineup now performs under the name of The BritPop Authority, Carter says that "it is not the end of New Tricks".

"The BritPop Authority will run alongside New Tricks, offering audiences a nostalgic yet fresh live experience. After the success of New Tricks and the revived interest in the Brit Pop era, it felt like the perfect time to put on our Gazelles and throw our bucket hats into the tribute band arena with the music we love. This isn't about putting on a silly wig, it's about great music - celebrating the energy and creativity of the Brit Pop era," he explains.

Along with his musical projects, Carter teaches English at The Academy in Coín, which is why, he says, bursting into laughter once again, there "are lots of Spanish youngsters in the town talking English with a South London accent". When not teaching, he dedicates his time to his music, especially his latest project, which he says will "capture the swagger of Oasis and the innovation of Blur".

Although the Costa del Sol is not short of tribute acts, Carter believes there is room for another.

"We decided to focus on the new project because Brit Pop was creeping into our set. There isn't another band doing this, and most of the tribute bands here focus on just one artist. This makes it difficult to attract a good crowd, because if it's Abba, for example, you'll only get fans of their music.

"The thing I'd like to get across is that if your clothing is right, you are going to feel right, so you will play right. We want to do everything right; from the way we dress to the music," he says.

The band, who can be found on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, have recently produced a promo-video and are now starting to line up concerts along the coast during the coming year. They have even designed their own logo, which is a nod to the mod era, a subculture that influenced many of the bands of the Brit Pop movement.