Tarakany! (that’s cockroaches, to you and me) began life in Moscow, Russia (USSR back then) in 1991. Communism was failing, the cold war was ending and punk was emerging in the public eye for the first time in Russia, the voice of angry youth began to be heard. Tarakany! was one of the first punk bands to emerge from the new Russian Federation, and have remained strong ever since. The band has taken part in the Learn to Swim movement of punk and alternative musicians against fascism and hard drugs.

For the first 10 years of the band’s live Tarakany! released Duty Free Songs ’92, Best Before… ’95, Ukral?Vypil?! v Turmu!!! ’97, Posadki Net ’98, Popcorm ’00, Strah i Nenavist ‘02. During the “Strah i Nenavist” tour they performed more than 30 gigs in one and a half months and traveled 10,000 km from the western to the eastern border of Russia, through Siberia, Ukraine and other CIS countries. That was the first long-time tour in the Russian music history for punk band covering such distance.

Until 2004, Tarakany!, despite their popularity in Russia, was relatively unknown outside their home country. This has changed with the release of their 7th studio album, Freedom Street, now available on Zurich Chainsaw Massacre Records. The other albums began distributing in Europe and other parts of the world by ZCM Records / Road to Ruin distribution. All releases were highly rated in punk and rock zines all over the world.

They’ve toured Japan as well as parts of Europe, along with touring and playing open-airs in Russia. In 2003 Tarakany! organized a Russian tour, which ended with three shows in collaboration project with the legendary Marky Ramone under the name Marky Ramone & The Pinhead Army.

In January 2005 Tarakany! toured Europe with Marky Ramone on a special Ramones Night tour. Tarakany! played a set of their own songs and then a set of the Ramones hits with Marky on drums.

Tarakany! has been influenced by the Ramones, Bad Religion, Pennywise, Social Distortion and others, played/toured with the Stranglers, the Exploited, Toy Dolls, Misfits, the Monsters, MxPx, Sex Pistols, but don’t try and pigeonhole them. They may be a punk band, but you’ll also hear influences from ska, metal, and other genres floating through their songs.

Now Tarakany! is one of the most popular punk‘n’roll bands in Russia and CIS countries. Band’s music videos were aired by the music channels incl. MTV Russia, the songs became radio hits on the main rock stations, and the band was nominated and won various music awards including Punk Act of the Year in 2006. A special punk issue of BRAVO Magazine came out with Tarakany! on the front cover.

Since 1991 Tarakany! has released 12 albums and performed in more then 1300 concerts in Russia, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and even Kazakhstan. In Finland Tarakany! took part in Ilosaarirock open-air festival with such names as Agnostic Front, Backyard Babies, Skatalites, Anthrax, Monster Magnet, MC 5).