Not all heroes wear capes. Enter Dom Littrich - todays quintessential loveable Aussie larrikin. Bold yet humble, he is an extraordinary talent who is fast becoming one of our undisputed local heroes.

Dom is the drummer of Pacific Avenue, MC of Big Twisty and the Funk Nasty, regular guest on The Inspired Unemployed and a damn straight hilarious human who is constantly bringing the gags and high vibes.

Dom has been campaigning for Blackdog Institute and Mullets for Mental Health so it was high time we had a chat with this diamond in the rough of a guy

Hi Dom - You seem to get around, where are you today mate?
Hey mate! I have been on the move a bit as of late recording with Pacific Avenue in Byron but I just returned home and I’m now kicking back in Bombo on the south coast.

You are certainly a busy guy with all of your bands, comedy outlets and community initiatives. It's clear you like to make people laugh and we love that about you. Your commitment to entertaining is truly inspiring.What gives you your energy?

Thanks so much mate. It still is a crazy thing to hear that what I do has a positive impact on people's lives and its definitely a very humbling experience. Ever since I was a kid I have always wanted to live a creative lifestyle performing and providing entertainment for people. Coming from a very musical family, I was thrown into the performance world as soon as I could keep rhythm on the drums and I knew that being on a stage was where I wanted to be. To me nothing really beats the rush of putting a smile on someone's face whilst you’re also putting a smile on your own.

Well we think you're a creative genius and it's clear you're a very hard worker but you seem to take it in your stride and flow with it. From the outside it appears to all be happening so fast but I'm sure there's a creative method to your maddness. What would you say your DNA is mate?
Haha yeah mate, going with the flow is definitely a good way of putting it. Having a musical background has been such a big part of all of it, as that desire to perform has always been so strong. Over the last 2 years quite a few opportunities have arisen and I decided to jump on them, using the skills that i have to create a few different projects that i really enjoy doing. I feel that the combination of being able to play music, as well as the desire to make something that people can have fun with, has resonated well with the audience. Saying yes to many opportunities that have arisen has created this ‘going with the flow’ vibe, which has thankfully worked quite well and put me where i am at today.

How did all this come about and when did you quit your day job?
So I have been a part of Pacific Avenue since it began in 2017 and we have toured with that over the past few years. At the end of 2019 I created the Big Twisty & The Funknasty project which started to gain some momentum with playing shows and releasing music. In the past year I decided to develop my own personal social media channels and create some content acting as myself and other weird characters. Through these 3 different projects I was fortunate enough to gain an agent and manager which helped with securing brand deals and enabling me to quit my day job at the music shop at the beginning of this year. Still feels very surreal being able to just focus on getting creative and doing what i love most.

Can you give us a quick rundown of each of your creative outlets?

MC of Big Twisty and the Funk Nasty
So I began this project as a bit of fun after being asked to rap for my mates band at Yours and Owls festival. I developed the character into a real over the top, stereotypical american rapper who is an extremely up himself, out there dude. I then had a vision to create a big funk band and perform live with me rapping as the front man. I recruited a stack of my muso mates and created a 10 piece funk band called ‘the Funknasty’. The whole idea behind this project was for it to just be a load of fun. With everyone being members of other bands, I wanted to create this live show which made people leave afterwards and say ‘what the hell was that?!”. This project has started to gain a bit of momentum and have had some really fun shows supporting the Dune Rats, playing at yours and owls fest, and playing our own headline shows up the east coast.

Drummer in Pacific Avenue
Pacific avenue started in 2017 as 4 mates from Kiama and Gerringong who went to the same school and hung out in the surf who wanted to make an Indie rock band. This project has always been my passion from the start as drumming is my bread and butter and what i was raised on. Over the past 4 years we have played stacks of festivals, performed numerous headline Aus tours and supported bands like the Wombats, Missy Higgins and Tash Sultana. Definitely some of the best times of my life on tour with these lads.

The Inspired Unemployed – comedy inspiration
My two best mates Falcon and Jack started The Inspired Unemployed 2 years ago and I have always been a pretty frequent feature in their videos. Living with Falcon and Jack in Bombo over the past few years has really opened up so many doors for me with my career and has shown me how hard work and dedication pays off. By featuring in their videos this really motivated and inspired me to expand my own pages and work hard on creating content. It’s been one hell of a ride since that all took off, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

The Water Runners – Singer, drums
The Water runners is a project I play in that my dad started about 5 years ago. My dad has always been the front man of various bands and ever since I was a kid I played with him on drums and some backing vocals. My dad is probably my biggest inspiration with my music and it is so special to be able to share a stage with him playing shows. The style of the music is bluegrass/folk too which is so much fun, and i love being able to cross genres and play to different audiences.

Your own Insta channel is freaking hilarious too (Spicy Meatball @domlittrich)
How do you approach the content creation for your own personal channel each day?
Haha thanks mate. Falcon and Jack have definitely been a big inspiration for me as I watch them and see how they take an every day occurrence, exaggerate it and make some funny content out of it. I also love acting and impersonating people, so I have been frequently recreating scenes in a budget style from big movies such as Harry Potter and the Titanic. The hardest part with these videos is raiding our costume cupboard and trying to put together costumes which somewhat represent the characters. Some are a bit abstract but I feel like you get the general idea.

