Take out the recent cover of Stevie Wright’s ‘Hard Road’ and the Rose Tattoo setlist was a step back in time to when Aussie rock was in your face.
Rose Tattoo came from a time when Australian rock bands were bred in pubs, learned to play hard or told to fuck off and recorded their own songs with their own band without a consortium of songwriters and producers to craft them into a “product”.
The Tatts were influential globally. Guns N’ Roses covered ‘Nice Boys’ on their 1986 EP.
Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson maintains the legacy of this band. He is the last surviving member of the original line-up and as he chases 80, he has already said that he will retire from performing in 2026 after one last album marking 50 years of Rose Tattoo.
For 2025, Rose tattoo have made their Red Hot Summer debut with ZZ Top, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, The Living End, Baby Animals and Dallas Frasca. At 78 Angry’s voice is still there showcased by a group of much younger musicians including new recruit Ronnie Simmons, who was previous in Ritchie Ramones touring band.
You would be hard pressed to find an Aussie under 50 who doesn’t know ‘Bad Boy For Love’. The Tatts were an early opener for the Red Hot Summer line-up so a 2:40pm start means a shortened show but every song counted in this setlist.
‘Hard Road’ was released recently as another tribute to the late Easybeats singer Stevie Wright. Tatts have previously also covered Stevie’s ‘Black Eyed Bruiser’. Stevie, The Easybeats, Harry Vanda and George Young, AC/DC, Ross Tattoo, are all intertwined so this recording is moreso a homage to a mate than a cover.
Rose Tattoo are still worth seeing because it is worth being reminded that there really once was power with the passion.
Here is the Rose Tattoo Red Hot Summer setlist for 26 April 2025
Scarred For Life (from Scarred for Life, 1982)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King (from Assault & Battery, 1981)
One of the Boys (from Rose Tattoo, 1978)
Rock and Roll Outlaw (from Rose Tattoo, 1978)
Hard Road (single 2025)
Bad Boy For Love (from Rose Tattoo, 1978)
We Can’t Be Beaten (from Scarred for Life, 1982)
Nice Boys (from Rose Tattoo, 1978)
For Red Hot Summer, ZZ Top, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, The Living End, Baby Animals, Rose Tattoo and Dallas Frasca will perform on:
26 April, Bendigo, Bendigo Racecourse
27 April, Mornington, Mornington Racecourse
3 May, Hunter Valley, Roche Estate
4 May, Wollongong, Stuart Park
10 and 11 May, Bribie Island, Sandstone Point Hotel
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