Greedy Smith tells me that he and his band ‘Mental as Anything’ get to Tassie not just annually, in fact they usually get here at least twice a year. Tasmania is special to the guys because it was here that they recorded their first film clip ‘If you leave me can I come too’. While the mentals have been mainstays on radio playlists, Greedy laments to me that it’s so much harder these days for upcoming musicians to get played on mainstream radio.
Mental as Anything have an urban legend surrounding them. That as art students they pretended they were a musical band to obtain a gig in a pub in exchange for free beer. Not wanting to either confirm or dispel that piece of folklore instead we talk about some of the bands other accomplishments such as collaborating on painting a Melbourne tram. Their background as artists is always present whether it be in decorating trams or incorporating a stylistic element into their film clips.
Greedy and the band will be making yet another visit to Tasmania this month as part of this year’s APIA Good Times Tour celebration together with other great musicians Joe Camilleri, Vikka and Linda Bull, Deborah Conway and Colin Hays.
Sharing the stage with all those artists proves to us that Greedy is not really greedy at all but in fact generous as he proves when we chat.
You can see Greedy and the Mentals with the other APIA artists at the below venues where fans will be treated to new music as well as the much loved hits …
Friday, 16 June 2017
Princess Theatre, Launceston, TAS
Saturday, 17 June 2017
Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart, TAS
Paula Xiberras
