Lifting the lid on Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything was part of the soundtrack of life for many of us in the ’80s and now a new documentary celebrates the Aussie band as it embarks on a 50th anniversary tour.
The songs of Mental As Anything were part of the soundscape of Australian life in the 1980s and now this much-loved Australian band is being celebrated in a feature documentary, Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story.
The doco will be released in cinemas across Australia on March 5, as the legendary band reforms for a 50th anniversary national tour with original members Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty. Keyboardist and Mentals legend Andrew Greedy Smith died tragically at the age of 63 in 2019. Martin Plaza and Dave Twohill were also key members but due to ill health will not be on the anniversary tour.
During the 1980s there was no other band – local or international – that had as many Top 40 singles. The band’s string of hits, including The Nips Are Getting Bigger, If You Leave Me Can I Come Too, Too Many Times and Berserk Warriors were radio staples throughout Australia, while their most famous song, Live it Up, travelled – soaring to the top of the charts in the UK and Europe.
The Mentals were a ratbag bunch of former art students, intent on sending up rock stardom as much as they revelled in creating classic pop for the masses. Emerging from Sydney’s inner-city art and new wave scene in the late 1970s, The Mentals soon charmed middle Australia with their sparkling melodies and absurdist antics, becoming one of the most enduringly popular bands in the country.
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Like all the great bands, Mental As Anything was an unlikely collection of five distinct individuals, four of whom were songwriters. Their 22 years together is the story of a group of dedicated artists avoiding the pitfalls of the music industry by being wise enough to never take any of it too seriously.
Not only were they master craftsmen of the pop song, but they were also maverick artists, using the band as their canvas. Pioneers of absurd music videos and an unmistakable style that defined them – their classic line up thrived for 21 years, playing more than 3000 gigs and leaving behind nine eclectic albums, shared equally between four quite different songwriters. Their influence as songwriters and, in particular, the art of guitarist Reg Mombassa, is enmeshed in Australian popular culture. The epic tale of Mental As Anything is unlike any in the annals of Oz Rock.
With never before seen archival footage and exclusive interviews with Reg Mombassa, Martin Plaza, Peter O’Doherty, David Twohill and the band’s inner circle, Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story is written and directed by Matthew Walker, (whose documentary I’m Wanita won Best Australian Documentary at the Sydney Film Festival in 2021), with Paul Clarke (Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, John Farnham: Finding The Voice) as supervising writer and post producer.
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Making the announcement Mombassa says: “It’s slightly weird to think that we started the Mentals 50 years ago but that’s how time work. The film captures the humour and the energy and the art and personalities of the band members. I am grateful that I was able to be in an interesting and popular band, and I feel proud of our legacy.”
O’Doherty says the film captures the essence of what it was like to be in an Australian band in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. “I’m reminded of how chaotic, creative, funny, and intense it all was,” he says.
Writer and director Walker says Mental As Anything was a part of everyday suburban life.
“As a kid, it seemed normal and correct that they existed, dressed in tin foil, singing unforgettable songs that made you happy,” Walker says. “Later, you realise how great those songs were and how much of an impact they had. This film is a celebration of the magic of The Mentals and their extraordinary story and is well overdue for the big screen.”
Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story is a Beyond Entertainment production in association with People Productions.
To mark the Mental As Anything 50th anniversary, the feature documentary will have its world premiere on February 24 at the Cremorne Orpheum, in Sydney, followed by a special Q&A with the band. The film is being theatrically released across Australia by Bonsai Films from March 5.
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