Written by: Tom Wilson
Photos by: Dalton Collis >> SEE PHOTOS
Friday 8th March 2024

A Prog Masterclass At The Princess Theatre

The night is finally here. One of Australia’s most distinct talents in the field of alternative music, COG are touring the country to celebrate both their LPs being released on vinyl for the first time, and their Brisbane stop at the Princess Theatre is completely sold out. My first visit to this venue was ANIMALS AS LEADERS last year, so it’s fitting to be back here for another prog showcase.

Opening tonight’s proceedings are locals KODIAK EMPIRE, and as they kick off their first song, their singer raises the mic to his mouth … and nothing happens. Over my shoulder, the sound guy sprints back to the desk and punches up a level, and a soaring croon fills the space. Crisis averted. Having been around since 2012, the band are as tight as a drum tonight, and they waste no time coaxing punters to the front of the stage as they hammer out tracks from last year’s The Great Acceleration EP and give thanks to COG for the opportunity to play with them tonight. The vocals entrance, the keyboards dance, and the drumming is an absolute masterclass. Respect.

Up next is YOMI SHIP, an instrumental prog trio all the way from Perth who I last saw with COG at the mighty Monolith Festival. Having possibly just got back from robbing a train in the 1800s, their drummer Nick Osborne sports a bandana covering his face, but there is no concealing his talent behind the kit, and if he thinks I’m going to review a YOMI SHIP set without mentioning his moustache, he’s dead wrong. It’s marvellous, damn it. Intricate, spaced-out jazz, replete with odd time signatures and fretboard wizardry, YOMI SHIP instantly craft an atmosphere that is simultaneously intimate and dazzling in its spectacle, particularly evident in new single Watch Out For The Water. Ace.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if there was a Eurovision for alternative music, I’d pick COG to represent Australia. Three supremely talented musicians who have never released a bad album, I’ve seen them at least ten times and they’ve never put on a bad show. Forgoing their usual intro music (Jean-Michel Jarre’s Oxygene, featured in the movie Gallipoli) for the never-more-relevant Short Memory by MIDNIGHT OIL, they take to the stage, and the crowd roars as they plunge into Real Life. YOMI SHIP’s Nick Osborne warned us that they were in red hot form tonight, and we quickly find out that he wasn’t exaggerating.

Are You Interested? and Anarchy O.K. are staggeringly vast, and Flynn Gower is beaming with gratitude as he thanks us for joining them tonight, calling Brisbane their second home and encouraging us to sing as loud as we can. The crescendo of Swamp is spellbinding, and he dedicates The Spine to Yogi and their crew. In introducing Town of Lincoln, Flynn calls attention to the plight of whistleblowers, and a spotlight falls on Lucius’ kick drum, highlighting a portrait of Julian Assange. Bird of Feather is a giant singalong, leading into Problem Reaction Solution, before Flynn places his guitar down and walks offstage in a scream of feedback. We’re waiting for an encore, but as the road crew emerge onstage, we realise that we’re out of luck, and the set ends with a pang of unfinished business.

With the focus tonight on The New Normal and Sharing Space there are a number of crowd favourites (and personal ones) that were left out of the setlist. I suppose there’s only so much you can fit into a set when you’re trying to represent 2 groundbreaking albums. What they do play tonight however, is incredible.

Photos by: Dalton Collis
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THE SETLIST