Cosmic Psychos are boozed up and set to play River Rocks Rehab
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Cosmic Psychos are boozed up and set to play River Rocks Rehab

Australian punk rock band, Cosmic Psychos, are headed back to Geelong for yet another year on the River Rocks bill. This year playing River Rocks Rehab, they’ll be sharing the stage with the likes of Exploding White Mice, Hits, Batpiss, Meatbeaters and more.

River Rocks Rehab is the recently added second day to the River Rocks event. This addition was prompted by the many who were left without original River Rocks tickets when the allocation was exhausted within the week, deeming the event a record time sell-out.

Now in its 10th year running, Cosmic Psychos are no strangers to the River Rocks event. John McKeering, also known as Mad Macka, has been the guitarist of the three-piece since 2006 and recalls fun times spent at the event in the past.

“We’ve played it [River Rocks] several times,” he says, “They do a great job with it, setting it up, it’s always a lot of fun.

“All the dudes that you know turn up and you get to have a chat with them and all that sort of stuff. Bands like Meatbeaters have played, Poppin’ Mommas have played, the list goes on.”

Guitar has seemingly played a large role in John’s life for a significant amount of time, with him explaining that he first picked up the guitar “in about 1986”.

“I mean, I’m 45 now, so it’s gone on a long time, but I started taking it more seriously and was more interested in it about three or four years later. And I just did that instead of everything else.”

Also known for his long-haul stint with punk rock band, The Onyas, John expresses a strong inclination towards the punk rock genre.

“I think it’s probably because it [the punk rock genre] is simple. And that makes it easy to play, sort of thing. It’s fun and it’s spirited and it’s straightforward,” he says.

Known for their love of beer and somewhat vulgar lyrics, Cosmic Psychos are also one of the defining bands of the yob rock genre, a movement which celebrates the Aussie male lifestyle. For those who are yet to experience the Cosmic Psychos live and are set to attend the forthcoming River Rocks Rehab, John says to expect “a loud, half-drunken shamble”.

“They [the audience] just need to be ready to have a beer and have a good time.”

Outside of their River Rocks Rehab performance, Cosmic Psychos will be playing an ongoing string of shows and it’s said that a new album could drop at any time.

“There’s gigs coming up in November, around that time of River Rocks, so we’re playing a few shows around that,” says John, “And we’ve done a new record, so at some stage that will come out, then we’ll be ready to have a few more beers.”

When & Where: Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong – November 11 & 12

Written by Helena Metzke