Cockroaches!

The Early Years (1991 - 1997)

The Four Cockroaches group was founded in Moscow in 1991. At the time of the formation of the group, all members of the group were 15-16 years old, three of them were classmates.

With the first demo record Crazy Boys (distributed through an underground network of copying records, has not yet been officially released) in 1991, the group became part of the Moscow Rock Lab . Together with such punk groups as POGO , Va-Bank , NAIV , Distemper and others, Four Cockroaches form the Moscow underground scene of those years. In the complete absence of the underground communication and distribution methods that were usual at that time in Western Europe and the USA (labels, distros, zines, clubs), these groups laid the foundation for the emergence in the future of all the attributes of a developed punk scene.

In 1992, the debut album Duty Free Songs was released with songs in English and Russian and the new vocalist, Denis Petukhov. The style and sound of the band at that time was influenced by Sex Pistols , Ramones , The Clash . Lyrics mainly related to street punk romance, alcohol, drugs, sex and parties.

The sound is thick, sometimes a little metallized (Time Has Passed), sometimes mainstream (Home Sweet Home); the piano sounds very nice. 5 out of 11 things are in English ... Sometimes the songs are monotonous (“Four Cockroaches”), sometimes as melodic as possible (“Rat”).

FUZZ Magazine, 1997

The album Duty Free Songs was released by the musicians on their own and distributed on cassettes.

In 1995, the group recorded the album Best Before in full in English. Instead of Denis Petukhov, who left the band, Dmitry Spirin becomes the vocalist. The sound of the album and the style of songwriting were influenced by such groups as Ramones, Buzzcocks , Generation X. The song Farewell Majority is played in the special programs of the rock radio station Maximum , and the clip for the song Don't Come gets into some music programs on TV. At the same time, the first reviews of the recordings of “Four Cockroaches” appear in major American punkzins, and a detailed interview in Maximumrocknroll .

Feelee

In the period from 1995 to 1997, “Four Cockroaches” regularly perform in clubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg , which attracts the attention of record companies Feelee . In 1997, Four Cockroaches released their first album on Feelee Records, " Stole?" Drank ?! To jail!!! ". The musical style changes somewhat: the influence of the classic Ramones sound is mixed with the more relevant at that time sound of earlier Green Day recordings and bands with Lookout! Records .

The album was recorded specifically for those stubborn skeptics who are still convinced that both rock and roll is dead and punk has long been dead. The traditional otvyaz, energy, fun, taste, smell. All tracks as on selection.

The journal " OM ", 1998

Two songs from the album (“Bad Head” and “ Bad Weather ”) become hits on Maximum radio, which allowed the group to increase the number of fans, expand the geography of performances and perform at several major rock and punk festivals, including sharing the stage of The Toy Dolls , The Stranglers , The Exploited , Rage Against the Machine .

Immediately after the release of the album “Stole? Drank ?! To prison !!! ”the Four Cockroaches group changes its name to“ Cockroaches! ”.

At the end of 1998, “Cockroaches!” Released the album “ No Landing ”, which includes 16 songs in Russian, as well as a cover version of the song Personal Jesus , which falls on the first Russian tribute of Depeche Mode “Depeche for Depeche Mode”. In support of the album, there are immediately three video clips for the songs Personal Jesus, Punk Rock Song and Train to Arbatskaya, which are broadcast on MTV Russia, which opened a month before the release.

"Cockroaches!" Play positive punk rock by golly no worse than their California counterparts such as Green Day, NOFX , etc. Inspired by the Ramones, they achieved the right punk sound with old tube amps and recorded almost live. In addition, they added the exact dose of reggae and ska , as Rancid does overseas. Sid, the frontman of the group, has a real golosist and in his singing he gives in to a little chic shade from the old American stage.

Andrey Bukharin , OM Magazine, 1999

In 1999, “Cockroaches!” Released their first live album, entitled “This is Life: The Official Bootleg.”

Since 1999, “Cockroaches!” Have been holding punk festivals called “Like punks ... and all that!”, As well as releasing collections of the same name on audio tapes and CDs. The name was a reference to the phrases of the characters of the popular animated series " Beavis and Butt-head ." Application for participation could be submitted not only by punk groups, but by groups of related or related genres: pop punk, ska punk, and hardcore. “Punk type ...” became a launching pad for many groups, some of which still exist today: “ 1.5 kg of excellent mashed potatoes ”, “Chervona Rutta”, “Laughter”, “ Lilies of the valley ”, “ Adventures of Electronics ”, " Gateway " and others.

