Rose Tattoo
About
Rose Tattoo is an Australian blues/hard rock band, led by Angry Anderson and slide guitarist Peter Wells. Among their best known songs are “We Can’t Be Beaten”, “Scarred for Life” and “Bad Boy for Love” (co-written by Ian Rilen.) Their first four albums were produced by Harry Vanda and George Young who also worked with AC/DC. Along with AC/DC and The Angels, Rose Tattoo helped establish an Australian rock sound in the 1970s that was copied around the world.
History
Rose Tattoo was formed in Sydney in 1976 by ex-Buffalo bassist Peter Wells (on slide guitar); with the additions of former Buster Brown vocalist Angry Anderson, guitarist Mick Cocks, bassist Ian Rilen and drummer Dallas “Digger” Royal, the group made their public debut on New Year’s Eve at the local club Chequers, which several years earlier launched the career of AC/DC.
Chiefly inspired by The Rolling Stones and the Faces, Rose Tattoo’s hard-rocking sound quickly earned a devoted following in the Sydney area. Among the band’s fans were the members of AC/DC, who recommended them to Albert Productions; the band’s debut single “Bad Boy for Love” was written by Rilen, who left the lineup prior to the record’s release.
Videos
Bad Boy For Love. Live 1981.
Black Eyed Bruiser 2007
Members
- Angry Anderson – Vocals
- Paul DeMarco – Drums
- Mick Cocks – Guitar
- Dai Pritchard – Slide Guitar
- Steve King – Bass
- Peter Wells – Slide Guitar
- Ian Rilen – Bass
- Dallas “Digger” Royall – Drums
- Chris Turner – Guitar
- Rob Riley – Guitar
- Geordie Leach – Bass
- Lobby Loyde – Bass
- Greg Jordan – Guitar
- John Meyer – Guitar
- Scott Johnston – Drums
- Andy Cichon – Bass
- Tim Gaze – Guitar
- Pete Jenkins – Guitar
- Robert Bowron – Drums
- Bob Spencer – Guitar
- Jackie Barnes – Drums
Recordings
- Rose Tattoo – 1978
- Assault & Battery – 1981
- Scarred for Life – 1982
- Southern Stars – 1984
- Beats From A Single Drum – 1986. Later released as an Angry Anderson solo album
- Nice Boys Don’t Play Rock N Roll – 1992. Compilation
- 25 to Life – 2000. Live album
- Pain – 2002
- Best of Rose Tattoo – 2005. Compilation
- Blood Brothers – 2007
Images
Other Resources
Known Gigs
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 28/01/77 | Parramatta (NSW) | Parramatta Park |
| 10/12/77 | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 24/06/78 | Bondi Junction | Bondi Lifesaver |
| 23/02/79 | Edensor Park | Marconi Club |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 29/06/79 | Bondi | Astra Hotel |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 08/09/79 | Parramatta | Parramatta Jail |
| 01/12/79 | Edensor Park | Marconi Club |
| + The Angels, Cold Chisel, Flowers, Dave Warner, The Hitmen | ||
| 08/12/79 | Sydney | Capitol Theatre |
| 30/01/83 | Somersby | Narara Music Festival 1983 |
| 09/07/83 | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| + The Angels | ||
| 09/09/83 | Fairy Meadow, NSW | Cabbage Tree Hotel |
Hello from France,
Here on my podcast MELTINGPOD you could find fresh and new interviews and cool pics from the Tatts during their European tour 2007 (At Lyon France April 2007 and Hamburg July 2007).
Enjoy !!
