Just days before suffering the cardiac arrest that would ultimately claim his life, Gary "Angry" Anderson sat down for what neither he nor anyone else could have known would be his final interview — full of energy, warmth and excitement about the road still ahead. The Rose Tattoo frontman, who died in Australia aged 79 surrounded by his family, had been speaking openly about the band's European farewell tour and what he described as "one last ride" for the legendary Sydney rock outfit.

Anderson died on a Monday night, weeks after collapsing on stage in Cologne, Germany, on August 10 following a Rose Tattoo performance. The cardiac arrest forced the cancellation of the band's remaining European tour dates, with nine shows still scheduled when the tour was brought to a halt. He had been hospitalised immediately after the collapse.

Read more: Angry Anderson: Rose Tattoo frontman and Aussie rock legend dead at 79

'It Just Really Is Time': Anderson's Final Words on Rose Tattoo's End

The interview, conducted with German musician and radio presenter Lotto King Karl just days before Anderson's collapse, captured the frontman in characteristic form — candid, enthusiastic and looking forward. The pair spoke on the presenter's show on Rock Antenne Hamburg, with Anderson reflecting on half a century of rock and roll and the significance of the band's farewell tour.

"And that's a good round figure to finish up on after 50 years of the band being in existence," Anderson told his host, referring to Rose Tattoo's approaching 50th anniversary since forming in Sydney in 1976.

"I think it's time, it just really is time, I think," he added, speaking about the decision to bring the band's run to a close. The tour had been officially billed as "Rock'n'Roll Outlaws — One Last Ride" — a title that now resonates with painful irony.

In a tribute written after Anderson's passing, Lotto King Karl reflected on the conversation with visible emotion. "Gary was a guest on my show just days before he collapsed, and we had a really wonderful conversation," he wrote. "This kind-hearted little bloke was full of stories and excitement about the remaining dates of the farewell tour, which he was looking forward to as a fitting end to his career." The radio host added that fans around the world had hoped for Anderson's recovery, but that it was not to be.

A European Farewell Cut Short

By the time Anderson collapsed in Cologne, Rose Tattoo had already played a wide sweep of European venues on the farewell run, performing across the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Hungary and Poland. The plan had been to complete the European leg in Germany before returning to Australia for further dates.

Among the tour's highlights was a final performance at Wacken Open Air in Germany in July — one of the world's most celebrated heavy metal festivals, and a stage with deep personal significance for Anderson and the band. Rose Tattoo had first performed at Wacken more than 25 years ago, returning repeatedly to the event over the decades and becoming, by all accounts, a beloved fixture there.

The festival paid tribute to Anderson this week, describing him as "a warm-hearted, genuinely lovely bloke" and "a legend with no airs and graces." Wacken's statement recalled the band's long association with the event, noting that "over the years, encounters turned into reunions, and reunions turned into friendship."

The tribute also pointed to a moment that had become part of Wacken's own identity. When Rose Tattoo recorded their live album 25 To Life at the festival, Anderson told the crowd: "We are walking on Holy Ground." Those words, the festival said, had since become inseparable from Wacken itself.

"Just this summer, we had the privilege of seeing him and Rose Tattoo perform here once again," the Wacken statement read. "Angry delivered a concert that will stay with us. No one could have known at the time that it would be his final Wacken show."

Five Decades of Rock, an Unforgettable Legacy

Anderson's career spanned more than five decades, and by all accounts he approached his final public appearances with the same undiminished passion that had defined his early years. Those who encountered him on the farewell tour — from radio hosts to festival organisers — consistently described a man who was warm, genuine and utterly devoted to his craft and his audience.

The Wacken tribute put it plainly: "He was an incredibly warm and genuine person. A legend without airs. One of us."

Rose Tattoo had helped shape the Wacken festival's culture from its earliest days, including its "Night to Remember" shows, and Anderson's connection to the event ran deep. His final performance there in July now stands as a farewell none of those present could have anticipated.

Anderson is survived by his family, who were with him when he passed. His death marks the end of one of Australian rock's most enduring and distinctive chapters — a career that began in Sydney in 1976 and closed, fittingly, on a European stage he had graced so many times before.