PAST EVENT - Cong Josie

Cong Josie is the moonlighting alter-ego of Nicolaas Oogjes, frontman of cult “Heat Beat” band, NO ZU. It is a subconscious driven, dream-state livin' hyper-reality that Cong springs from. This version of Nicolaas presents as some kind of a snake-oil-salesman, a faking Aussie cowboy, a singer-of-sleaze and/or a hero of the outer-suburbs depending on your outlook. The sound of Cong, and his band ‘The Crimes’, manifests from deep within the psyche: 50's rock 'n' roll nostalgia meets pounding late-night electronics, switchblade-sharp rhythms express genuine heartfelt mental-health purging. “Glint in the eye” dark and self-effacing humour is tied up in uncompromising post-punk urgency. When he is joined on stage by his band featuring singers Cassandra Capri (Cassandra Kiely) and Mona Rêves (Simone Page-Jones) and Johnny Cayn (Cayn Borthwick) on sax and guitar, the tension between romantic love and the darker side of life burns even hotter.

At the end of October, 2020, It Records released the single ‘Leather Whip’ lifted from the forthcoming debut album due soon in 2021. The single and it’s b-side, Maxine, garnered great interest especially on community, alternative and internet radio around Australia, France and the UK in particular.