The Cockroaches

Australian pub rock band The Cockroaches was formed in 1979 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by brothers Paul (lead vocals), John (rhythm guitar) and Anthony Field (lead guitar) while attending boarding school, inviting Tony Henry (drums), Bruce Hatfield (bass) and Joseph Hallion (Saxophone) to join the group two years later. Heavily influenced by British band The Rolling Stones, the band took their name from an obscure alias used by lead singer Keith Richard, initially playing school performances, followed by cover gigs in local bars, despite being under the legal drinking age. Honing their craft throughout the 1980s, the band began to write their own songs, releasing their first single in July 1980, “I Want a Leather Jacket” followed by “Bingo Bango” in June the following year, undergoing several changes in the band’s line up, inviting Jeff Fatt (keyboards) and replacing Hatfield (and later Geoff O'Reagan) with Phil Robinson (bass). Known for their dynamic live performances, the group developed a large following, thanks to exposure via Australian variety show Hey, Hey it’s Saturday. Gaining traction with single “Wait Up” in August, 1986, the band released debut album The Cockroaches in March the next year to critical acclaim, which included popular singles “She’s the One”, “Some Kind of Girl” and “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)”, charting at number 9 and certified platinum (and later, gold). Touring extensively throughout Australia, the group drew large crowds at every performance, touring with high profile Australian bands Mental As Anything, the Hoodoo Gurus and INXS. The band’s second album Fingertips was released in 1988, peaking at number 32, with single “Hey What Now” reaching the top 40. The band reached its pinnacle in 1988, performing in front of over 90,000 fans at World Expo 88, before Paul Field’s departure following a family tragedy and Anthony Field who returned to tertiary studies, and starting children's group The Wiggles in 1991 – which later attained staggering worldwide acclaim. Meanwhile, The Cockroaches released third album Positive in the same year, with single "Here Comes That Feeling" featuring in the Russell Crowe film The Crossing. Reuniting for one final recording in 1994, the Field brothers were once again joined by Fatt, Henry and Mackie on St Patrick’s Day 10am. Coming together ten years later for two performances, the band released greatest hits album Hey Let’s Go! in 2014; a compilation of their most popular material from 1984 to 1994.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.