In the winter of 2000, “Cockroaches!” Went on their first European tour, warming up Monsters at several concerts, and a few months later they released their next album. “ Popcourm (We taught the world to suck) ” becomes one of the first pop punk albums in Russia. The song “365 Days” hits the “ Chart Dozen, ” and its video clip appears on MTV.

“Cockroaches!” With each album more and more move from punk Moscow to California, in the spirit of Green Day or Rancid ... It is much more interesting to listen to how “Cockroaches!” Juggle with styles: ska, now reggae, then overlay on a cheerful punk country ... I won’t be surprised if in five years Sid will engage in Tuvan throat singing . Although his vocals are already correct, your Sinatra votes.

Poster Magazine, 2000

On March 18, 2000, the group took part in the Battle of Punk rap festival, whose venue ( Dynamo Sports Palace in Moscow) was attacked by several hundred Nazi skinheads . The musicians of the group were attacked, as a result of the fight, two musicians were injured ^[1] .

At the beginning of 2001, “Cockroaches!” Celebrated their 10th anniversary. Feelee Records reissued the entire back catalog of the group, and also released the first collection of the best.

At the end of 2001, “Cockroaches!” Released in Russia a split album with the Japanese group SOBUT “ Punk This Town / Real Punk? ".

In the spring of 2002, the sixth studio album Fear and Loathing was released. The song “I look at them” becomes one of the group’s main hits, it gets into the rock radio charts, where it has been in the top three for 16 weeks ^[2] . In 2013, the song “I Look at Them” took 55th place among the 500 best Russian rock hits according to the radio station Our Radio . In support of the album “Fear and Loathing”, the first All-Russian tour was organized, passing from the eastern to western borders of the country, and continued with performances in Japan . Performances were held in Tokyo , Osaka and Nagoya , with the participation of groups SOBUT, Assfort, Samurai Attack. Japanese label Old Blood Records has released the album Fear and Loathing in Japan.

On this album, the musical style of “Cockroaches!” Was transformed in the direction of high-speed melodic California punk rock. In the lyrics, the group refers to the dominance of radio-format music, brainwashing, social issues, self-identification issues, “venality” in punk rock, while not changing its usual humor.

A new record, under a different set of circumstances, could easily have appeared in the Epitaph catalogs ... "Cockroaches!" Recorded a really excellent commercial punk album. In a good sense of the word ... In short, no thing is a hit

Musical Newspaper Weekly, 2002

In the same year 2002 a special collection “The Best. Enemy of the Good ”, including old songs in new arrangements, as well as one previously unreleased song.

At the beginning of 2003, “Cockroaches!” Celebrate their 12th anniversary on the stage of the Moscow rock venue at the DK im. Gorbunov , setting two records: collecting more than 2500 people and playing a set of 45 songs ^[3] .

In the spring of 2003, “Cockroaches!” At several concerts in Russia entered into a collaboration with the legendary Ramones drummer Marky Ramone called Marky Ramone & The Pinhead Army.

AiB

In the fall of 2003, Cockroaches! Released the album “Liberty Street” on the new label “ AIB Records ”. The concert presentation is again held in the Palace of Culture. Gorbunov in the presence of more than 2500 people. The performance was recorded on audio and filmed on video, the result of which was the release of the concert album and the first DVD of the group “ And we are already chopping! ". "Liberty Street" is filled with high-speed, powerful tracks about freedom, choice, equality. The songs are directed against intolerance, nationalism and indifference.

Freedom Street could, should, and simply had to become just that - harsh, powerful, evil, furious, uncompromising and non-contrived. This music is for those who are able not only to ascertain the flaws of the surrounding reality and their own, but also to make attempts to change something, to change themselves, and this is already worth a lot. The record is for those who do not want to remain indifferent, do not want to put up with their own shortcomings, are not afraid to be misunderstood ... "Liberty Street" is not only invigorating and inspiring healthy anger music for the brain and soul, but also a completely solid album full of rock Melody, pleasing hearing, recorded harshly, boldly and powerfully ...

