Punk Rock Factory Talk ‘Mortal Wombat’, Shoeys, and Going Full Aussie on Tour
Known worldwide for the punk renditions of classic songs, American act Punk Rock Factory are heading our way this month. Ahead of touching down in Oz, the band gave us the lowdown on their new album All Hands on Deck, their wildest fan interaction and what to expect on their upcoming tour.
Interview Tobias Handke // Image supplied
Image supplied
Mortal Wombat is a killer tour name and a great Aussie work on Mortal Kombat. How Aussie is this tour going to get?
Haha! We were particularly proud of that name! It perfectly ties in Australia and Japan... We're gonna play Men At Work, John Farnham, Bluey, and we're gonna drink vodka from our shoes on stage... That's pretty Aussie, right?
You’re hitting Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide – any local rituals or snacks you might have discovered last time that you’re planning to embrace (or avoid)?
Shoeys? Always up for one of those... Shrimp on a barbie? Obviously... Spiders can do one, tho. F**k those guys!
Your latest album All Hands on Deck features punk covers of NSYNC, Coolio, Massive Attack and more. How do these tracks land live with crowds?
Better than we could have ever imagined! Who doesn't love Will Smith's ‘Boom Shake the Room’ sounding more like Limp Bizkit? We absolutely love playing tracks from that album at our shows. They ALWAYS go off!
You’ve covered everything from Disney to Nickelback – will the setlist lean more nostalgic, chaotic, or both?
We love to mix the set up... There will be plenty of Disney, but with some ‘90s TV and ‘90s pop thrown in for good measure! Oh, and John Farnham. DO THE WOAHHHSSSSSSSS!
What’s the wildest fan interaction you’ve had on an Australian tour – and are you bracing for more?
Someone told us they flew six hours to watch us?! WTF is that?! That's absolutely bonkers!
If you could collaborate with any Aussie artist for a punk cover, who would it be and what song would you destroy together?
How about Kylie? We could do ‘The Loco-motion’ and make that train go fast as f**k!
How do you balance the comedy and chaos of your shows with the tight musicianship behind the scenes?
Our shows are 60% music, 40% messing around... That's us. chaotic and stupid! But that's why people sign up for when they buy a ticket. Haha! We're always well-rehearsed, so that keeps us tight!
You’ve built a massive online following – how does that energy translate when you’re face-to-face with fans down under?
We never take ANY of this for granted... We pinch ourselves every day. Who gets to do this for a living?! We're so lucky. People always tell us that we look like we're having the best time on stage, and we really are! We absolutely LOVE IT!
We have heard the ‘Theme From Bluey’ and ‘Down Under’. Can we expect any new, completely Aussie jingles or songs this time around?
I may have already mentioned John Farnham... so, that haha!
Any surprises planned for the Aussie leg – new covers, guest appearances or on-stage antics we should brace for?
How about a mid-set rap battle between two people from the crowd? LEARN THE WORDS TO THE MAUI RAP!!!
After the Mortal Wombat tour wraps, what’s next for Punk Rock Factory? More covers, originals or world domination?
Hmm... We have some stuff going on behind the scenes that we can't really talk about yet, and no, not Bruno. We talk about him all the time. We might have released the FIRST EVER PRF ORIGINAL just before we head to Aus tho... Just saying. Oh, and World domination.
Catch Punk Rock Factory performing at Lion Arts Factory on Tuesday, November 25. Tickets on sale now via thephoenix.au.