This month you are campaigning to raise awareness and money for mental health through Black Dog Institute and their 'Mullets for Mental Health'
What an epic initiative to be doing right now. How did you come to be involved?
Mental health has always been a topic very close to home as it effects everyone but can still be seen as quite a taboo topic. I was inspired to become an ambassador after our local community was rattled with a few suicides last year with young local lads. As I've been rocking a mullet for years, I felt like this initiative was a no-brainer to a part of, and I would love to do anything that I can to raise awareness and gain support for a foundation supporting mental health in Australia.

How magic is your Mullet?
Probably one of the most magic mullets in the game haha. To be honest at the moment it’s a bit ratty as I bleached it and dyed it purple for fashion week earlier in the year. All of the purple is gone and now I’m left with this blonde, draco malfoy looking doo. It still is very magical though.

How does having a majestic Mullet improve your own mental health?
Having a mullet definitely gives people a smile. I think peoples' perspectives on mullets have changed over the years. When I first got a mullet in 2017 I definitely noticed some scared looking mums but now days they are popping off and I feel like it’s good to take the piss out of yourself a bit and put smile on some faces.

How and who have you been recruiting to join your team?
I initially contacted all my mates and rallied them to cut in a mullet. I also put the call out on my social channels and that has rounded up a stack of numbers. The team name is ‘South Coast Mullet Men’ so plenty of lads from down here have jumped on, but absolutely anyone is welcome to join the squad.

Have you been involved in the cutting of the Mullets too? I reckon that’s probably the funnest part
Mate our back veranda currently resembles the floor of a barbers shop when the work experience kid is away. I think I personally have cut about 7 mullets out there and I think there will be a few more to come. This part is definitely the best bit, especially when the new mullet recruit is a bit precious of their hair.

Who has the most majestic Mullet you’ve carved or seen?
My mate Dane Woods from Stanwell Park has bleached his mullet and dyed it bright red. As the colour is starting to fade its looking more and more like flames and it is absolutely phenomenal.

How is the magic of the mullet inspiring you in your daily life right now?
Seeing all your mates come together and get some dodgy haircuts for an epic cause has definitely made me realise how epic my friend group is. We kind of feel like we are part of a weird mullet gang and it just reminds me how lucky i am to have the mates i do.

What has been your experience with mental health during this past year and especially this most recent lockdown?
As I mentioned earlier, our local community and much of Australia has been hit pretty hard with mental health since covid came along and cancelled so many peoples plans and aspirations. Living in a small town I feel that many people have felt quite isolated and alone as well as not having the things to look forward to in life that young people should. In the music community I know of many mates and myself included who have been struggling as show after show is cancelled and a sense of purpose is being taken away. Whilst there is light at the end of the tunnel it is always so important to be checking in on everyone and asking those important questions which really could make such a big difference.

What advice can you offer to people in lockdown who are feeling the drag?
The best advice I could give is that we are almost through it so just try keep on pushing. Don’t feel afraid to lean on your mates, as your friends love you and will do all they can to drag you out. The time will come very soon where we will all be back at the pub having a beer and letting the good times roll.

How do you deal with the haters?
Personally I have been fortunate enough to not really receive much hate for what I do and create. There will always be people out there trying to drag you down, especially as your career grows and you are brought more into the spotlight. Often this isn't a reflection on you and it’s more something that they will have to work on. I just try to be as true to myself as I can and have faith in what I do.

How does Black Dog Institute help people feeling dark, down or lonely?
The Blackdog Institute has an amazing array of resources which cover suiced prevention and how to deal with stress, anxiety and depression. On their website you can connect with a huge team of professionals who can talk with you and help guide you through your dark days. There is also a massive list of pages and links which guide you on how to deal with stress and anxiety, whether it be in the workplace, at home or as someone managing a business. Check out the ‘Mycompass’ application on the black dog website. This creates a personalised plan for you on how to deal with getting through your dark times.

How can people get involved and get a mullet and also donate to Mullets for Mental Health?
If you feel like cutting a mullet and joining the ‘South Coast Mullet Men’ you can sign up here. You can also donate to the team on that link or donate to individual members.

What quote or mantra does Dom Littrich live by?
‘Ships were not built to stay in the harbour’, go out and get it baby!'

Thanks Dom

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Black Dog Institute - Mullets for Mental Health 
Show you're all ears this September! Grow a MULLET for Mental Health.
Have you always wanted a mullet? Maybe you always wanted to try it but didn’t have the confidence to pull off such a majestic hairstyle, or maybe you have one already and want to see it bloom...
If so, show you're all ears and be a Mullets For Mental Health legend; shape in and grow your mullet for the month of September to raise much needed funds for mental health research.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15-44, and approximately 60% of Australians reporting symptoms of mental illness don’t seek help.
Your mullet will help us drive real change through ground breaking research into the early detection, prevention and treatment of common mental health disorders.