Rockmusic.ru Magazine, 2003

Video clips have been shot for two songs from this album. “Ghetto Borders” is the directing and acting work of Vladimir Epifantsev . " The anthem of the democratic youth of the world " is mounted from the chronicle of the Japanese tour. Both clips soon appeared on the air of the alternative music channel A-One .

The ideological continuation of the album “Liberty Street” in 2004 is the album “ Missiles from Russia ”.

One of the singles from the album, “Silence is Death”, again falls into the top three in rock charts, the video for the song is shown on MTV Russia and A-One.

In the same year, both albums were released in Europe by the Swiss label Zurich Chainsaw Records under the names Freedom Street and Rockets from Russia, and include both original versions of songs in Russian and adapted versions in English and German.

In 2004, “Cockroaches!” Became the initiators of the release of a series of audio collections “High School of Punk”, the purpose of which was to familiarize the public with the music of punk bands that are not widely used in Russia.

“Cockroaches!” Became co-organizers of the concert-presentation of the international release of this collection. The concert was held at the Luzhniki ACI, the western headliner was Misfits . This festival became the largest Russian punk rock concert at that time.

In the winter of 2005, “Cockroaches!” Went with Mark Ramone to the joint European Ramones Night Tour. The concerts of the tour took place in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Austria and the Netherlands, including performances with groups such as Manges, Peawees, Moped Lads. In the same 2005, “Cockroaches!” Performed for the first time in Finland, including at the Ilosaarirock festival, sharing the stage with Backyard Babies , Agnostic Front , Skatalites , MC5 and others.

At the end of 2005, “Cockroaches!” Released a joint album with a new group of ex-SOBUT members (Japan) - Scream of the Presidents, and at the beginning of 2006 - another split album, this time with veterans of the Russian ska-punk scene, Distemper Immediately after the Russian release of this album was followed by a release in Europe, on An'na Nadel Records. The album includes 6 original songs from one group replayed by another, and one joint song - If the Kids Are United, a cover version of the hit Sham 69 .

On the 2006 album “ Lord of the Universe ”, the group changed its familiar sound somewhat, starting to focus on punk and roll. Immediately 4 songs from the new disc hit the charts of Russian rock radio.

The percentage of "adult rock" in "cockroach" music is about to exceed the percentage of reckless punk; as a result, there was less empty fun and more lyrics.

Rolling Stone Magazine , 2006

In 2007, “Cockroaches!” Celebrate their 15th anniversary with two concerts at the “ Tochka ” club, the recording and shooting of which formed the basis of the double CD + DVD combo “ Strong Teeth and Sharp Claws ”. In the same year, “Cockroaches!” Conduct an experiment on their own creativity. Within the framework of the Unplugged Unlimited project, the group expands the concert line-up, invites backing vocalists, a wind section, radically changing the arrangements of their old songs, performing them in atypical genres for themselves: bossa nova , surf , rumba . The project is embodied in the album of the same name.

Specially for the Unplugged Unlimited project, rapper Noize MC wrote an additional text ^[4] for the song “Lord of the Universe”, in which he described experiences on behalf of stubborn punk, who can hardly digest the idea of ​​a joint song “Cockroaches!” And the rapper.

When we invited Vanya to write and read some text for the new version of our old song “Lord of the Universe”, I did not expect that he would develop this theme. I bow to this dude - he absolutely clearly calculated a bunch of meanings of this text. He laughed at me, but he did it just to get ahead of that part of our listeners, which would probably say the same thing as he, only in a much less talented form!

BRAVO Magazine No. 4/09, January 28, 2009 ^[5]

The concert version ^{[6] of} “The Lords of the Universe” with the participation of Noize MC was completely different, continuing the main theme of the original text.

Around the same time, the group appeared in two episodes of the series “ Happy Together ” in the role of themselves.

In the summer of 2008, “Cockroaches!” Act as a support group at the first and only Moscow Sex Pistols concert, and six months later they release the EP “ How much money does God have? ".

2009 - Today

The album “ Fight to the Holes ” is released in November 2009. The song from this album, "That Does Not Kill You" brings the band a new success on the radio.

