Cockroaches! - famous musicians, whose popularity is not even in doubt. The group has been creating music since the 1990s, continuing to create to this day. In addition to performing in front of a Russian-speaking audience, the guys achieved success outside the countries of the former USSR, repeatedly speaking in European countries.
The origin of the group Cockroaches!
Young guys who studied at the same school decided to create their own musical group. At the time of the implementation of their idea, the guys were not even 17 years old. In 1991, the team began its existence under the name "Four Cockroaches". And in the same year, the group joined the Moscow Rock Laboratory, where they received their first real experience in creating music.
The following year, the group already found its small audience, which listened with great joy to the first album, Duty Free Songs. It consisted of 11 songs, 5 of which were recorded in English. The main theme of the record is drugs, alcohol, romance.
The next album was released entirely in English in 1995. All the work done was not in vain - they began to be interested in music abroad. The group began to win the hearts of alternative rock fans living in the United States.
Collaboratorswith FeeLee Records
In the mid-1990s, the group actively performed in popular nightclubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The new recording studio FeeLee became interested in the team. Wishing to improve the sound quality, the guys agreed to cooperate. Very soon, the hit album “Stole? Drank?! To jail!!!" - a phrase taken from the cult film "Gentlemen of Fortune".
The classic album consisted of 15 tracks, but after a while it was supplemented with several more bonus tracks. This record can be considered the first professional one, due to the fact that earlier the Cockroaches group recorded cassettes with music on their own.
The album can be considered a challenge for critics, proving that rock is alive and will remain relevant for many years to come. If you compare the cassette with those released earlier, you can notice a noticeable difference in styles and musical performance.
The end of the 1990s ended with the release of several albums and mass festivals. They contributed to the development and "promotion" of other young bands that were not as popular. Some of them continued to exist, continuing to create music now.
In 2001, the group first released a collection of the best works, re-released all the albums. Most of them were supplemented with bonus compositions.
Over the next years, the band experimented with styles, choosing different versions of the tracks. Such searches led to the release of a new studio album, Fear and Loathing. His release turned into a tour throughout the country, after which the guys went to perform in major cities in Japan.
Collaboration of the group with AiB Records
Starting in 2003, the group began to cooperate with the label AiB Records. The first result of their cooperation was the album "Street of Freedom", in honor of which a concert was organized, which attracted more than 2500 visitors. The compositions vividly expressed the call for equality, freedom, the right to choose.
The continuation of the plot of musical performances can be heard in the album "Rockets from Russia". A little later, both albums were published in Europe with the help of a Swiss record label. The compilation featured original tracks and adaptations in German and English.
In 2009, the album "Fight to Holes" was released. He conquered the young audience with his simplicity and routine, the absence of exaggerated importance. Performances from this album were on everyone's lips, the group can always be heard on the radio.
A year later, the group took part in the popular rock festival "Tornado". During the performance of the group, members of the bandit group appeared, who opened fire in the direction of the stage. Fortunately, the audience managed with minor injuries, and the group remained intact.
"Cockroaches!" Nowadays
In 2011, the group was forbidden to hold all kinds of events on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The reason for this decision on the part of the government was the support of a group of political prisoners. Due to a written letter, after which the team was banned from entering the country, the tour was canceled.
A year later, the group continued to fight for justice, this time supporting Pussy Riot, a Russian-language rock band that held protests in support of women's rights. In one of these ways to draw attention to the problem, the group "Cockroaches!" was obliged to stop speaking in order to avoid future possible problems.
Because of the festival "Invasion" in 2015, there were many problems for the group. In it, the group performed a number of songs that were dedicated to anti-war topics. Such an expression of thoughts involved the team members in a scandal that was remembered for a long time. Despite everything, the group continues to express their own opinion. The consequence of these actions was the condemnation of the organizers and listeners, who did not appreciate such thoughts.
A year later, the group held a big tour dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the group's existence. More than 40 cities of Belarus and Russia were visited. The concert in Moscow gathered 8 thousand spectators, which can be considered a personal record for the group.
In 2017, the group took part in the Much Ado About Nothing project, where they sat in a house located in the village for almost two weeks. The result was 11 working days and 11 lyrics written from scratch. In the future, they became the basis for a new album of the same name, which was released in the same year.
Group of cockroaches! in 2020-2021
In 2020, the release of the disc "15 (... And nothing but the truth)" took place. The album was topped by 9 tracks. Fans and critics warmly accepted the novelty, thanking the band members with flattering reviews.
At the end of the last spring month of 2021, the team pleased the “fans” with the release of another LP. The disc was called "15. Thin and evil." Recall that this is the second part of the album presented last year.
At the end of June 2021, the rock band expanded their discography with the Naked Kings compilation. Interestingly, the guys recorded the tracks in English. The studio album was released on the Funk Turry Funk label. The disc included 5 tracks.
