April 17th, 2009 - Mental As Anything

1977- 16th August (the night Elvis died). MENTAL AS ANYTHING (Reg Mombassa, Greedy Smith, Martin Plaza, Wayne Bird Delisle and Peter O Doherty) perform together for the first time at the Cellblock Theatre, East Sydney Tech. Start a year long residency at the Unicorn Hotel, Sydney (using the pool table as their stage).
1978 - Move to the Civic Hotel, Sydney, for another year long residency on a larger stage.
1979 - The Nips Are Getting Bigger and the album Get Wet hit Top 20 in
Australia. Nips released in UK, reaches indy Top 40.
1980 - Come Around off the album Espresso Bongo hits Top 20. Release another hit single (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet Dec 80
1981 - If You Leave Me Can I Come Too? & Too Many Times, two of the years biggest singles off the Platinum Album Cats And Dogs. Too Many Times goes to number 19 in Canada.
1982 - Tour USA. Release single I Didnt Mean To Be Mean (produced by Elvis Costello). First single, Close Again, from the album Creatures Of Leisure. Band tours U.S and Canada.
1983 - Spirit Got Lost & Brain, Brain released off Top 10 album Creatures Of Leisure. Also release cover of Roy Orbisons Working For The Man. Too Many Times hits Top 20 in Canada as the band tours Canada and USA
- First Group Art Exhibition, with works by each of the band members, held at Watters Gallery, Darlinghurst (Sydney). Buyers included Patrick White and Elton John. (White later bequeathed one of Regs works to The Art Gallery of NSW)
1984 - Apocalypso (Wiping The Smile Off Santas Face) the bands only Christmas single