You could describe the members of pub rock band X Mentals as the pristine leftovers of iconic Australian band Mental As Anything…
“This band is born out of the fact that we were all in Mental As Anything at some stage as sidemen. That spans from the 80s through the 90s and up until the band’s demise in 2019,” explained X Mentals lead singer Peter Gray.
Mental As Anything formed in Sydney in 1976 and shot to the top of charts with hits like ‘Live It Up’, ‘If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?’, and ‘Too Many Times’.
“They had 26 Top 10 hits in this country. They are iconic, and to be invited to play in that lineup was amazing,” Gray reminisced.
“The band never failed wherever it played, and the whole 90-minute set was made up of singles of Top 10 hits. How many bands can lay claim to that?
“It was an amazing experience and that band is loved around Australia.”
In addition to Mental As Anything, the five members of X Mentals – Peter Gray, Craig Gordon, Jacob Cook, Mike Caen, and Mike Gubb – have played with other Australian legends, and are now bringing their expertise to a show in Penrith.
“Some of the guys played with Dragon,” Gray began describing.
“Our keyboard player has played with Crowded House, The Whitlams, and GANGgajang. I toured with J.D. Fortune last year. So, we include the music of those acts in our show – it’s a heritage Australian rock show.”
During the show, there is one particular song that pulls Gray’s heartstrings.
“One of the bands founders, Greedy Smith, passed away in 2019, so we pay homage to him. He wrote the band’s biggest hit which was a tune called ‘Live It Up’,” Gray explained.
“When we play that it’s pretty special and it leaves people reaching for the tissues.
“He was a really special guy and paying homage to him is quite a big reason behind X Mentals.”
Locals will be able to hear that homage live at Rock the Backyard Music Festival.
“We’ve done a few multi-bill shows, and Rock the Backyard has some big names,” Gray stated.
“We will play wall-to-wall hits for half an hour and get on and get off. They turn over the bands really quickly and they pull really big crowds – thousands of people.
“These shows are a real treat to do, and backstage we get to bro-down with other artists that we’ve worked with at one stage or another.”
See the X Mentals alongside The Angels, Thirsty Merc, The Radiators, and more incredible bands when Rock the Backyard returns to Penrith on March 28. Book a ticket online at https://penrith.panthers.com.au/event/rock-the-backyard-music-festival/.