The musicians turned out to be a surprisingly mature, honest and self-ironic record, captivating with its simplicity and devoid of any pathos. A little social topics, a little romance and a lot of rock and roll lifestyle, about all the charms and hardships of which Sid knows firsthand. In a word, “Cockroaches!” Recorded their most complete and at the same time versatile album, where there was a place for a hard-working hardcore (“Entrance to the city”), and for a surf (“Diamonds and fighters”), and for punk ballads in the spirit of the later Social Distortion (“That Which Does Not Kill You”).

Rolling Stone Magazine , 2009

Between 2010 and 2012, Cockroaches! Release several online EPs. On one of them, the song “The Day I Surrendered” was released, which the group recorded together with the leader of the Belarusian group Lyapis Trubetskoy , Sergei Mikhalk . On the other - a track called "Dog Heart", a piercing clip on which attracts attention to the problem of a humane attitude to the homeless .

In the summer of 2010, during the group’s set at the Tornado festival in the city of Miass , an armed bandit group broke into the festival and began to beat the audience and shoot towards the stage with firearms and traumatic weapons. This episode caused a serious response in the Russian media, and the ensuing lawsuit lasted several years.

In the spring of 2011, “Cockroaches!” Celebrated their 20th anniversary in the Moscow club Arena Moscow (3,500 spectators), again toured Europe together with the French group Tagada Jones, performing also with Oi Polloi , Street Dogs , The Mahones at the Zikenstock festival.

In 2011, after the musicians signed an open letter in support of political prisoners in Belarus, the group fell into the so-called “ black list ” of artists whose concerts (and media references) were prohibited in the country, after which the planned tour in Belarus was immediately canceled. The group returned there with concerts only three years later, first with a trial, "underground" concert, then with a full-scale one.

At the Kubana 2012 festival, “Cockroaches!” Openly performed from the stage in support of Pussy Riot , after which their set was stopped by the organizers. Also in support of Pussy Riot, the 2012 Internet compilation of the band was named “Release!” And provided with the appropriate cover.

In 2013, Feelee Records released two parts of the double album MAXIMUMHAPPY. Among the special guests of the album: Chris Barker ( Anti-Flag ), Yotam Ben Horin ( Useless ID ), Rodrigo Gonzalez ( Die Ärzte ), Frank Turner. For the first time “Cockroaches!” Fall on the 1st place of the Russian rock and radio chart “ Chart Dozen ” with the song “Five Words” with the participation of Lusine Gevorgyan from the group Louna . The track did not leave the chart for 20 weeks, which allowed him to take 1st place according to the results of 2013. Also, one more song reaches the 1st place - a joint track with the rap group Anacondaz “The happiest man on Earth”. The video clip for both of these songs scored more than 1 million views on YouTube . The group shoots several more clips on tracks with MAXIMUMHAPPY, including a concert video together with Chris Barker (Anti Flag) for the song “God and the Police”.

Following the MAXIMUMHAPPY dileogy, the MAXIMUMHAPPYLIVE concert album was released, which included all the songs from both parts of the studio release, performed live.

In early January 2014, a punk label from Los Angeles Punk Outlaw Records released the first American release of the Russian band Democrazy. The album includes 6 new English songs and a compilation of early tracks in English.

In 2015, “Cockroaches!” Find themselves involved in a scandal related to an exhibition of military equipment and the general militarization of the main Russian rock open air festival “ Invasion ”. The group performed a set of anti-war songs, and between songs addressed the public with peacekeeping messages.

If those who brought tanks to this field wanted peace, they would have hung bloody bandages, guts, brains, tears of mothers next to them, and would have dug up mass graves. So that we can more accurately understand what weapons do.

Dmitry Spirin, July 5, 2015 ^[7]

As a result, the group’s position was severely criticized not only by the festival organizers, but also by the most reactionary-minded spectators.

In the spring of 2016, four concerts in one of the largest clubs in Moscow YOTASPACE “Cockroaches!” Celebrated their 25th anniversary, bringing together about 8,000 spectators. Two more concerts were held in St. Petersburg , at the Aurora Club (4000 spectators). The tour that followed included more than 40 concerts in Russia and Belarus.

The triple combo release “Larger Than ... Live!” Released at the beginning of 2017 on the Soyuz Music label included two audio disks and one DVD with material from Moscow concerts, including tracks with guests from Siberian Meat Grinder, Distemper, Louna, Lumen and many others.

The album "Strength of One" was released in November 2016 via Soyuz Music. In 2018, his world release is planned entitled The Power of One at AF Records in the United States.

