A video interview with Rose Tattoo frontman Gary “Angry” Anderson, filmed shortly before the cardiac arrest that ended the band’s farewell tour, has been released following his death at the age of 79.
Anderson spoke to Stefan Nilsson of “Roppongi Rocks” backstage at the Skogsröjet festival in Rejmyre, Sweden, on Jul 31. They published the footage on Setember 23 under the title “The final interview”.
Over the course of the conversation, Anderson looked back on five decades of Rose Tattoo and talked about nearing his 80th birthday. He also discussed the band’s many ties to fellow Australians AC/DC and the violent, often bloody stage shows of the band’s early years.
He recalled missing the birth of his daughter because he was on the road, an experience he said led to his hit single “Suddenly“. The 1987 ballad reached No. 2 in Australia and No. 3 in the UK after it was used as the wedding theme on the soap opera “Neighbours“.
Anderson also covered his work as an actor, including his role as Ironbar in the 1985 film “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” alongside Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. He spoke about his charity work and about being mobbed by Japanese “Mad Max” fans in the United States.
Rose Tattoo were on their “One Last Ride” farewell tour of Europe when Anderson fell ill. The band played what became their final show in Cologne, Germany, on August 7, before he suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital in Germany.
The remaining nine European dates, which were due to end in Busdorf, Germany, on August 21, were called off. So was a run of Australian farewell concerts planned for September in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Anderson returned to Australia for treatment but did not recover. He died on Monday, September 21. The news was confirmed by Rose Tattoo in a statement shared on the band’s social media accounts.
“It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson on the eve of Monday 21 September 2026, surrounded by his loved ones here in Australia,” a representative shared in a statement posted on the Rose Tattoo social media channels.”
The statement also paid tribute to Anderson’s role as a father and his importance to both the band and the wider Australian entertainment community.
“Angry was a devoted father, and much-loved member of his friends, bandmates and the wider music and entertainment community. His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas.”
“We kindly ask that their wishes are respected as they come to terms with this devastating loss and take time they need to grieve.”
“We thank everyone for their prays and messages of love and continued support. With love, The Anderson family and Rose Tattoo Band.”
Born in Melbourne on August 5, 1947, Anderson fronted Rose Tattoo from the band’s early days in Sydney in 1976 and was its only constant member for the next 50 years. The group built their name on hard-edged, blues-based bar rock, with songs about drinking, fighting and failed romance, and toured heavily across Australia and Europe, with occasional visits to the United States.
Songs such as “Bad Boy For Love“, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Outlaw“, “Nice Boys” and “We Can’t Be Beaten” remain fixtures of Australian rock. Rose Tattoo released eight studio albums: Rose Tattoo (1978), Assault & Battery (1981), Scarred For Life (1982), Southern Stars (1984), Beats From A Single Drum (1986), Pain (2002), Blood Brothers (2007) and Outlaws (2020).
Outside music, Anderson was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for his work as a youth advocate, and he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with Rose Tattoo in 2006.
Several former Rose Tattoo members have died over the years. Drummer Dallas Royall died in 1991, slide guitarist Peter Wells and founding bassist Ian Rilen both died in 2006, and guitarist Lobby Loyde, a member from 1979 to 1980, died in 2007. Guitarist Mick Cocks died in 2009, bassist Neil Smith in 2013 and guitarist John Meyer in 2020.
