Rock Monsters Romania

Rocanotherworld is nearing the end of its 2025 anniversary edition, and what better way to close it than with a band full of experience.

Cuibul, one of Moldova’s most iconic rock bands, is celebrating over 30 years of musical evolution. Blending funk, rock, grunge, and folk, their sound has always been diverse and ever-changing.

Their latest album, Vamos, marks a new chapter for the band, combining old favorites with fresh material. Recorded between 2022 and 2024, Vamos features songs in Romanian, English, and German, capturing the band’s essence while aiming to expand their presence in Romania and Europe.

Before hopping on the festival stage, we talked with them about their latest album, as well as their expectations for the festival.

You are a band with a lot of experience, having performed on stage for over 30 years. How do you compare regular concerts to festivals? What are the advantages of each format?

After more than three decades on stage, we’ve learned to appreciate the unique energy of each format. Regular concerts — in clubs, theaters, headlining shows — are more intimate. You really feel the connection with the audience, create the atmosphere from the first to the last note, and can tell a story through the setlist.

Festivals are beautiful chaos. You’re playing for a very diverse audience — from loyal fans to random listeners. There’s an energy of unpredictability, and that pushes us to give it our all. A festival is a celebration of the community: music lovers, musicians, organizers — all together. It reminds us of why we started making music in the first place.

Last year, you released the album Vamos!. How did the audience receive it?

With Vamos! we wanted to show another side of Cuibul’s creativity — we returned to the traditions of the ’90s. It’s rock music at its best — something we know how to do well. Not much time has passed since Vamos! has been released, and we’re still in the process of promoting it to a larger audience.

Was there any special moment during your Romanian tour last year that changed your perspective on something?

It’s great to see that the rock scene in Romania is alive and evolving. The key takeaway is that it’s important to stay active and perform live as much as possible. That’s why the band will have several setlists — both for big rock festivals and smaller club gigs.

Next week, you have a concert in Bucharest, where you’ve already performed several times last year. What are your impressions of the local audience? What do you like most about them?

Bucharest is a very conservative city. The audience varies from place to place, and each venue has its own crowd. Surprisingly, it’s true — those who go to Expirat won’t go to Control or The Pub; those who attend Hard Rock Cafe won’t go to Berăria H. That must be considered when planning concerts. At the same time, the audience here is open, passionate, and always appreciates professional performances. We haven`t sensed indifference — people come to truly listen, feel, and engage. We really value that. Every visit here is a new challenge.

After that, you will perform at the Rocanotherworld festival. How do you feel about this performance? What should the audience expect from your set?

We’re glad we were invited and we’re well prepared. We’ll do our best to deliver great sound, and rock ‘n’ roll lovers will get what they came for! We’re sure it’ll be great — both we and the audience will enjoy it.

What message would you like to send to the people who are planning to come to your performance at Rocanotherworld and are reading this interview?

It’s our first time at this festival, and we’re not headliners — we hope our show will be a pleasant surprise. We’ll do our best to live up to the high standard always shown by bands from the Republic of Moldova.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the festival. Do you have a special message for the organizers?

A 10-year anniversary speaks for itself — the festival is established and has become a tradition. It’s wonderful that such a festival exists in our region, and the organizers have plenty of room to grow — uniting music lovers from both sides of the Prut.

Tickets and multi-day passes are still available on the official website (www.rocanotherworld.com), so don’t miss the opportunity to see your favourite bands live!

Interview by Radu Mihai