Rose Tattoo

Formed in Sydney in 1976, Rose Tattoo belongs to the Australian pub rock tradition, pushed toward a raw hard rock informed by blues rock, rock’n’roll and a punk-like energy. Fronted from the start by singer Angry Anderson, Rose Tattoo first gained attention on the Australian club circuit with an identity built on tight riffs and slide guitar, then recorded their early albums with producer duo Vanda & Young: Rose Tattoo (1978), Assault & Battery (1981), Scarred for Life (1982) and Southern Stars (1984). The band’s trajectory has included several lineup changes, a split in the late 1980s and multiple reunions from the 1990s onward. Over time Rose Tattoo remained associated with straightforward songwriting and a gritty, streetwise sound without excessive polish, circulating on both the Australian rock scene and in Europe. The group toured with acts such as Guns N’ Roses, who covered "Nice Boys", and continued its discography with Pain (2002), Blood Brothers (2007) and Outlaws (2020), a revisiting of their early material. Rose Tattoo was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.