Mental as Anything's New Documentary and Tour Revive Band's Legacy
One of Australia's most successful pop bands, Mental as Anything, is reliving their storied career through a new documentary and a national tour, bringing what they call the 'original flavour' back to the stage. The documentary, titled Live It Up: The Mental as Anything Story, premieres in Australian cinemas on 5 March, while the band, featuring original members Reg Mombassa and Peter O'Doherty, will tour through June.
Astonishing Moments and Football Anthems
Among the surreal scenes in the documentary's opening is footage of tens of thousands of Scottish football fans passionately singing the band's 1985 hit Live It Up as a war chant. Guitarist Reg Mombassa recalls, 'We were just astonished by that ... and reasonably happy about it suddenly being sung by tens of thousands of Glaswegians.' Rangers fans adopted the song as an anthem, propelling it to the top of British charts and cementing its place in pop culture history.
From Art Students to Hit Machine
The documentary chronicles the band's journey from a group of art students at Sydney College of the Arts to an international hit machine. Formed in 1976 by Mombassa and Martin Plaza, the band quickly gained a following with their distinctive sound, blending Mombassa's unique slide guitar with Plaza's golden voice. They were joined by Peter O'Doherty on bass, Dave Twohill on drums, and Andrew 'Greedy' Smith on vocals and keyboards.
In 1977, the band became a staple at the Unicorn hotel in Paddington, attracting hipsters and punk rockers alike. Their success led to a record deal with Regular, with their first release, The Nips Are Getting Bigger, becoming a hit. Over the years, they achieved 24 Top 40 entries, more than any other Australian artist at the time.
Highs, Lows, and Artistic Struggles
In 1985, the band moved to Sony and released Fundamental, which included the massive hit Live It Up. However, this period also marked the beginning of their struggles, as increased budgets and reduced artistic control led to tensions. American producer Richard Gottehrer favored Greedy's sentimental songs over the band's ironic tracks, shifting their sound towards drum machines and keyboards.
O'Doherty reflects on this era, saying, 'I hated it ... I felt dismal as a musician.' The band's party lifestyle, including heavy drinking, exacerbated these issues, leading to internal conflicts and lineup changes. By 2000, the O'Doherty brothers left to focus on their side project Dog Trumpet and painting, though friendships remained until a rift in 2004 resulted in Twohill's dismissal and a legal battle.
Revival Through Documentary and Tour
The documentary, directed by Matthew Walker, captures the band's peaks and troughs, inspiring Mombassa and O'Doherty to revive the band for a tour. They recruited new members, including guitarist Simon Rudston-Brown, keyboard player Shannon Stitt, and O'Doherty's son Declan on drums. O'Doherty notes, 'We were concerned whether it's gonna sound authentic enough to do justice to the songs themselves.'
The tour setlist includes hits, deep cuts, and eccentric covers, with the band expressing sadness over the absence of Greedy Smith, who died in 2019. Mombassa adds, 'It's a shame Greedy didn't see the recent success in the UK. He would have been delighted.'
Live It Up: The Mental as Anything Story is in cinemas from 5 March, with the band touring Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, and Brisbane in June.
