COG Review

By Kate Reid

Jakob

Kora

Cog

To say I was looking forward to this gig would be a gross understatement and as I walked into a packed UniBar I had an overwhelming sensation that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. The sea of ‘In Cog We Trust’ shirts summed up the feelings of the crowd in one short sharp statement.

Starting off the night was Jakob, a band from the land of the long white cloud who are graduates from the school of ambient rock. Their dark, atmospheric, primarily instrumental sound along with the visual intensity of a red backlit stage was the perfect way to kick off a night dedicated to the rock powerhouse that is Cog. Next up was fellow countrymen Kora who seemed an unusual addition to the lineup. The only obvious similarity with headliners Cog was the fact that neither band can be categorised into one specific genre. I guess you could describe their sound as the strange love child of rock and reggae. Whatever it was it certainly had the crowd’s approval.

Just when the anticipation seemed to reach fever pitch the stage lights fell and the familiar hand clapped rhythm of John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice” echoed around the packed UniBar. This unusual song choice seemed to fuel the already excited crowd who sung/screamed along to the well known lyrics. Once the song ended the familiar darkened outlines of lead singer Flynn, bass player Luke and drummer Lucius appeared on stage to a deafening cheer from the UniBar patrons as they launched straight into the ever-evolving ten minute assault that is the Sharing Space opener “No Other Way”. The intensity continued throughout the set list which included “Bird of Feather” and “Are You Interested?” from Sharing Space alongside tracks like “My Enemy” and “The Spine” from their previous album The New Normal. Even with a few technical issues the performance was everything you would expect from a band who have built up a reputation for intense and passionate gigs that leave you wondering how so much sound can come out of three musicians. As long as bands like this continue to permeate the live scene the future of Aussie music is looking bright.