CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM COG’S HEAVY-HITTING SYDNEY SHOW HERE.
I must admit, somewhat embarrassingly, that I am a virgin to the Cog experience. That’s not to say I haven’t heard of these three Bondi locals before – they’re all over Triple J and their new single is getting heavy airplay. It’s just that I’d never had a chance to see them play live, despite numerous reports informing me that they are one of the most formidable stage acts in this country. Ordinarily I’d preface a review like this by telling you to ‘believe the hype.” But Cog have been around far too long and play far too well to warrant the gratuitous use of the H-word. So let’s just settle for the fact that this trio blew my fucking socks off.
As a regular gig-goer, I’d like to think that I’m used to withstanding extreme levels of sound. But nothing could prepare for the sonic assault that is the Cog juggernaut. Delivered efficiently and professionally, these guys played for almost two hours non-stop. That’s a feat in itself, and something we definitely don’t see at the Enmore every day.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually have to know any of this band’s extensive back catalogue in order to enjoy their live experience. All you have to do is brace yourself for the kind of rock show that is becoming increasingly rare in the ever-growing indie-fication of Sydney: one where the crowd is roaring, the mosh pit is heaving and the boys on stage are absolutely locked-in to one another.
In fact, ‘locked-in’ doesn’t adequately describe the technical ability on display tonight. ‘Razor-sharp’ is perhaps more apt – especially in reference to Cog’s drummer, who plays like a bat out of hell, pulling off the most insane fills and trickiest grooves in the book like it’s a walk in the park. People often express amazement at how other rock trios (Silverchair in particular) make so much sound out of so few instruments. Take that and multiply it by ten and you don’t even come close to the waves of music coming at you from the Cog kids. Drum machines, voice loops, fake strings, multi-tracked guitars, effected bass…there seems no end to the amount of studio wizardry that this band can effectively bring to the stage.
To describe Cog’s music as epic would be a gross understatement. They essentially write alt-metal’s answer to Muse: a dizzying array of tight grooves, odd time signatures and seemingly incongruous sections which all come together into a glorious whole, often lasting fifteen minutes at a time. This concert is a vindication for serious music-lovers everywhere – proof that you can rock out intelligently and still pull a huge crowd. Well done guys, you’ve done Bondi proud.
