Sleepmakeswaves, Opia
Metro City
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Sydney’s Cog only produced two LPs over the 12 years they were active, but made an indelible mark in the Australian music landscape. Leading a charge of heavy, progressive rock bands coming out round the turn of the century, alongside Aussie acts like Butterfly Effect, Full Scale and Karnivool, they were responsible for pushing a new sound in this country, one influenced by such US bands as Deftones, Korn, Tool and Incubus.
Cog quickly amassed a legion of fans on strength of their live shows, precision playing, solid songwriting and unique style – a powerhouse three-piece, consisting of brothers Flynn (guitar/vocals) and Luke Gower (bass) with Lucius Borich on drums. They proved to be popular drawcard with a new generation, embarking on many tours and garnering a worldwide following.
Calling it a day in 2010, they played what appeared to be their last shows and went on a hiatus – the various members pursuing other projects. Then, at the start of this year, fans got some exciting news – the band announced they were reforming for a national tour. At first it was just a sold out run of east coast shows, but west coast fans made their voices heard, and the band answered the call, adding a Perth show.
Proving they’ve still got it – the boys put on a formidable performance to a capacity crowd, an impressive achievement when you’re talking about the cavernous, multi-story monolith that is Metro City. Bringing along sleepmakeswaves didn’t hurt either. Dedicated fans, including a good portion of the old Perth band scene, came down early to establish their vantage points.
Doing the honours of kicking things off just after 7, was Perth’s own Opia. An early start for a Saturday night, but things had to be done by 11 because (in one of the strangest juxtapositions in a club you’re likely to see) Darude was on later. Opia did well to capitalise on the swelling crowd, as the giant club rapidly filled. A band that’s gone through a few changes over the years but remain a solid local talent, they were a well-chosen support that impressed many.
sleepmakeswaves have really made a name for themselves in the last few years. The Sydney four-piece are an absolute force of nature, putting on energetic and mesmerising live shows, with the whole band really getting into it and fully committing to their instruments.
The dynamic ebb and flow of their epic, progressive, post-rock is very dramatic – there’s intricate interplay between the guitars, with delicately picked passages followed by explosive walls of noise, locked down by the heavy rhythm section – led by Alex Wilson on his five-string bass, who gave a little speech about how honoured they were to be supporting one of their biggest influences and musical heroes. Ending with their opus Something Like Avalanches, that starts with a minimal synth line and builds to a giant climax with the band all headbanging in unison, they would have no doubt gained some new fans tonight.
After a bit of a break, the tension started to build, and the crowd pushed forward in anticipation. After a rather dramatic and intergalactic intro featuring green lights and the sci-fi vibes of Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygene, Cog made their way onstage to rapturous applause.
Starting off with Doors from their 2005 debut album, its long, drawn out intro built the drama up to fever pitch, before the rhythm section kicked in, and the crowd burst into motion. It immediately strikes you how tight they are, and the sound they generate as a three piece is incredible. It was immediately apparent we were in for a big show.
They charged through their back catalogue (there’s been hints of a new album, but no new material as of yet). Are You Interested?, Resonate, What If… all sounded better than ever, with Flynn’s guitar playing and vocals as solid as ever, using his unique double-mic setup, backed by Luke’s intense bass playing and Borich’s incredible drumming – keeping things locked down all night behind his massive kit, a myriad of drums and cymbals. The boys looked fighting fit and ready to rock all night, with Flynn sporting his trademark Klingon-style mo and his bro rocking an impressive beard. They combined for some two-part vocals, Borich occasionally joining in for some three-way harmonies.
They boys seemed genuinely touched by the outpouring of emotion they received as every song started. It was a respectful crowd of dedicated fans. Everyone was there for the music. “Thanks for coming,” Gower humbly commented. “We thought we’d put a few shows and see if anyone turned up.” There was a deafening roar of approval. He smirked. “We’re the luckiest boys in town.”
Anarchy OK and Real Life had the crowd singing along passionately to every word. Their interesting take on Leftfield’s Open Up, was one of their first big radio hits and went down a treat. Gower’s voice is well suited to take on John Lydon’s classic vocal, with its catchphrase, “Burn Hollywood, burn.”
It’s the sign of a good band when an almost two-hour long set flies by. It was a well paced set with lots of great tunes, some with extended instrumentals. Gower even took a moment to get a bit political, stating, “The people running this country for last 20 years been steering us slowly but surely towards fascism. Demonising minorities. Particularly Arabs/Muslims. Speak up. Let’s fuck their plans up!” This was an appropriate intro to Silence Is Violence.
Another of their greatest songs, Birds of a Feather, was introduced as being about the sad reality of families being separated by the necessity of some men having to travel far away for work, which perhaps put a different slant on it, but reduced its intensity and impact none.
Dedicating their last song to a guy who flew all the way from Europe to see them, the epic 10 minute ballad No Other Way was a grand finish, building from melodic strumming guitar, to a thunderous finale of crushing distorted guitars and drums. Welcome back Cog. Stay awhile.
ALFRED GORMAN & BRANDO GORMAN
Photography by Paul Dowd
