The Rolling Stones' Secret Club Gig at El Mocambo as The Cockroaches (1977)

In March 1977, the Rolling Stones played two intimate shows at Toronto’s El Mocambo club under the goofy pseudonym “The Cockroaches.” They did it to slip into a small venue unnoticed and test out new material for their upcoming album Some Girls without the circus of their usual fame. The band even had the club’s sign swapped to read “The Cockroaches” so no one would catch on.

The ruse didn’t last long—local paper The Toronto Star got wind of it and blew the cover. Still, the gigs are legendary for capturing the Stones in a raw, unpolished mood, especially with the pressure of Keith Richards’ looming heroin possession arrest hanging over the whole trip. One of the performances was later released as part of the Love You Live album.