COG

The Hi-Fi in Melbourne was one of COG’s stops on their juggernaut Between Ocean’s tour. Decked out in scarves and heavy jackets their loyal fansbattled with the bitter cold, as they stood huddled in a lengthy cue waiting outside; with the one intention of catching this monster band in action.

Calling All Cars had the difficult job of starting off our night as the opening support band. Playing to a small sober crowd, these boys still stood out as a fair contender for their challenging role. Straight from the start they were animated and energetic, playing off each other and controlling their instruments; ultimately making them great to watch and listen to. A noteworthy aspect about this band was what I called ‘Calling All Cars random acts of destructiveness’. This volatile aspect set them aside that night; the boys would be playing a heavy track and suddenly Haydn Ing (lead vocals) would throw his microphone to the ground, or thrash his guitar finishing the song by hurling it into the drum kit. I found this dynamic element entertaining, keeping you enthralled in their set; almost waiting for the next destructive moment.

After another solid session of drinking by the growing audience, UK band Oceansize dawned the stage. First thing I noticed about this group was the sparkly pink drum kit and Mike Vernnart’s (lead vocals) dorky bright red shirt; I didn’t know if these guys could pull off the rock expectations from this crowd. I instantly realised how wrong I was when this five piece group boomed out a giant musical intro, which grabbed everyone in The Hi-Fi’s attention. With the incorporation of more members and instruments Oceansize had a rich and deeper sound. Four guys destroying their guitars in their own personal style, with a drummer perched above them all, controlling his instrument with ease was defiantly worth paying attention to. Oceansize’s music style of thunderous rock seemed to excite the growing number of moshers, as they cheered in gratitude after each track. I unfortunately found Oceansize slightly boring; each song felt like it dragged on.

The band just sounded like prolonged intro’s and outro’s. Having said that their ability to play as one for such long periods was very impressive; Oceansize certainly got everyone musically charged for our main act. As the lights dimmed and smoke filled the stage, chatter between crowd members disappeared, as everyone watched for COG to grace the stage. The audience was now at full capacity; wild-eyed fans stood shoulder to shoulder eagerly awaiting their first glimpse of these mighty rockers. Opening under darkness to a prolonged musical intro all eyes were focused upon the stage, waiting for the lights to illuminate the three boys making up COG.

I enjoyed the subtle lead up to a gigantic chorus, which COG used to begin the show; it was a nice change to being simply blown away from the word go. This band didn’t need flashy gimmicks or melodramatic dancing to make them entertaining; they barely moved and were dressed in simple clothes, but the atmosphere was electric. The three musicians played each song to the bone, putting their hearts into every verse; their talent was the main attention grabber onstage, rather than what outrageous stunts they could pull.

During a song transition, Flynn Gower (lead vocals) stopped the show to apologise for cancelling the previous night’s performance, due to illness. Leading into the next track Gower told the crowd he will give us all the skin that is left on the back of his throat; this sign of humility threw everyone back into a wild frenzy. Flynn Gower was great onstage; balancing vocal and guitar work fantastically, clearly throwing his entire body into each track, singing with everything he had.

Drummer Lucius Boric controlled his kit with pace and elegance, while back-up vocals and bass Luke Gower played at the same amazing calibre, but had a few quirks which were fun to watch. At one point in the night an afro wig was thrown onstage; Luke showed his approval by playing the following song with it on, looking like an 80’s rock star. Their music particular style of dirty metal was welcomed by the jam-packed audience, who were now moshing shoulder to shoulder; with the occasional brave soul attempting a crowd surf. The light affects were awesome, COG were covered in greens, reds, purples and strobing whites; making them look great on stage and keeping the show alive. Biggest track of the night was easily Bird Of Feather; as soon as the intro for the monster song began the audience went into over-drive. Security seemed to pop out from everywhere, looking like hungry hyenas waiting for someone to take their moshing too far.

My only criticism for the night was the lack of an encore; but considering the band was ill I couldn’t be too disappointed. After everyone lost majority of their hearing from COG’s epic music, the boys onstage finished our night on an impressive face melting solo, putting their talents on display. Is there any better way to spend your Queen’s Birthday Eve then being blown away by three amazing rock bands? I couldn’t think of much.

Share this review on Facebook