Mental As Anything | Artist
Mental As Anything is an Australian rock band formed 1976 in Sydney. The founding lineup was Martin Plaza vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa lead guitar, Peter O'Doherty bass, Wayne de Lisle drums, and Andrew "Greedy" Smith vocals, harmonica and keyboards. The band hit their peak in the 1980's releasing a string of hit singles, including "The Nips Are Getting Bigger", "Egypt", "Come Around", "Romeo and Juliet", "Too Many Times" and "If You Leave Me Can I Come Too?", which combined wry humour, pathos and a catchy new wave rock sound. The group formed at East Sydney Tech art school when Martin Murphy aka Martin Plaza met fellow student, New Zealand-born Chris O'Doherty aka Reg Mombassa. The duo brought art school mates Greedy Smith and Wayne de Lisle, along with Reg's brother Pete, to form the classic lineup. Their first performance was on the day news broke of Elvis Presley's death. They played numerous Elvis covers and two original songs, together with their usual set of blues, rockabilly, country and 1960s covers including Roy Orbison and the Monkees. In December 1978 the band issued a debut 3 track EP entitled Mental as Anything Plays at Your Party, which contained the hit single "The Nips Are Getting Bigger". Their debut album Get Wet was released in Nov 1979 and the band embarked on a national tour, supporting British rockers Rockpile, with members Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. Mental as Anything would go on to release a total of 13 studio albums, the last in 2009. Standout releases include Get Wet (1979), Cats & Dogs (1981), Creatures of Leisure (1983) and Liar Liar Pants on Fire (1995). The EP Mental as Anything Play at Your Party (1978) and the compilation Surf & Mull & Sex & Fun (2019) are also highly recommended. Plaza and Mombassa are both accomplished graphic artists, with Mombassa in particular famous for his irreverent works done for Mambo clothing. Reg and brother Peter O'Doherty left the Mentals to form the band Dog Trumpet. The 'Mentals' were first billed as "Mental as Anything" on 14 May 1976, after some early party appearances without a name. Prior to a dance gig, they provided the promoter with a list of possible names and he chose "Mental As Anything." The phrase "mental as anything" is late 1970s Australian slang for being crazy, outlandish, or having extreme fun.
Artist Website: mentalasanything.com
Featured Albums: Mental As Anything
Related Artists: Dog Trumpet, Martin Plaza
