Fifty years on from their first Sydney pub gigs, Mental As Anything are hitting the road to prove they’re more than a nostalgia act.
Founding members Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa will lead a national headline tour in 2026 to mark the band’s 50th anniversary. The run kicks off at The Gov on June 12 before heading to Perth, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Melburnians will be able to catch them at the Northcote Theatre on 26 June 2026.
Formed by a group of Sydney art students in the mid-1970s, the band quickly turned sharp hooks and offbeat humour into a career that has stretched across five decades. Their catalogue reads like a greatest hits playlist embedded in Australian culture, with 25 Top 40 singles locally. Tracks like ‘The Nips Are Getting Bigger’, ‘If You Leave Me’, ‘Too Many Times’, ‘Come Around’ and the global smash ‘Live It Up’ remain fixtures on radio here and overseas.
Since their 1979 debut Get Wet, they’ve charted not just in Australia but in New Zealand, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. That crossover success never diluted their identity. If anything, it amplified it.
Beyond the music, Mombassa’s unmistakable artwork helped shape the band’s visual legacy, spanning posters, T shirts and album sleeves that became part of Australia’s pop culture fabric.
For the anniversary shows, O’Doherty and Mombassa will front a refreshed line up, keeping the spirit intact while ushering in a new chapter.
