Angry Anderson is a dead set Aussie legend.
Since 1976 he has fronted iconic rock outfit Rose Tattoo with a defiant swagger and parochial sense of belonging that has endeared him to audiences the world over.
He has always said what he means and, more importantly, backed his views and opinions.
If Angry is ever angry, believe me, you would know about it, and after nearly five decades in the music industry Anderson is channeling that viewpoint into a new solo/collaboration project with one of Australia’s fastest rising rock bands.
The AA Band – as it is known for now – will release their debut single Realise, Legalise on November 19, allowing Anderson to voice his opinion on one of the many causes he fights openly for, medicinal marijuana.
The track is not quite what you would expect from Anderson, with strong lashings of funk and a touch of electronica proving that when it comes to musical creativity, the only impediment to change and progress is the limitations you place on yourself.
"You've gotta understand, this isn't Rosey Tarts (Rose Tattoo),” Anderson said. “It's the AA Band, and let me tell you folks, it doesn’t stand for Alcoholics Anonymous (laughs). AA stands for Angry Anderson Band. We haven't got a name yet, but maybe that's gonna stick, I don't know. The point is, this is my band. They're a wonderful band within their own right, they're a band that we share a manager with, a band called Palace Of The King. They have done many, many opening spots for the Tatts and I think it's a marriage made in heaven. They've got a different musicality approach to the Tatts and I couldn't be happier about that. And it’s no more evident than in this single. It is funky. It is different, and it's something that we as a band… we've got an album that we're working on now coming out, which is a collection of previously released Angry Anderson tracks re-recorded and reworked in the same way that this song has.”
In the full interview, Angry talks in greater detail about the message behind the new song, the political obstacles placed in front of the push, his new band, upcoming music, the state of the Australian music industry and more.