Rose Tattoo were the hard boys of Oz rock. The worked hard, they lived hard and they played hard. There was no compromising in this band. The band members’ tattooed bodies signified their membership within the group and their take no prisoners brand of rock n roll appealed to the down trodden and those just down on their luck.
With hit anthems like Rock n’ Roll Outlaw, Bad Boy For Love and We Can’t Be Beaten they became the champions of both the working class and those on the fringe of society and with at least one band member having a reputation for doing time they were a big hit in the big house as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzAOpau4KRY
But Rose Tattoo’s popularity extended well beyond the brawling inner city pubs and suburban beer barns of Australia. Their influence has been cited by bands like Guns n’ Roses and the L.A Guns as being a huge influence on the Los Angeles sleaze metal scene that formed in the 1980’s.
The Tatts were also popular in Europe where they built a formidable reputation in the UK after appearances at the Reading Festival and London’s Marquee Club. On the continent Rock n’ Roll Outlaw became a top 5 hit in France and Germany.
Geordie Leach was the bass player for Rose Tattoo and his relationship with front man Angry Anderson predates the Tatts, going back to the days when they were members of Melbourne’s blues rock outfit Buster Brown.
In part 1 of this podcast Geordie goes back to where it all began when he first fell in love with music as a young lad in Melbourne. Surprisingly jazz was an early influence on his playing, before blues and rock n roll became his lifeblood. Geordie recalls the Buster Brown days when Angry Anderson became a champion for the Sharpies and then following Angry to Sydney when he joined Rose Tattoo.
Then Geordie drops a bombshell when he reveals that he was asked to joined AC/DC twice, turning them down on both occasions. Despite the riches he could have made with AC/DC Geordie has no regrets.
Get on board for this podcast as Geordie recalls one of the great eras of Australian rock n roll, when the Tatts were part of the Albert’s stable with the likes of AC/DC, the Angels and the Choirboys under the guidance of Harry Vanda and George Young.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUAB0epkMXs
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Leave a Reply