Cog, Yomi Ship, Kodiak Empire @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 2/3/2024
Cog are one of Australia’s most diverse and unique outfits. A three piece outfit that with two albums under their belt in over twenty years of existence, they can still do a national ‘vinyl’ tour and still dominate.
Only Cog have the gumption to do that.
They’ve always had a unique sound, thanks in part to Flynn Gower’s amazing vocals, and while many consider them a ‘prog’ band they rarely wander in their music, choosing to make sure their anarchistic and disruptive message gets across quickly and effectively.
Tonight with them they have Kodiak Empire and Yomi Ship, two bands of differing styles yet the same energy as the headliners.
Kodiak Empire have an atmospheric prog structure yet bring emo punk to the masses which, in fitting with the evening, is a tantalising concoction to watch. It shouldn’t work yet does, and with recent release The Great Acceleration under their arms, their offering is warmly received by those hardy souls out early.
West Australian’s Yomi Ship are an instrumental progressive three piece who choose to let their music do the talking. Its tribal, its forward thinking, the ebb and flow of their sound seeps into your subconscious before you even realise it’s happening, you can’t stop it no matter how you try.
Which all leads to a three piece band with combines both set ups and styles, Cog.
Opening with Real Life, there are sound issues with Flynn’s microphone which make it difficult to hear his unique vocals however the crowd are willing as they sing the title back.
Are You Interested? may well have been written nearly twenty years ago however that content has never been more relevant while Anarchy OK has bassist Luke Gower pounding the stage at every beat like bull about to charge towards you.
Having only released two albums, and printing new vinyl of these albums, the set list naturally is drawn from the classic Australian releases.
Swamp is another crowd favourite as drummer Lucius Borichs kit sounds enormous while The Spine rolls like a giant rock picking up pace to trample you to the crowds delight.
In these parts though, one song from this particular band is always greeted warmly, and once the opening refrains of ‘taking covert trips to Adelaide’ are sung, the palpable sense of pride in the room for their hometown song is electrifying.
Run sounds crunchier than ever before, the bass intro to My Enemy delectable as the band don’t even sing the two first verses such is the crowds participation, before finishing with Problem, Reaction, Solution with its imperious break point hair raising as the band overlook their people like kings.
Cog do their own thing and they do it well. They have always stood out yet the music, and message, still continues to resonate today and hit punishingly beautifully. Hopefully this tour gets them to create more of their magic, however right now it’s time for their homemade lemonade.
Live Review By Iain McCallum