An iconic frontman of the 1980s musical scene has vulnerably revealed he has “mixed emotions” ahead of his band’s farewell performance at this end of this year.
Gary “Angry” Anderson of the Australian rock and roll band Rose Tattoo — a songwriter, television personality, and actor, as well as a singer — is known for his distinctively raw, gravelly, and high-energy singing style.
He’s performed as the lead singer in Rose Tattoo since 1976 — a full half a century ago — making him the band’s longest-tenured remaining member.
Angry Anderson, now 78, has recently opened up about his feelings regarding the band’s imminent goodbye, which will happen in their final show on December 31, 2026.
Angry Anderson Thought He Was ‘Fine’ About Rose Tattoo’s Farewell
GettyAngry Anderson was speaking to Peter Kerr on the January 25 episode of the music video blog Rock Daydream Nation when he opened up about his band’s upcoming farewell performance on their 50th anniversary.
As transcribed by Blabbermouth.net, Anderson said, “The end of the year, when I wake up on the morning, the first morning of ’27, I’ll wake up, and the band will be gone.”
Kerr asked Anderson if he has “mixed emotions” about his band coming to an end, and he replied in the most heartfelt way.
Anderson said, “Yeah. I thought I was fine.”
He continued, “I thought when you pre-empt something, or you have pre-knowledge, and I don’t mean to be gloomy, but when you know someone — I’ve just lost someone rather dear to me, yet another person, to cancer just recently, and we knew she was terminally ill. And so we had this two-years-plus of leading up to it — constant treatment, talking about it, blah, blah, blah — but it didn’t prepare me for the shock.”
GettyAnderson went on, “And it reminded me of losing the other members of the band. We all knew, months in some cases, years ahead of time, that they were terminally ill, but when it actually happens… And that’s just human nature. That’s just what happens.”
The band members Anderson was referring to are numerous. They are founding members Pete Wells and Ian Rileny, guitarist and songwriter Mick Cocks, drummer Dallas “Digger” Royall, guitarist John Meyer, and bassists Lobby Loyde and Nell Smith.
Anderson clearly missed his friends, as his emotional words revealed. There’s no doubt he’ll do his former bandmates proud as he and the current Rose Tattoo lineup perform one last time this coming New Year’s Eve.
Anderson and Rose Tattoo Have Enjoyed Great Success
GettyAngry Anderson and Rose Tattoo will leave a huge, gaping hole in the world of rock and roll when they stop performing.
Per Discogs, they’ve released 13 albums, 25 singles and EPs, 12 compilations, and three videos.
Their most popular songs include 1977’s “Bad Boy for Love”, 1978’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw”, 1982’s “We Can’t Be Beaten,” and 1985’s cover of Steppenwolf’s iconic “Born to Be Wild.”
In addition to his fabulous contribution to the world of music, Anderson was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for his role as a youth advocate, in 1993.
Per IMDb, his acting credits include roles in movies like 1983’s “At Last… Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture”, 1985’s “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” and 2003’s “Fat Pizza.”
We’d like to wish Angry Anderson and his bandmates all the best for 2026, their final performance, and the future after their time in Rose Tattoo ends.
