Osaka Punch are on the verge of taking their music to the next level.
After dominating the Brisbane music scene for what seems like an eternity, the band has been building their profile nationally through major supports inlcuding Mammal, Cog and Living Colour.
Their quirkiness and infectious sense of humour, coupled with powerful and charming music that transcends prog, funk, metal, pop and jazz has ensured they stand out from a growing pack of contenders, a fact solidified by last weekends sold out single launch at the Zoo for latest song ‘Drones‘.
Drummer Dane ‘The Beat Cleaver’ Pulvirenti took time out not long before the show to let us a step closer into the crazy world that is Osaka Punch.
“There’s more energy spent on curbing it”, he laughed when asked if the sense of humour inherent in most of their tracks was difficult to weave into their music. “I’m telling you right now we do the band thing well but really, secondary, we’re a band; primarily we’re dick and fart joke connoisseurs. If there wasn’t someone regulating us it would probably be all we fucken do! Actually, there isn’t anyone regulating it and it IS all that we do, and then we argue about how little or how much of the cock that we can put in the joke. This is why people don’t interview the drummer (laughs)”.
Dick and fart jokes play a large part in the aural and visual structure of Osaka Punch, but it is one supporting cast member above all others that has attracted the most public attention. If you are familiar with the band you will understand the following, and if you aren’t, well, just read and learn.
“We were over in the U.K”, Dane explained, “and Jack (Muzak, frontman) went to Greece and he bought me this huge – at least eight inches – black cock bottle opener thing and it was in a film clip and then a few promo things and then it kind of became the band mascot… ‘coz that’s what you do right? Since that took on a mascot role and life of its own we realised people were okay with dick and fart jokes so we don’t feel as insecure now. We can just be ourselves and shockingly honest. All of the jokes and dumb shit is pre-meditated to a degree, but it’s all normally the first idea or the first thing off the bat and the only time it ends up being quality is when it was an easy thing to think of or was off the top of our heads. Normally we talk about things and when we start pissing ourselves as we’re talking then we just go with that. What else are we gonna go on? We’re obviously not a band who is trying to adhere to what is commercial. We have done what we want to do the whole time. I used to think things like ‘oh my God, what are we doing this for?’ and then we’d drop a song and then a few thousand people would say I saw what your drummer was doing in the middle of the street, it’s hilarious and I would say fuck, don’t say that, now I’ll have to do it all again (laughs). I had no idea that I had to basically put my morals and my ego aside when I was in a band. I thought it was supposed to raise them but no, not with this band”.
In the full interview Dane tells and proves why drummers are the least interviewed member of the band, talks about ‘Drones’ and the once again hilarious film clip, the current state of the bands mascot, harnessing their inner Queen, the heavier direction of the song and what it means for future releases, the upcoming album and when we can likely expect it, plans for 2020 and beyond and more.
