“Who the F are the Cockroaches?”: Just the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world… perhaps

It very much looks like the Rolling Stones are teasing… something or other.

A number of posters have been spotted around London with the words ‘The Cockroaches’ emblazoned upon a red background. Below it is a QR code, which apparently is linked via Universal Music, the Stones’ record company, to thecockroaches.com.

Another clue is that back in the dim and distant past - well, in 1977 – the band performed a secret gig under the name Keith and the Cockroaches.

And well, the insects are popularly regarded as the hardiest of living species. When humanity does finally annihilate itself in a nuclear war, it is well known that the ‘roaches’ will in all probability survive. One would imagine that the Stones – still, incredibly, an active group after 64 years – see themselves in much the same vein. No matter what you throw at them, they are still here.

Anyway, one Simon Harper, who runs the Lip Service podcast has done a bit more digging. Posting to Instagram yesterday, he wrote: “The QR code takes you to thecockroaches.com, and a holding page that shows a sparse ‘70s bedroom complete with various ephemera dotted around - some plectrums, concert tickets, and vinyl records - plus a poster for The Cockroaches and a clock stuck on April 11th.”

April 11 is a Friday this year – a release day. Apparently, if you forward the link from the cockroaches website, the accompanying image is the phrase ‘who the f*** are the Cockroaches written in the same font as the ‘Who the f*** is Mick Jagger’ T-shirt that Keith Richards once wore in Ken Regan’s famous shot of the guitarist back in 1975.

Plus we know that the Stones have been working on a new album for a while. Last September Ronnie Wood confirmed to The Sun’s Bizarre column that the band’s follow up to 2023’s Hackney Diamonds was on its way: “Yes, you will be getting a new album next year. It is done.”

All very exciting. Harper signed off his post asking: “What do you think? Have I gone stir crazy on hot cross buns, or could this be the first signs of the album that @ronniewood and @thisiswatt hinted at last year…?” Not at all. Very good detective work, sir.