The enduring power of a good pop song, apparently, transcends national identity and even sporting rivalries. The footage of Scottish football fans adopting Mental As Anything’s “Live It Up” as an anthem – a phenomenon detailed in the new documentary about the band – isn’t just a quirky anecdote. It’s a potent reminder of music’s ability to bypass carefully constructed marketing campaigns and tap directly into collective emotion. And, crucially, it’s a fantastic bit of free publicity as the band embarks on a new tour.
- The documentary, “Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story,” arrives in Australian cinemas March 5th, promising a look behind the scenes of the band’s unlikely success.
- Internal tensions and creative differences, particularly following a move to a major label, played a significant role in the band’s trajectory.
- The current lineup, featuring original members Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty, is touring Australia with a new lineup, approved by former members.
This film arrives at a moment when music documentaries are less about hagiography and more about deconstructing the myth. The story of Mental As Anything – art students stumbling into international hits, then navigating the treacherous waters of record label interference, drinking, and lawsuits – is ripe for that treatment. The band’s move to Sony in 1985, and the subsequent influence of producer Richard Gottehrer, is presented as a pivotal moment, a classic case study in how artistic control can be eroded in pursuit of commercial success. It’s a narrative familiar to many artists, and one that resonates particularly strongly in an era where streaming algorithms and label pressures often dictate creative direction.
The documentary’s timing is also shrewd. The band’s resurgence, spurred by the film and culminating in a national tour, feels less like a nostalgia act and more like a reclamation of their legacy. The approval from former members Martin Plaza and Dave Twohill is key here; it avoids the messy optics of a fractured reunion and positions the current iteration as a respectful continuation of the band’s spirit. The fact that the offers for gigs, including a spot at Bluesfest, came quickly suggests a pre-existing appetite for a Mental As Anything revival, cleverly amplified by the film’s promotional push.
The absence of Greedy Smith, who passed away in 2019, casts a shadow over the tour, but the band acknowledges his enduring enthusiasm as a driving force. The success of “Live It Up” in the UK, particularly its adoption by Scottish football fans, is a poignant reminder of the song’s enduring appeal – and a fitting tribute to Smith’s contribution. The band’s ability to navigate this loss while simultaneously reigniting their career will be a crucial test. If they can successfully balance honoring their past with embracing the future, Mental As Anything could prove that even a “party band” can have a lasting legacy.
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