Links to Angry Anderson’s interview (part 1/3) http://meltingpod.free.fr/?p=134
Links to Mick Cocks’s interview http://meltingpod.free.fr/?p=126
Links to the last pics at Hamburg :http://meltingpod.free.fr/?p=140
hi
rose tattoo
greatest rock n roll band on the planet !
anyone got a recording of the tatts at the rainbow in london
opening for blackmores rainbow 041367580
hi Angry and roos tatto
you are great band and the song bad boy for love is geat song
your book that you have written what is thta called please
i want know i find it a book shop so my boy friend can read it
bye vicki
I did sound for the Pete Wells band a few years back and taped one of the shows. I was thinking of transfering it to cd before it got too old and crappy. Would I be able to upload any of it or legally am I unable?? Would anyone like to hear it? Let me know and i can dig it out over the new year break and work on it.
I also have a show of the Choirboys and Black Label as I used to do their sound as well.
Jeff
hi jeff
send me a text mate 041367580
really interested in the pwb show !!
got the tatts 1980 bondi lifesaver
double j recording !
Hi Jeff… please check out my live music website. I’d love to get your tapes for the blog???
anyone else who may have live recordings of Aussie bands… PLEASE contact me?
Hi jeff
Might be an idea to contact APRA for copywrite regulations
Cheers andrea
Love to hear it mate as I am sure Lucy and the band would as well.
Hi Jeff, first of all… copy the tape ASAP. They do deteriorate over time so the earlier you copy it the better.
As far as uploading them publicly, that’s really up to the copyright holder (usually the songwriter or publisher) to give permission. If you ask nicely and you aren’t making money out of it then you’d be surprised how many will allow it. I ran an all-Australian internet radio station for a few years and I had hundreds of acts give me permission to play thousands of songs all without royalty payments of any kind. Again, ask nicely and most folks are reasonable.
Speaking of Black Label, I’ve just updated their page to include a live gig I did with them earlier this year. Some random guy just filmed it on his phone and uploaded it to youtube. It’s a bit distorted in parts but came out great for a phone-camera. Check it out & let me know what you think of my mix!!!
Jeff, as a big Tatts fan & friend of Pete Wells, I would love a copy of the PWB show if possible – I also have a show on tape of PWB from 1997, + other items
if you could email or phone (0427 251 624) to discuss swap?
hi mate
would love to get a copy of the pwb show !! please !
many years ago i got a tape off the tatts bombay rock 79
has an awesome cover of gloria can anyone tell me more about this gig
also have the double j recording the last night at the lifesaver 1980
so dude get in touch 0413567580
arrange a swap
just for the record picked up 1 off the best acdc recordings from the usa 83
tour
ohio badlands best damn from this era of the band
get in touch dude
Hi!
I have interested on Tatts Bombay Rock 79 & PWB ‘ 97.
Search old concert tickets, poster & T-shirts.
http://www.rosetattoo-fanpage.com
Rock on Micha !
Attention Mark Gibson…
First of all you really should get your facts straight…
The Original and ONLY founding members of Rose Tattoo were:
Angry Anderson – Vocals – Founder Melbourne
Mick Cocks – Guitar – Founder Melbourne
Peter Wells – Slide Guitar
Geordie Leach – Bass
Dallas “Digger” Royall – Drums
Greg “Bear” Horrocks – Crew Chief, Production Manager, Tour Manager, Body Guard and Lighting Engineer for the majority of the Rose Tattoo period of success.
Ian Rilen was a songwriter, NOT part of Rose Tattoo.
The rest of the individual musicians you identify were/are just facsimiles of the originals with the exception of Mr rob Riley who was truly a Tatt of the first order…
David McCay
Rose Tattoo – Stage Manager & Monitor Engineer 1976 – 1978
Well David, Ian Rilen seemed to think he was a founding member of Rose Tattoo & Murray Engleheart seems to agree. In the book ” Blood sweat & beers” on page 131 Ian Rilen said in an interview ” I got a phone call from Sab (Sebastion Chase) & he said “Got this band,Rose Tattoo & want you to be the bass player” The original rehearsals were underneath Rilens house in Lewisham. The famous photo from Vogue magazine has Rilen with one arm around Pete Wells & one around Angry. I also remember(somehow, it was a big night) being at the Lifesaver on the last night it was open to the public & Tatts played with the original lineup of Pete Wells, Angry, Ian Rilen, Digger Royal & Mick Cocks.
