Untitled Document

HOME

NEWS

ARTISTS

PHOTOS

PODCASTS

TOURS

FESTIVALS

WIN

REVIEWS

Featured
Lowrider
Celebrating the release of Lowrider's new album 'Round The World' we go behind the scenes of the hot new single!

Featured Artist
Amy Meredith
A journey is a fitting way to describe the last two years of life for Amy Meredith. From shaping...

Win Stuff
Bam! Festival
BAM! Festival is pleased to announce its first all Aussie, emerging artist line up, full of gems waiting...

ALBUM & LIVE REVIEWS

RSS Reviews Feed

COG

Posted on June 11 2009

Send this to my mate

Review: COG

It was early Sunday afternoon and the idea of seeing one of Australias finest, Cog, on a lazy Sunday night seemed quite the appropriate thing to do to enjoy our final public holiday for months. Quite unsure if they were playing due to their non appearance the night before for reasons unknown, already in the CBD, some investigative work to the HiFi was required. Walking the malignant streets filled with bums searching for their next meal and the scent of dead cat weeping through the air, all these elements of Melbourne are distant as it is confirmed, in some irony with a touch of ‘Bondi Rescue’ that Cog will definitely be playing tonight.

A few hours of rest and a twenty dollar hotel club sandwich, well worth it I must add, and the walk back to the HiFi for the second time seemed less of a task and more a luring journey of expectations. On arrival the sign indicates a huge night ‘Sold Out’, not really unexpected, and the usual sweaty essence of HiFi smashes you in the face instantly as you enter the main area. Its hard to think on such a cold night how this could be, I digress, unfortunately for possibly the third time I’ve missed Calling All Cars, but honestly when did bands start playing so early? Done by nine pm! I apoligise as I hear good things about these lads.

I’m always very apprehensive about writing about bands I’ve never seen live and only heard snippets of their actual music. What a revelation ‘Oceansize’ were, I believe breaking boundaries between elegance and pure brute in moments. I can only describe as watching the ‘Notebook’ but getting repeatedly stabbed in the leg. Inviting I hear you say? It was similar to the feeling I got when I saw ‘Between the Buried and Me’ last year, it was the injection of new music I was craving, a trip to JB Hifi sometime this week I think.

Unfortunately being unfamiliar with any of their songs I can’t provide the typical and arduous play by play of their tracks but can advise any folk who haven’t listened to them and appreciate something with a type of gallantry, I prefer not to use clichés such as Progressive, because really a song with epic monuments similar to the curves and lengths of a triathlon, doesn’t then characterise them as ‘Prog’. But yes this is what they do. At times quite mesmerising, vocalist/guitarist Mark Vennart has a tone that was haunting, never bellowing over the music but a pure compliment. Building peaks and troughs and their use of keys gives that touch of elegance and when you think the band isn’t really that heavy, drummer Mark Heron, out of nowhere pounds his doubles and in a venue such as HiFi it is definitely done justice. My only criticism of the set, has nothing to do with the music, but how little time they actually got on stage. Hopefully they will be back for a headline tour sometime in the future and can share more of their music with us, by then I should be up to speed with their matertial.

Cog is a band which captured me from the moment I heard their song, Run, which unfortunately they rarely play anymore, but that’s because they have so many other wonderful songs to treat the crowd with. It has been a while since I’d seen these guys indoors, as the previous two were at Peaches and Cream and BDO earlier this year were outdoor festivals, so the opportunity to hear them crisp and clean one more time before they enter the realm of writing was very excitable. I knew from the first song Doors that it was going to be a long night, a monster which clocks the ten minute mark. Flynn Gower, vocalist, did seem to have a sense of apprehension in his delivery early on but this was understandable as a man who rarely does speak and lets the music speak for itself, addresses the crowd. An apology for their non appearance the previous night, a sincerity and seriousness really felt right through, he explained his ability to deliver was just not there as his throat had to bare the weight of consecutive gigs and had let him down and the fans. He was giving his all tonight and that was quite apparent, early nerves seemingly gone his delivery was immaculate for the rest of the evening.

