Joe Clay, Carl Perkins, Jack Earls, Bill Monroe, The Maddox Brothers, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Carrol, Johnny Burnette, Sonny Burgess, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Horton, Ray Price, Sid King, Hank Williams, The Blue Caps, Johnny Burnette, Hasil Adkins, Jack Starr, Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon, Ronnie Self, Bloodshot Bill, Ray Condo, Bunker Hill, Link Wray, Little Richard, Larry Williams, Andre Williams, Screaming Joe, Don Covay, Junior Parker, JB, Coasters, Falcons, Gino Washington, Savage Kicks, Wild and Frantic, Desperate Rock and Roll, Birds, Monks, Stones, Sonics, Misfits, Real Kids, Cramps, Boulders, Nuggets, Pebbles, and more...
The Cockroaches formed in early 2005 when Saskatchewan transplant Eddy Blake began performing at Montreal’s legendary bluegrass and old time country jams, including the Wheel Club and the Barfly. It was here at the Barfly that Eddy met by chance the young talented guitarist Dale MacDonald. Upon seeing and hearing Eddy slap the bass, Dale did not hesitate to approach and inform Eddy that they would soon play in a band together. Much taken in by this Nova Scotians confidence and charisma, Eddy quickly agreed. The very next day, the two met at Eddy’s and began dropping the needle on their favorite records, playing along with the tracks over and over until in a single afternoon they had mastered a small repertoire consisting of the likes Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Joe Clay, Elvis Presley, Johnny Horton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Ike Turner, Link Wray and others (not unlike the Beatles or the Rolling Stones!). Not long after Eddy left Flesh, the psychobilly outfit with which he had been performing, and the Cockroaches were born.
Within weeks fortune again smiled upon the young bassist at the Wheel Club, a Montreal institution of old country and rockabilly. It was on this auspicious occasion that, while performing at a rockabilly jam along side some of Montreal’s rockabilly greats including Slim Sandy and Guillaume Ozoux, drummer Danny M___ took notice of the stranger’s savage talent. They conversed, exchanged numbers and agreed that the three would jam shortly after. Little did Eddy know that this wild eyed and mysterious cad with which he was speaking was known by many names, including Skid Marks, Colonel Lingus and Dan Pedro Dorito, a punk rock legend in his own right who had performed with The Spaceshits, The Sexereenos, The Del Gators, The CPC Gangbangs and others!
The three soon met at a dingy by-the-hour jam space on Rue Beaubien. Quickly the potential was seen, as within a few short sessions the trio had already penned a set of original material which could hold it’s own against the set of rockin’ 50’s covers they had learned just weeks before! I mean the sound was way out there, unstoppable! Like junior Caesars looking for a gang war, they created a beat and sound all of their own, and it hit like a Tommy gun aimed at the squares!
The mayhem that ensued is a blur to all. I mean, when these three greased-up bopcats took the stage all senses were lost and taken over by the beat. Band and fans alike, peoples eyes rolled back in their heads, foam formed at their mouth and they began to shake, stammer and convulse as though possessed by demons! There was no stopping it, feared and admired, adored and abhorred, the Cockroaches were an unstoppable force of musical savagery!
The group continued on this way, performing shows and shows, any time any where they could. They released one 45 rpm EP and a full length CD in 2006 and 2007 respectively. They were featured as the ‘bad boys of the rockabilly scene’ on Bravos TV documentary Rockabilly 514. They performed along side some of their heroes at Montreal’s Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly fest as well as Torontos rip it up weekender, and even performed on the Van’s Warped Tour. They received much critical acclaim and earned their status as legends in rockabilly’s seedy underbelly of the rock and roll scene. However, in late 2008 following an extremely well received European tour the Cockroaches sadly disbanded.
All three members still currently reside in Montreal and are all active on the music scene. Dale is much acclaimed as the lead guitarist of Montreal’s 60’s punkers Chocolat, in addition to his role in the rising star which is Red Mass. Danny performs in Chocolat as well and, as adept in art and fashion as he is in music, he is in the process of creating a much anticipated business. Eddy Blake currently records and tours with the United Steel Workers of Montreal and is expected to release an album of brand new original material exploring the honky-tonk side of rock and roll in the near future. Rock and roll is dead, long live rock and roll!
"Sounds like it was not only recorded live, but recorded live down a tin can to a tape recorder at the other end of a phone, and sounding great for it!" - Mark Lamarr, BBC Radio 2
I’ve been a music journalist for more than 10 years. Over the years, many artists and managers have asked me what the best way to break into the European music market is.
Here are some things you can do:
Publish artist press releases, news, and tour dates to the CountryHome Forum on MySpace, http://groups.myspace.com/CountryHomeMagazine , CountryHome Forum is part of CountryHome, http://www.CountryHome.de , Germany's Premier Country Music Online Magazine. Everything you publish to the CountryHome Forum will be published in my weekly Newsletter which has over 80,000 readers.
Send me CDs and DVDs for review and set up an artist interview with me. All reviews and interviews will be submitted to the magazines I'm writing for. More information for which magazines I'm writing can be found at http://www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
Upload artist videos to http://www.MyVideo.de and http://www.ClipFish.de . Both websites are like http://www.YouTube.com and uploading videos is free. The websites are completely in German. If you don’t speak German and need assistance, I will help you open an account and upload a video for 25 Euro. Each additional video upload for the same artist name and at the same video website is 10 Euro.
If you have more questions about the European music market or about any of the information I send to you today, please contact me at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de too.
Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany
MONGREL ZINE #7 IS OUT NOW
The new Halloween issue of Mongrel Zine is full of spooky delights!
Haunted George schools us on Halloween sound effects and his
Garagepunk podcast Haunted Shack Theatre, King Louie charms us with
tales of stealin’ Lil Wayne’s wardrobe girl and drinking with Fats
Domino, Vancouver’s newest garage band Indian Wars find the best
skateparks, Inservibles tell us about Mexico City’s best tacos from
what is a shitty mechanics workshop during the day and taco stand by
night, a rare interview with the late Billy Van from The Hilarious
House of Frightenstein, vintage Halloween collector Mark Ledenbach,
plus Box Elders, The TVees, Hard Feelings, HYPSTRZ, The Orpheans,
Corpusse, Telekrimen, and tonnes more…
This issue includes Mongrel Zine Vol. 4 CD Comp with 28 tracks
including Bloodshot Bill’s “In the Graveyard…!” written especially for
this Halloween issue of Mongrel Zine!
Today I would like to ask you if you like to help me to support country music.
If you like to help me, please add me to your top buddy list and inform your friends about me.
When you like more information about country music in Germany please feel free to contact me.
Please submit artist news, reviews and events to CountryHome Forum, http://groups.myspace.com/CountryHomeMagazine , so I can keep German country fans up to date about their favorit country stars.