David McCay,
Thanks for the info but 0 out of 10 for manners. Please don’t walk in here, crap on the rug, and expect to be welcome. Opinions and memories are always welcome but not rants.
This is not meant to be a listing of founding members but anyone who has been in the band. I saw the Tatt’s recently and the only member on your list was Angry. Guys like Dai Pritchard and Paul DeMarco ARE members of Rose Tattoo and would be offended that you think they don’t deserve a mention. Stop living in 1978.
People with your knowledge and experience are exactly the sort of person we normally enjoy around here. Please come back with some manners.
Yeah i would like say dallas royal is amongst one the best aussie drummers… top player of rock with rudd. The tatts a great band as i play drums in cover band we play r&r outlaw i wanted to do scarred for life,branded or snow queen we’d love to throw in another….any suggestions….
[…] Rose Tattoo […]
RIP Bear
LOL @ “stop living in 1978…too funny.
There was something incredibly intoxicating about standing in the middle of the Bondi Lifesaver or the Stage Door Tavern in 1978 and listening to the blistering and soulfull slide licks of Peter Wells in the version of Rose Tattoo that Dave McCay so passionately remembes…(you could have made your point a little more diplomatically Dave;)
When ever I think of the tats (and yes I also did monitors for them) I remember a night at the Stage Door, about 12 bourbons and six joints in me, about a thousand people in a room licenced for 187, and the band rocked me to the core.
Where you’ve really made an arse or yourself Dave is labeling all those other musicians as “just facsimilies”.
The mid 80’s version of the tatts that boasted the musical genius of such players as John Meyer, Andy Cichon, Tim Gaze and Scott Johnston were musically miles ahead of the origonal band.
They just wern’t the origonals, they didn’t have the same vibe or the 12 bar magic thing happening…but to label them as facsimilies is just plain ignorant.
[…] – Bass player for Renee Geyer and Chain – Aged 5730th Oct 2006 – Ian Rilen – Rose Tattoo – Aged 59Number One Singles in Australia in October1970- The Mixtures “In the […]
Loved the tatts first three albums
[…] Days” Ted Mulry Gang Live with Rob Riley of Rose Tattoo (1992) (Either JavaScript is not active or you are using an old version of Adobe Flash Player. […]
I’m just an average guitarist, nothing special, and a simple boofhead off the street. But it sure was a pleasure standing on stage next to Angry and cranking it out. I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it, and what a great experience for a younger bloke.
Best wishes all!
mmmm Curiouse about the comment “RIP Bear”. He’s not dead. I work with him in QLD .Well assuming you mean Greg “Bear” Horrocks, long time tatts road crew.
Just thought I would clarify that.
hi, Great Job, please dont leave out Rdio Birdman.
Radio Birdman sorry 🙁
;9
Hi John, we have a page for Radio Birdman in our database at: http://www.australianmusicdatabase.com/bands/radio-birdman
Cheers, Mark
[…] Scarred for Life by Rose Tattoo […]
[…] Rose Tattoo […]
Good stuff!
David McCay – u mad bro?
Yes, Ian Rilen was a founding member and played in the band for around 2 years before forming X. Also, Micheal “Stork” Vandersluys was the first drummer. The lineup on the first album was not the first lineup.
http://www.latrobevalleyexpress.com.au/story/3487287/every-rose-has-its-stork/
My name is Tony Lake, I was the original singer for Rose Tattoo in 1976.
[…] Meyer, guitarist for bands such as Chain, Rose Tattoo, Fatty Lumpkin, and others, died on the 1st of September […]
[…] was no accident that he would end up working for such legends as Billy Thorpe, Rose Tattoo & too many other quality acts to keep track of. He was very close to Billy Thorpe and was […]