The bands professionalism is second to none in Australia, with enigmatic lighting which creates the atmosphere and vibe that you get from major international acts. Every song being played with a carousel of guitars that are finely tuned between each song allows for delivery with clarity that is only expected by the best. Each member has their own signature with Lucius Borich on Drums, never fails with his awe admirable charisma and bravado. Luke Gower on bass could really have been a fine substitute for the energizer bunny for his endless bobs and weaves would have made any middle weight boxer on fight night look like a joke. They play a mixture of tracks off their two major releases ‘New Normal’ and ‘Sharing Space’ and even squeezing in a song from ‘Just Visiting Part 1’.

It is apparent they have picked up many new fans with their Sharing Space release as some of the crowd at times had the look of unfamiliarity when they played older songs. There are moments through out the set when it is apparent how much the fans love this band. When they play Are You Interested, the song itself builds up so much intensity to the ultimate climax point, reminiscent of one humans other favourite activities, that even the sheer volume of the PA of the HiFi cannot mask the crowd belting out the lyrics. It was simply awesome. I rather enjoyed their creative little ending to songs such as Resonate where they now throw in a groovy little lick and also the killer break down that they crash through at the end of What if. Slight reinventions keep songs you have heard a million times new and fresh.

Interestingly it seemed like time had gone by so fast because one and half hours later they were finished. Tired and exhausted, but ultimately satisfied. It was one of those nights that was profound, it doesn’t matter how many times you see Cog, they just don’t seem to get boring or tired, more the opposite leaving everyone wanting much more. So here’s to Cog writing a new swag of songs, a tasty tought, I look forward to what delights they bring next. Cheers to one of Australia’s finest bands Cog.

Review by Jason Clair
Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne, VIC (June 7th 2009)

GIGS & TOURS GUIDE

search by Artist:

Search by Festival:

Recently Announced: Rihanna | MORE GIGS

EVENTS & COMPETITIONS

+ View more competitions

Win Tix

Bam! Festival

BAM! Festival is pleased to announce its first all Aussie, emerging artist line up, full of gems waiting to be discovered in a true...

Win Tix

The Likes Of You w/ Stephan Bodzin

Intuition is the little man inside all our heads. A flash of illumination that can’t be judged by logical reason. Intuition gives us...

Win Tix

Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro have announced new tour dates for Brisbane 18th The Hi Fi, Melbourne 19th The Hi Fi and Sydney 20th Metro this May. Coming...

Win Tix

The Holidays

Sydney quartet The Holidays announce East Coast headline dates to coincide with the release of their imminent new single Golden Sky....

LIVE PHOTO GALLERY

+ View more photos

Splendour In The Grass 2010 - Day 3
Mumford & Sons, Empire of the Sun and more!

Splendour In The Grass 2010 - Day 2
Wolfmother, Band of Skulls, Bluejuice, Florence and the Machine and more!

Splendour In The Grass 2010
Angus & Julia Stone, Little Red, Temper Trap, Scissor Sisters and many more!

Amy Meredith + Finabah
Live @ Rock at the Schools tour 2010

MUSIC FESTIVAL NEWS

Kate Miller Heidke To Headline A Taste Of Lilith Fair

Posted September 2 2010

A Taste of Lilith, Australia’s first ever ‘taste of’...

Bluesfest 2011 Dates Announced

Posted September 2 2010

AUGUST 31, 2010 – After a successful Bluesfest’s 21st...

Parklife relocates to Brisbane from Gold Coast

Posted September 1 2010

Parklife 2010 is returning to its old home at Brisbane’s...

MY FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Children Collide
I was very young - very very young – and I tried something for the first time and it was at Big Day Out and Sound Garden were playing and it was meant to be the last Big Day Out ever and I was lying down on the grass watching Sound Garden and feeling [ahh] pretty good. laughs

Ideal Lineup?
Wow this could take me days to go through – The Birthday Party, Scientists, The Drones, The Stabs who are a Melbourne band, Hungary Ghosts… I could go on for ever!

Fave artist you've seen at a Music Festival?
Oh, when I was really really young, too young to be at a festival I got snuck in to Summersault Festival and saw Sonic You play… that was amazing!

Tips for attending a Music Festival?
Stay out of the sun definitely! I’m a very very white man and at Big Day Out I got burnt just walking from our band tent to the stage… 30 seconds in the sun – so definitely slip slop slap!