The Offtopics

Pretty eventful weekend. Just did the last performance of in Sydney AND caught up with my friend .bendall at the Bondi Pavillion. I saw a local artist put shells on things (do you get the reference?) and sat in on a showing of a work in progress. I also went looking for the theatre in Newtown where a play I wrote won a competition 20 years ago (but couldn't find it so no photo...)

Great to see and too! Will have to be a longer, less hastily planned trip next time.

A quick shout out before the end of the year! 👋🏽 - https://mailchi.mp/efc5a193b06a/a-quick-shout-out-before-the-end-of-the-year

Last gig for 2023, folx! Probably the last one for a few months as we're buckling down to start recording a NEW ALBUM (what what what?!) in January.

Don't miss this one!

We're playing at tomorrow night folks!

Come one, come all. Have a dance, shake your pants, find romance. It all happens at Offtopics shows.

Polash is gearing up to perform his solo theatre show again in a couple of weeks. There's now a Comfort Music page on website if you'd like to find out how to host your own performance of this intimate production.

Follow the link in the bio for more!

📷 by Darren Gill

Sign the Petition Recognise the Techno Park residential community in Council's Industrial Land Strategy

Hi friends, it’s the Love Wombat here. What is the “chute”? Weeeelll… it’s a tipping point where you start to feel like there’s an inexorable slide down towards the end of the year. There’s just SO.MUCH.GOING.ON and you’ll feel like you have less and less control over it all as the onslaught of parties, events, deadlines, festivals etc form such a critical mass that they exert an accelerating gravitational pull on you dragging you down until you burn up on re-entry while all you really want to do is drink a cup of tea and reflect on what a crazy year it’s been....

Entering the chute… Hi friends, it’s the Love Wombat here. What is the “chute”? Weeeelll… it’s a tipping point where you start to feel like there’s an inexorable slide down towards the end of the year. There’s just SO…

Disappointed but not all that surprised. In the end a shadowy group of mining interests stumped up the bill to fly a pair of holocaust denying political opportunists all over the country to spread misinformation while our privately owned media companies bent over backwards to give them an unchallenged platform.

Maybe there's some hope in the old song by No Fixed Address but, to quote Marcia Langton:

"Reconciliation is dead."

Just in case this sways anyone on the fence. Consultation, discussion and listening contribute to transparency.

This is a good thing.

Vote yes.

In Chiang Mai to visit the nieces when this jerk picked a fight about the correct pronunciation of Colin.

Entering The Chute. Last Quarter for 2023! 🛹 - https://mailchi.mp/e6286bc121de/entering-the-chute-last-quarter-for-2023

I've got an important performance this Sunday. I'll be coaching the Old Carey Hockey 1sts team in their Grand Final at the Hawthorn Hockey Centre. They finished top of the ladder and undefeated but it's still going to be a tough match.

Come down and watch the game if you're free at midday.

We're playing a show supporting our keyboardist 's band this Friday night at

We're playing a set from the very reasonable time of 8:30. Be there or be not. There is no "might come".

The next show will be with these persons of note at Bar 303 in Northcote.

Come one, come all comprate de Bar 303 on Friday 8 September!

I sees you floofy debbul!

Next Offtopics show coming up at The Post Office Hotel, Coburg.

Two sets of fun time music and free entry. Check it out on Saturday 12 August.

TBH 'How To Eat Rabbit' or 'B***s in Space' are more The Love Wombat's speed (especially the latter).

But we're here for 'Comfort Music' so we might as well get on with it. T minus 90 mins till opening night at

Got this SOLD OUT show coming up at this Sunday. Feeling pumped... or at least pumped adjacent. Need to get some coffee in my PSI keep cup first.

presents as part of their Explorations season:

COMFORT MUSIC by Polash Larsen

'A stories and songs show about being caught between two worlds, the Muppets, and finding solace in music'

Three nights only.
Sunday 16 July - Tuesday 18 July

Directed by John Bolton
Image by Lara Week

Ticket link in the bio

Coming up on Sunday, folks!

3144 Push-Ups completed in 23 days and $1050 raised for

Thank you so much to everyone who donated to my fundraising campaign. It's still possible to make donations until the 8th of July so I'll keep the link in the bio there for a little while yet... but the push-ups themselves are DONE!

Today is the LAST day of the Push-Up Challenge for 2023. It's the last 170 push-ups out of a total of 3044.

The 170 stat represents how doing 1 act of kindness each day for 7 days has been shown to significantly boost happiness.

You could do ME an act of kindness by donating to my campaign to raise funds for Lifeline. I'm so close to my goal. Only $100 away!

Your donation will support mental health & su***de prevention in a big way Funds raised will go towards improving critical mental health and su***de prevention services and programs in Australia.

Here's a very posed and composed pic of La Auldist herself. I tried to get to sit for the portrait with her reading glasses on but she flat out refused unmoved by the possibilities of the "sexy librarian" look.

Fortunately we're more creatively attuned on the songwriting side of things...

Your donation will support mental health & su***de prevention in a big way Funds raised will go towards improving critical mental health and su***de prevention services and programs in Australia.

The Offtopics Winter News 🥰 - https://mailchi.mp/0ad31697fedb/the-offtopics-winter-news

Popped into HQ last night for their Winter Season Launch. Despite an absence of several years the was warmly greeted by people old enough to remember him by his alter ego: former playwright/dramaturg Polash Larsen.

Tickets for his show "Comfort Music" are now on sale. Follow the link in the bio.

Tomorrow night, the world premiere* of "Comfort Music" and it's happening in a tiny gallery in Lorne at 7pm. Lorne was a very special place for my dad and the show is about my parents so doing it there feels right. gallery is run by life-long family friends, the McIldowies and the show alludes to them in tangential sorts of ways... and the Muppets... and Jake and Elwood of course.

I just know it's going to be a great night. There are still some tickets left so hurry up and book if you're in the Otways that night!



*It's definitely the first version of this show. It's VERY different to the preview I did in my loungeroom a couple of months ago. As Andrew Hickey from the History of Rock Music in 500 Songs says, "There is never a first anything" so let's call this the "premiere".

The Push Up Challenge kicks off tomorrow! Once again, the will dedicated his stumpy, little guns to raising money and awareness for mental health and su***de prevention.

3144 push-ups in 23 days with each push-up representing an Australian who has died though self-harm. If you can make a small donation on Polash's fundraiser page it'll help make a difference.
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/polashlarsen/the-push-up-challenge

Incredible news! A world premiere of sorts next week as Polash performs his one man stories and songs show "Comfort Music".

The show chronicles his falling in love with the Blues Brothers set against the falling out of love of his parents... and Muppets. The Muppets are there too!

Tickets are strictly limited for this one off show in Lorne on Friday 9th June at 7pm. Go to for tickets.



📸 by Lara Week
Dir. John Bolton

Thanks for having us BABs. We had a good time with a great audience. Let's do it again sometime!

Harro! The wants you to know he's playing tonight at

Doors open to the burrow (do burrows have doors?) around 5:30. from 8:30.

❤veWombat