The Tivoli, Brisbane
Saturday February 10, 2018 :
Another 90 minute cannonball run up the freeway and I’m slapping a pit pass on my Dickies as an electric Tivoli crowd cheers the boys from Bondi to the stage. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen COG play, I’m guessing somewhere around 30 occasions, and it keeps getting better.
You know you’re in for a cracker when the first few notes belong to ‘The River Song’, the crowd were straight in and the lads are on song and sounding better than ever filling the acoustically stellar venue. So many delighted faces, 15+ years of striking live performances and plenty are them have come to know what to expect. What a track!
Lead on to the Orwellian inspired ‘Are you interested?’ as the mass in attendance ask the same question along with front man Flynn Gower. It’s epic after epic as ‘Charades’ followed by single ‘What If’ keep the throng mesmerised and engaged. The band and in full flight as the hypnotic rhythmic jerking of bass master Luke draws my attention in.
As the first verse of working class anthem ‘Town of Lincoln’ rings out it’s divine irony as Flynn is compelled to voice his disdain for a particularly aggressive approach to crowd control. The Tiv is under new management and the muscle has a far more proactive stance than I can recall prior. One ejected punter and a piqued conscience later and the eldest Gower on stage suggests he kick it back in from the top. “We will not play your game or accept your system!” resonates just a little more real than before.
Punchy opener from the Trio’s debut LP, ‘Real life’ rings out as we slide into radio favourite ‘Run’. A premiere moment has arrived, tour namesake and fresh jam ‘The Middle’ has enjoyed high rotation on yours truly’s humble hifi of late. An exquisite composition embodying degrees of maturity and craftsmanship yet to grace the COG catalogue. I was more than eager to witness its translation to the live arena and man did it deliver! Undulating tempos teasing blissfully spacious reprises, the masterpiece was a revelation to all in attendance. On drums Lucius Borich is in the wheel house & driving the beast like a tethered taniwha, breaching and diving with bursts of perfection and metered precision both. As the last note rang out an air of fulfilment and content rippled throughout the walls. this was new COG and it bodes emphatically well for lovers of progressive musical excellence everywhere.
How to follow? High energy Leftfield cover ‘Open up’ has long sat most comfortably in a COG setlist and tonight was no different as knowing eyes belted out “BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN” in unison. As piercing anthem ‘The Spine’ continues, I’m reminded we are watching something special. Popular music has been hurt in recent years and I have little doubt this contributes to the drain on many who wade through mountains of detritus foisted upon us by those that would curb our attention. Blessed are we who find our way to the Tivoli.
“The government has gotta go” demands the Howard-era ‘Swamp’ and it’s all smiles as we slide into another heavy hitter, ‘My Enemy’ (“All this stuffs so ordinaryyyy!”).Heart wrenching sophomore single ‘Bird of Feather’ from 2008’s Sharing Space is preceded with a dedication to its inspiration, Flynn’s daughters, both of whom are in attendance to finally see first hand what Dad gets up to when he’s ‘gone again’. Thirteen hundred faces shine and it’s another magic COG moment. A peek at the set list on the floor near Luke’s pedal board confirms what is suggested by the arrival of an acoustic guitar, the introspective splendour that is ‘Bitter Pills’ will see us out tonight and does so with an elegance uniquely COG, tender and true.
This world class act surrounded by world class humans transcends superlatives, as the lights go down once more I’m reminded it is in the silence between the notes and lyrics that one can just as easily find the secret to COGs infinite appeal.
Huge thanks to all involved.
Reviewer and Photographer : Sam Paquette
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