At the beginning of September 2017, the group, within the framework of the project called “Much Ado About Nothing,” locked itself in the village house for 11 days, composing from scratch, recording and releasing one song each day. The resulting song material was combined into an album released by the group on its own in December 2017 under the title “Much Ado About Nothing: An Album”. Among the guests of this album are musicians of the groups “ Pornofilms ”, “ Shadows of Freedom ”, “ Plan of Lomonosov ”, “Laughter”, Animal Jazz , Useless ID and others.

In 2018, the release of a split album with the Israeli punk band Useless ID is also scheduled.

• Dmitry Spirin - vocals
• Sergey Prokofiev - drums
• Alexander Pronin - bass
• Dmitry Kezhvatov - guitar
• Igor Rybin - guitar

Former members

• Batrakov Sergey - drums (2005-2008)
• Vasily Lopatin - guitar (2010—2019)
• Belyaev Maxim - guitar (1997)
• Bogdanov Nikolay - bass guitar (2011, 2012)
• Burim Denis - guitar (2005-2008)
• Vorobyov Dmitry - guitar (1989-1993)
• Golant Alexander - guitar (1998-2000, 2008-2009)
• Dementiev Konstantin - drums (1997-1998)
• Ermolaev Eugene - bass guitar (2005-2008)
• Zolotarev Sergey - bass guitar (1995-1996)
• Lenin Yuri - vocals (1989-1992)
• Petukhov Denis - vocals, keyboards (1992-1993)
• Potapov Alexander - bass guitar (1989-1990, 1995)
• Rodionov Vladimir - guitar (1995-1996)
• Rubanov Denis - drums (1989-1997)
• Samkharadze Dmitry - guitar (1993)
• Soloviev Aleksey - bass guitar (1996-2005)
• Stravinsky Nikolay - guitar (2011, 2012—2017)
• Lame Denis - guitar (2008-2012)
• Shakhnovsky Roman - guitar (1996-1997)
• Shmorgun Andrey - bass guitar (2008-2012)

Timeline

Video

Concert DVDs

• 2004 - And we are already chopping!
• 2007 - Strong teeth
• 2016 - Solid punk rock for respectable gentlemen
• 2017 - Larger Than ... LIVE: 25th Anniversary Show

Movies

The musicians of the “Cockroaches!” Group actively support public initiatives to protect animals by filming video messages and participating in campaigns of organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature , Voices for Animals ^[10] and others. In songs and interviews, musicians actively advocate refusing to use animal meat for food.

• In 1996, the group became a member of " Learn to Swim ": alternative musicians' movements against hard drugs , fascism , racism .
• In 1998, “Cockroaches!” Embarked on an “anti-drug” tour with free admission to Moscow schools, giving concerts for high school students for two weeks, while talking about the dangers of hard drugs.
• In 1999, “Cockroaches!” Initiated a series of audio collections and festivals such as “Punk type ... and all that!” Aimed at supporting novice punk, punk hardcore bands.
• In 2000-2001, “Cockroaches!” Actively participated in charity events ^[11] organized by the Russian non-profit foundation “No to alcoholism and drug addiction”, including speaking in a number of actions aimed at combating the spread of AIDS .
• In 2005, “Cockroaches!” Performed at a charity concert in support of the musicians of the punk groups “TushkA”, “ Shadow of Freedom ” and Elpiscas, who suffered from the Nazi attack ^[12] .
• “Cockroaches!” Constantly cooperate with the AdVita charity foundation (“For the sake of life”), which helps children and adult cancer patients , and also regularly participate in concerts organized in support of the BELA Butterfly Children Charitable Foundation, which provides comprehensive assistance to children with bullous epidermolysis , as well as in support of the Nastenka Foundation, created to help children undergoing treatment at the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology.
• In 2012, “Cockroaches!” Organized a charity rock fair “Dog Heart”, all of whose proceeds went to help the Moscow homeless; made a concert at the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine. N.V. Sklifosovsky in support of the campaign "We are of the same blood", aimed at attracting listeners to voluntary blood donation.
• In 2017, “Cockroaches!” Supported the social campaign “Products in the Outback” to help provide food for elderly and poor people; took part in the charity program “Oxygen”, aimed at helping people with cystic fibrosis .

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