The sight of the legendary Sydney bruisers Rose Tattoo in the genteel surroundings of Islington’s Assembly Hall may have seemed a little far from their usual dirty and sweaty club gigs, but you get the feeling as long as there’s a stage and electricity these boys would happily play and tear things up anywhere.
Whilst, after well over four decades on the road, the band may have lacked a little of the old intensity, they still have the power to strip most modern bands to the bone.
Rose Tattoo – Islington Assembly Hall – 25 July 2022
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Photography: Trudi Knight
After a two-year delay, the masters of switchblade barroom boogie are back on the road and their pugnacious set crackled with energy and fire, the sheer joy of being back on stage seeping through their cool and hard-as-nails exterior. This was rock ‘n’ roll, pure and simple, shorn of any fancy intros or effects, the only nod towards showmanship being the huge backdrop with their name emblazoned upon it and a simple, but effective, light show.
Rose Tattoo have never needed lasers or frenetic live shows, their workman-like ethos a million miles from the likes of Iron Maiden and KISS shows, just a reliance on music that comes in, batters and thrills in equal measure and then leaves to have a beer.
Fronting this all as ever, Angry Anderson is still the perfect frontman for this type of no-nonsense hellraising, glaring at the audience for the first few numbers and hardly speaking until way into the set. When he does start talking, there’s a glint in his eye and genuine warmth, his addressing the crowd as “brothers and sisters” a sincere connection to the many who’ve supported the band for years, the whole, one big decibel-hungry family. Matching the stage presence, his voice is still as strong as it ever was, rough-edged but shot through with soul, it brings the lyrics to bloodied and truculent life.
Out Of This Place kicks things off in suitably feral style, the band just strolling onstage, plugging in and letting loose. The slide work of Mick Arnold adds some great colour, and the following Scarred For Life keeping up the freight train momentum. The punky, ’50s influenced Rock n Roll is King is played with the same no-fuss attitude, while things turn dark and dangerous on Creeper.
The bouncy R&B of Juice On The Loose sounds like Dr Feelgood on steroids and a sledgehammer Nothin To Lose sees Bob Spencer crafting a tasty, liquid solo amongst the mayhem. Introducing Once In A Lifetime with the heartfelt and emotional “Let’s think about those we lost,” Anderson’s blues howl and the swinging groove are ball-crushingly powerful, the Tatts at their most effective and a snarlingly defiant Man About Town is equally devastating.
There’s no let-up as call-to-arms We Can’t Be Beaten leads straight into an extended Bad Boy For Love, featuring a delirious guitar workout between Arnold and Spencer, ex AC/DC bass player Mark Evans adding his own pipes to the gang vocals as he and Anderson prowl the stage.
A euphoric Rock n Roll Outlaw and Sweet Love Rock n Roll close the set before a blistering encore of Nice Boys Don’t Play Rock n Roll sees support band The Poor’s vocalist Anthony Skene joining them, arm around Anderson’s shoulders as they bring it home.
Classic, timeless, bristling with attitude and soaked in soul, Rose Tattoo are still the ultimate hard-rocking bar band and long may they continue. These are the real bad boys for life.
