For a brief period between 2 Melbourne lockdowns there were a few select gigs to go to. During that time Dr Gonzo wandered into the Palace of Magnificent Experiences a venue in Richmond also known as POME.
On stage was an animated unpretentious jazzy soulful sounding 8 piece combo The Offtopics I was told were fronted by funk dynamo Polash Larsen who likes single malt whiskey, field hockey and dislikes cargo pants.
The band's press release says that The Offtopics are some of Melbourne's most talented musicians working their basses off to show you a good time and I can testify that those words on the press release ain't lying. They include an extended cast of players who have performed with artists such as The Ska Vendors, Skazz, The Oxo-Cubans, The Deans of Soul, The Grenadines, Checkerboard Lounge, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, The Bombay Royale, The Short Order Schefs and Kutcha Edwards.
They've also been described as an orgiastic love-ritual of Frank Zappa, Charles Bradley and the Doobie Brothers.
Polash Larsen is a Bengali-Australian songwriter, singer and guitarist who works primarily in roots genres as Soul, Funk, Blues, Reggae and Rocksteady.
Polash Larsen is here with Paul Elliott to introduce songs by The Offtopics on And This One's Introduced By... on Planet X.
Dr.Gonzo
