Martin Plaza and I started the band in 1976 with a couple of fellow art students, Dave Twohill and Steve Coburn. My brother Peter O'Doherty joined the following year replacing Steve on the bass and Andrew Greedy Smith joined us on harmonica and keyboards in 1977.
We left the Mentals 25 years ago to pursue our art careers and put more time into our band Dog Trumpet which we formed in 1991.
We have reformed the Mentals to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band. Unfortunately, due to ill health Martin and Dave will not be playing with us though Dave will be making some special appearances. We've put together a great band which we will introduce to you all in the near future. cheers Reg
LEGACY
What began as a Sydney pub band formed by a few art students has, over fifty years, grown into one of Australia’s most successful and beloved musical acts. Boasting the highest number of hit songs of any Australian band, their influence extends beyond music— their film clips, poster art, album covers, and T-shirt designs are now among the most recognisable and iconic examples of Australian pop art.
Now 50 years later, Mental As Anything Reunites. Original Members Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty Announce 2026 Tour Celebrating 50 Years.
Australia’s legendary band Mental As Anything is set to make a historic comeback in 2026 — the first in 25 years — as original founding members Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty reunite, leading an exciting new lineup to perform once again under the iconic banner Mental As Anything.
The 2026 tour will mark the band’s 50th anniversary, celebrating five decades of musical excellence with a series of exclusive festival appearances and select headline shows. Known for their infectious melodies, sharp wit, and unmistakable sound, the ARIA Hall of Fame inductees have carved out an enduring place in Australia’s cultural and musical history.
With 25 Top 40 hits in Australia, Mental As Anything’s catalogue includes beloved classics such as The Nips Are Getting Bigger, Egypt, If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?, Too Many Times, Come Around, Berserk Warriors, Mr Natural and the international smash Live It Up — a song that continues to receive regular airplay across the UK and Europe more than three decades after topping charts around the world.
Since the release of their debut album Get Wet in 1979, Mental As Anything have achieved chart success in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, and Canada, with a No. 4 in the UK, No. 3 in Germany, and No. 1 in Scandinavia.
This landmark 50th anniversary tour offers fans a rare and unforgettable opportunity to experience the band’s timeless hits live once more — alongside new surprises that showcase their unique blend of songwriting, artistry, and performance flair.
Don’t miss your chance to celebrate one of Australia’s most iconic and enduring bands as they return to the stage in 2026.
1977 – 16th August (the night Elvis died).
MENTAL AS ANYTHING (Reg Mombassa, Greedy Smith, Martin Plaza, Wayne ‘Bird’ Delisle and Peter O’Doherty) perform together for the first time at the Cellblock Theatre, East Sydney Tech. Start a year long residency at the Unicorn Hotel, Sydney (using the pool table as their stage).
1978 - Move to the Civic Hotel, Sydney, for another year long residency on a larger stage.
1979 - The Nips Are Getting Bigger and the album Get Wet hit Top 20 in Australia. Nips released in UK, reaches indy Top 40.
1980 - Come Around off the album Espresso Bongo manages to hit Top 20. Release another hit single (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet Dec ’80
1981 - If You Leave Me Can I Come Too? & Too Many Times, two of the year’s biggest singles off the Platinum Album Cats And Dogs. Too Many Times goes to number 19 in Canada.
1982 - Tour USA. Release single I Didn’t Mean To Be Mean (produced by Elvis Costello). First single, Close Again, from the album Creatures Of Leisure. Band tours U.S and Canada.
