Mental As Anything are once again digging deep into their catalogue, with founding members Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa steering the band back towards the guitar driven sound that shaped the group’s early years.
by Paul Cashmere
Mental As Anything’s Melbourne performance on 26 June 2026 showcased a band that has rapidly evolved since its return with Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa back at the helm. Celebrating 50 years since the band’s formation, the current line-up has developed into a muscular live act that reconnects with the distinctive guitar textures and deeper catalogue cuts that were largely absent from the group’s later years.
When the reconfigured Mental As Anything appeared at the St Kilda Festival earlier this year, the band was only three performances into its latest chapter. The line-up featuring singer and guitarist Simon Rudston-Brown, drummer Declan O’Doherty and keyboard player Shannon Stitt was still settling into its identity.
By mid-2026, the chemistry is considerably more assured. The songs have taken on a rockier edge, driven by the interplay between O’Doherty and Mombassa and by the return of Mombassa’s idiosyncratic guitar tunings, a key element of the band’s original sound.
The set remained respectful of the contributions of the late Greedy Smith and former frontman Martin Plaza. Signature songs including Greedy’s “Live It Up” and Plaza’s “The Nips Are Getting Bigger” retained their place as centrepieces, with both drawing strong audience participation.
What distinguished this performance, however, was the willingness to venture beyond the familiar hits. Mombassa’s “Egypt”, from the band’s 1979 debut album Get Wet, returned to the live repertoire, while O’Doherty’s “Berserk Warriors” and “Brain, Brain” also featured prominently.
The band’s renewed appetite for album material extended to songs such as “Troop Movements in the Ukraine” and “Psychedelic Peace Lamp”, tracks that were staples of early Mental As Anything records but rarely surfaced during the group’s latter-day touring years.
Not every expected cut has yet returned. O’Doherty’s “Close Again” and Mombassa’s “Spirit Got Lost”, both songs that would appear well suited to the current line-up, remain absent from the set.
Mental As Anything achieved 19 Australian Top 40 hits during an era when chart success translated directly into broad public recognition. Even with virtually every song in Melbourne attracting a singalong response, notable singles including “You’re So Strong”, “Date With Destiny” and “Let’s Go To Paradise” were missing.
Their omission does not necessarily signal permanent retirement. While 2026 marks 50 years since Mental As Anything first formed, significant anniversaries still lie ahead. The 50th anniversaries of both debut single “The Nips Are Getting Bigger” and debut album Get Wet will arrive in 2029, creating further opportunities to revisit the band’s extensive catalogue.
The renewed activity of Mental As Anything also sits alongside the continuing work of O’Doherty and Mombassa’s long-running side project Dog Trumpet. For now, however, the focus remains on rediscovering the band’s early material and presenting it with a revitalised energy.
Mental As Anything Setlist, Melbourne, 26 June 2026
Come Around (from Espresso Bongo, 1980)
Too Many Times (from Cats & Dogs, 1981)
Egypt (from Get Wet, 1979)
(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet (The Reflections cover, single, 1980)
Troop Movements In The Ukraine (from Espresso Bongo, 1980)
If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? (from Cats & Dogs, 1981)
Surf & Mull & Sex & Fun (from Fundamental, 1985)
Working For The Man (Roy Orbison cover, single, 1983)
He’s Just No Good For You (from Mouth To Mouth, 1987)
Psychedelic Peace Lamp (from Cats & Dogs, 1981)
Brain, Brain (from Creatures Of Leisure, 1983)
Berserk Warriors (from Cats & Dogs, 1981)
The World Seems Difficult (from Cyclone Raymond, 1989)
Looking For Bird (from Cats & Dogs, 1981)
Apocalypso (Wiping The Smile Off Santa’s Face) (single, 1986)
Nigel (from Liar Liar Pants On Fire, 1995)
Mr Natural (from Liar Liar Pants On Fire, 1995)
Live It Up (from Fundamental, 1985)
Encore
The Nips Are Getting Bigger (from Get Wet, 1979)
I Didn’t Mean To Be Mean (single, 1982)
Rock And Roll Music (Chuck Berry cover, from Cyclone Raymond, 1989)
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