Rose Tattoo, The Poor @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 13/4/2024
The Poor hit the stage full of energy and the amps turned up to eleven. If there is a band who fully deserve to support Rose Tattoo, it is The Poor. Separated by only ten years from which each of the bands were formed, The Poor had obviously listened to the Tatts in their youth. Vocalist Anthony “Skenie” Skene was taunting the audience from the start, but in a fine humorous way.
“Who doesn’t like us? I’m gonna come down there and hit you” he laughed several times.
Trouble and Tell Someone Who Cares had the audience pumped. At one stage Skenie laughed “I think most of the audience are my family”. They have a new album out and several songs were played from the album, including a full-on Payback’s a Bitch.
The band bludgeoned their way through the set to “that song”, More Wine, Waiter Please. “Shit, do you know it’s been thirty years since we released this one. We have re-recorded it with a few friends and it will be out soon”. What friends he didn’t say, but it rocked the room as it was.
Rose Tattoo have been gracing Australian stages for nearly fifty years, Angry even longer, in other bands. They are an Australian Rock N Roll legendary band who have always liked to play it LOUD! Tonight was no different, and while The Poor may have taken it to eleven, the Tatts simply surpass that. The band are all dressed in Rose Tattoo vests, black and denim of course. Angry starts proceeding with a “acknowledgement of all the ADF (Australian Defence Forces) who do a great job. Also, to the medico’s who are OK as well. Not sure about the Police though.”
The opening strains to Rock ‘n’ Roll is King sound out and the crowd goes nuts. And they go nuts all night as almost all the songs come from the first four albums. Angry looks almost graceful moving around the stage slowly, stopping to leer at someone in the crowd occasionally. But it’s all in good fun.
“We have never played the Arts venue before” commented Angry. “Arts? We played a lots of Arse venues, prisons etc” he smiled. Sweet Love (Rock N Roll) was the newest song played, from 2020’s Outlaws album, although it was originally a demo for their first album in 1978. The band currently has Micky Arnold on slide guitar, Mark Evans on bass, Paul DeMarco on bass and a very young Ronnie Simmons on guitar, who was making the most of the opportunity.
“Are you proud to be Australian?” asks Angry, leading into Southern Stars, followed by 1854, a song about the Eureka Stockade. Unfortunately, I Wish which was on the set list wasn’t played. Maybe it doesn’t fit the heavy music of the other songs.
Prior to Remedy, memories came flooding back when Angry asked “Anyone remember that Pooraka Hotel?”. I am guessing he meant the Bridgeway, where I first saw the Tatts in the beer barn that was the band room. Everything was played faster for All the Lessons before the run home of songs from the self-titled 1978 debut album. Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw, Bad Boy for Love, Astra Wally and Nice Boys for Love powered the set towards home.
It was extremely LOUD! They are the Motorhead of Australia and yes, I know the adage “If it is too loud, your too old”. I am old but I do like to hear what the song has to offer these days and let’s face it; Rose Tattoo songs have a lot to offer. It would be nice to be able to listen to the music rather than be pounded with a sound that, on occasions, took awhile to work out what the song is. Small quibble as I do indeed love the Tatts. Saying that, I could never imagine an acoustic tour from the band.
Live Review Geoff Jenke