1983 - Spirit Got Lost & Brain, Brain released off Top 10 album Creatures Of Leisure. Also release cover of Roy Orbison’s Working For The Man. Too Many Times hits Top 20 in Canada as the band tours Canada and USA – First Group Art Exhibition, with works by each of the band members, held at Watters Gallery, Darlinghurst (Sydney). Buyers included Patrick White and Elton John. (White later bequeathed one of Reg’s works to The Art Gallery of NSW)
1984 - Apocalypso (Wiping The Smile Off Santa’s Face) the band’s only Christmas single
1985 - Fundamental As Anything – Platinum Best Selling Australian Album – Live It Up – Best Selling Australian Single – singles You’re So Strong( No. 8) / Date With Destiny(No. 18) – multi platinum Greatest Hits Vol I goes to No. 2 on the charts – Live It Up received Apra award for most performed work and Countdown award for best single and song writer.
1986 - Live It Up -no.1 in Scandinavia No.2 in Germany and No.3 in the U.K – Band tours UK, Holland, Spain and Italy (Band wins coveted Telegatto award on Italian TV)
1987 - Release Top 20 album Mouth To Mouth. Singles Let’s Go To Paradise & He’s Just No Good For You also enter Top 20.
– Also release a Top 40 cover of Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender
– Band tours UK again and then N.E. USA and Canada with Robert Palmer.
1988 - Rock & Roll Music from the film soundtrack YOUNG EINSTEIN reaches No. 6 on the charts
1989 - Another Top 40 Album – Cyclone Raymond with the No.15World Seems Difficult and top 5 hit Rock n Roll music.
1990 - Then deputy Prime Minister, Paul Keating, opens second Mental As Anything Art Exhibition with works by all five Mentals attracting huge critical acclaim. It tours Tamworth at the Country Music Festival, travelling on to Melbourne, Lismore, Campbelltown and back to Sydney.
1993 - Release B Sides and rarities album Chemical Travel
1994 - Bicycle EP Tour – limited copies of the EP given away to loyal fans around the country – Radio picks up Mr Natural off the Bicycle EP CD sampler
1995 - The album Liar, Liar Pants on Fire enters the top 40, to glowing reviews, and the single Mr Natural hits Top 30. Two other singles are released – Nigel, which instantly becomes a radio hit, and Whole Wide World, a cover originally written and recorded by Reckless Eric.
1996 - Marianne, the final single from Liar, Liar…, is released and the band retreat into the studio to work extensively on their new album., An appearance at the Mountain Rock Festival in New Zealand, followed by the Australian Tour with Chris Isaak and a tour of New Zealand with The Exponents.
1997 - Release Garage LP. Mentals III art exhibition opened in Sydney by ex- PM Gough Whitlam. This exhibition then tours Australia continuously till late 2002.
1998 - Tour UK
1999 - Bass player and songwriter Peter O’Doherty leaves the band to become a full-time painter. He goes on to win numerous art prizes and continues to this day to have very successful exhibitions around Australia and abroad. He is replaced by Rockhampton raised David Barraclough who had spent the previous seven years as guitarist for New Zealand pop rock idols The Exponents. He decides to switch to bass for The Mentals.
2000 - Mentals play Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam on Australia day. Soon after, Reg Mombassa leaves the band to concentrate on his art. He is a major designer for the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. He also continues as a major designer for Mambo Surfwear and he continues to have sell-out exhibitions of his painting, drawing and print making, both in Australia and overseas. Both Peter and Reg will continue to successfully perform and record as Reg and Pete’s Dog Trumpet. Meanwhile back in the Mentals, Reg is replaced on guitar by Murray Cook, a gifted multi-instrumentalist who has played with Midnight Oil, Warumpi Band, Mixed Relations, Marlene Cummings, Leah Purcell and Lock, Stock and Darryl. Recorded Beetroot Stains album produced by the band, recorded by David Barraclough, mixed by John Haeny, Andrew Beck and Jonathon Burnside.
Liar Liar Pants on Fire
Reg's art took the ARIA Award for "Best Australian Cover Art" for Mental as Anything's CD Liar Liar Pants on Fire in 1996.
Reg has also created cover art for Mondo Rock, The Stetsons, Bellydance, Floyd Vincent and the Childbrides, Dog Trumpet, Mary-Jo Starr, PIL, and Crowded House.
