Are The Rolling Stones teasing a return under a secret name?
Who on earth are The Cockroaches?
By Nick Reilly
Fans of The Rolling Stones have begun speculating that the group could be gearing up to release new music or even play a surprise show in London.
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The rumour mill first began turning after a series of posters were spotted in the capital which read ‘The Cockroaches’ along with a new QR code.
BBC 6 Music broadcaster Matt Everitt then noted that the name is the same adopted by the group in the past, having played a secret show in the 1980s under the alias ‘Blue Sunday and the Cockroaches’.
Everitt wrote on Instagram: “I could be falling for an elaborate April Fool’s hoax, or I could have dropped down a rabbit hole of obscure Stones folklaw [sic], but this would appear to be some form of cryptic @therollingstones announcement, right?” while also sharing images of the pages that come up when the barcode is scanned.
The code directs fans to a website called thecockroaches.com and a link for fans to sign up for new updates. When fans sign up for those updates, they receive a confirmation from Universal Music – the Stones’ record label.
It was also noted that the font used on the poster is the same as that seen on an iconic photo of Ronnie Wood, in which he is seen wearing a shirt that says: “Who the fuck is Mick Jagger?”
Rolling Stone UK has contacted the band’s label for comment.
A clock stuck on April 11 has also been noted on the site, suggesting an announcement will come on that date.
The Stones last played the UK in 2022, with two huge BST Hyde Park gigs followed by a stadium show at Liverpool’s Anfield.
Their last album came with 2023’s Hackney Diamonds.