Peter Wells

Who was Peter Wells?

Peter William "Pete" Wells was the founder and slide guitarist in Australian hard rock band Rose Tattoo. Wells was previously bassist with the pioneering Sydney-based heavy metal outfit Buffalo in the 1970s.

In 1976, Wells formed Rose Tattoo with former Buster Brown vocalist Angry Anderson, guitarist Mick Cocks, bassist Ian Rilen and drummer Dallas Royal. The band's hard rock style soon developed a strong following in Sydney leading to Albert Productions offering them a record contract. Their single "Bad Boy for Love" became a hit and their self-titled debut album established their reputation with production by George Young and Harry Vanda formerly of The Easybeats. Rilen left the band to be replaced by former Buster Brown bassist Geordie Leech.

After the release of their second album Assault and Battery, Rose Tattoo embarked on an international tour. They were the loudest band to play at the Marquee Club, London since Led Zeppelin. After the release of their third album Scarred for Life, the band supported Aerosmith and ZZ Top on US tours.

Wells left the band in 1983 with Royal and Robin Riley who had replaced Cocks in 1982. After Wells left Rose Tattoo, he fronted The Pete Wells Band. He also worked on side projects to his credit, such as the Lucy DeSoto Band, Rocks Push with Rob Grosser and Chris Turner, and Hillbilly Moon with Paul Norton and Cletis Carr. Rose Tattoo reformed briefly in 1993 to support Guns N' Roses on an Australian tour.