Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story premieres on Seven and 7plus – Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story makes its Australian television premiere at 9.10pm on Tuesday, 24 November on Seven and 7plus. The feature documentary celebrates the music, humour and enduring legacy of one of Australia’s most beloved bands.
Written and directed by Matthew Walker, the film tells the story of a band that went from Sydney’s inner-city pubs to the top of the charts. Meanwhile, it also looks at how the band handled fame without ever taking it too seriously.
The documentary was first released in Australian cinemas in March this year, during the band’s 50th anniversary year, Variety Australia reported. It was also part of Seven’s late-2026 line-up, which TV Central covered in the 2027 Channel 7 Upfront.
Watch the Live It Up trailer
From Sydney pubs to national fame
Mental As Anything emerged from Sydney’s inner-city art and new wave scene in the late 1970s. Soon after, ‘The Mentals’ rose from local pubs to national fame.
According to Seven, the band became masters at capturing Australian suburban life with warmth, wit and playfulness. However, while success came fast, they never treated it with reverence.
In fact, their songs were part of the soundscape of Australian life in the 1980s. The band enjoyed one of the most successful runs on the Australian charts during the decade, with a string of Top 40 singles.
The Mental As Anything hits behind the story
Their best-known hits include The Nips Are Getting Bigger, If You Leave Me Can I Come Too?, Too Many Times and Berserk Warriors. Each was a radio staple throughout Australia.
Above all, their most famous song, Live It Up, climbed to the top of the charts in the UK and Europe. The song was first released in 1985.
Then, in December 2020, Live It Up suddenly soared to number one on the UK iTunes charts. It happened within days of the first anniversary of the death of the band’s much-loved songwriter Greedy Smith.
At the time, guitarist Reg Mombassa described the event as “pretty weird”. Seven says that is an apt description for many of the events in the unlikely story of one of Australia’s most distinctive cultural forces.
What the documentary explores
Seven describes Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story as funny, warm and unexpectedly moving. The film explores how the band navigated fame, longevity and the pressures of the music industry.
At the same time, it shows how they held fast to their humour and creative spirit. As a result, it reveals why their music continues to resonate today.
Who made the Mental As Anything documentary
- Writer and director: Matthew Walker
- Producers: Carolina Sorensen and Susanne Morrison
- Supervising writer and post producer: Paul Clarke
- Executive producers: Mikael Borglund, Frank Chidiac and Martin Fabinyi
Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story is a Beyond Entertainment production in association with People Productions. Principal production funding came from Screen Australia, in association with the Seven Network, with financing support from Screen NSW. Banijay Rights handles international sales.
Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story premieres at 9.10pm on Tuesday, 24 November on Seven and 7plus. For more Channel 7 news, head here. You can also stream it on 7plus.