It's funny when you only get to know a band from a single that's aired on the radio. And when that song is good -- it sells.

Such is the case with OMC's "How Bizarre," a song that not only sits at No. 2 on R&R's Pop Chart, but has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Having the chance to see this group live, however, really gives the listener a super clear picture of the band's true colors. Fronted by Pauly Fuemana, the seven-piece group from Auckland, New Zealand gives a whole new meaning the term dance music. They combine "real" instruments (brass, guitar, bass, percussion and keyboards) with a DJ who spins and scratches discs behind the rest of the band.

Add a female vocalist (Taisha) with an angelic voice that can reach chords as high as heaven, and then finally, drop in a lead man whose vocal range goes from that of a male Sade to a street rapper and you've got a perfect combination to bring the dance world to a new level. It all also makes you realize that OMC is not a one-hit wonder. "'How Bizarre' is one of those things we weren't trying to cash in on," Pauly said. "It's opened so many doors for us. And now people get to see us live."

OMC's sound has a uniquely Polynesian flair thrown in with R&B grooves and heavy house and techno beats, which they get to prove when they hit the stage. "We try to give [our shows] an element of surprise," Pauly explained. "I am pretty diverse on stage. We have drum 'n' base, dance, acoustic - we try to mix it up as much as we can."

OMC is currently on tour in the States promoting How Bizarre. They just came from two months of playing clubs in Europe where their single is selling through the roof. Fans are flocking from all over to catch a glimpse of the Wonder from Down Under. "Some of the venues we've been in have either been too big or too small," Pauly admitted. "But even if 30 people or 3,000 people show up, we gig anyway."

Things weren't always great for Pauly and the band. Their name in a way signifies their hard upbringing. OMC stands for the Otara Millionaires Club. Otara is one of the poorest sections of Auckland. When Pauly was a young man he always found himself in trouble, but it was seeing his mother stand up in court and testify against him that made him change his ways. "I got myself into so much trouble that I hurt the people close to me," he said. "I thought no one loved me. I'll never go back there again."

"There" isn't Otara, or even Auckland for that matter. It's just that time in Pauly's life that he wants to put behind him. Now his future is bright. "At home, people thought our name was a joke. Now we're in a position to give them a new element of surprise."

It's bizarre how things work out that way, eh?

ARI BENDERSKY