The Mental As Anything keyboardist and his band will kick-off off Jimmy Barne’s festival concert at Wollongong’s MacCabe Park – a line-up also including Daryl Braithwaite, Ian Moss and Diesel.

“It’s pretty much a lonely circuit for us when we’re out they’re playing – apart from the Good Times tour [last year],” Smith said. “This is a good chance to catch up with these boys.”

It’s been a while but fondly recalls touring with Cold Chisel in the early days and then with Barnes when he went solo.

“We go way back – I remember getting food poisoning at a lunch for Barnesy’s birthday in Perth, I’ll never touch the Buffalo again,” he laughed.

The Mentals were the new wave hit-makers of yesteryear; filling the airwaves with If You Leave Me Can I Come Too, Live It Up, Too Many Times and Mr Natural. The latter being the one most people don’t realise they penned, according to Smith.

“When people hear us play the usual response we get on these big tours is ‘oh I didn’t know that was one of their songs’,” he said.

“Particularly for a lot of young people, because their parents forced them into listening to the Mentals as they were growing up – it’s like a sort of child abuse.”

Televised cricket may be another source of knowing at least one of their tunes as Live It Up was used for a KFC Big Bash League ad.

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Ironically, Smith said he was given his nickname after eating 16 pieces of the colonel’s finest whilst playing about four decades ago. But back in the ‘80s it was seen as uncool if your band lent their music to a brand.

“I was offered huge money for a song [by] a major soft drink manufacturers but you couldn’t do it,” he said. “It was like the kiss of death for a band, but everything changed.

“A lot of it’s to do with being able to keep playing as a viable live act, all of that stuff helps – a bit of recognition.”

Retirement is not on the agenda for Smith who is stoked to be opening the Wollongong show so he can “get on, get off and start rocking while the others are in the change room”.

Mental As Anything perform as part of Jimmy Barnes’ tour, MacCabe Park, Sunday February 11. Tickets available via www.moshtix.com.au 

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