Darren Coggan pays homage to hometown Wagga, the Murrumbidgee River with new song 5 O'Clock Wave

Urban legend has it that every day at 5pm a single giant wave comes rolling along the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga, with locals over the years using the tale as old as time to prank those from out of town. For Wagga-born multi-award-winning performer Darren Coggan, the five o'clock wave was a huge part of his childhood, often going down to Wagga Beach of an afternoon to try and catch a glimpse of it. While the stories are elaborate, the rush of water rolling down the river from water being released from upstream is no hoax and Mr Coggan has seen it himself - even if it took him 50 years to catch. In a bid to pay homage to his hometown, the country music singer and songwriter is gearing up to release his new single 5 O'Clock Wave, which encapsulates the long-living phenomenon in all its glory. Mr Coggan braved the Bidgee's brutal chill last week, taking a surfboard down to Wagga Beach where he filmed the music video for the single - shot by his son Gabe Coggan. It is the first track on his upcoming new album, with the single set to be released on September 1 as a birthday present to himself. IN OTHER NEWS: "Growing up in Wagga you sort of just become aware of the legendary five o'clock wave," he said. The urban legend is still used today to trick tourists into thinking that every day the giant inland wave rolls down the Murrumbidgee River following the release of water from Blowering and Burrinjuck dams. "Back in the day, when I was touring as part of the cast for Grease The Musical, our final show happened to be in Wagga and I remember telling my good friend, who was in the cast, a guy from Sydney who is a phenomenal surfer, about the five o'clock wave that you could ride all the way to Narrandera," Mr Coggan said. "He bought it and I remember he showed up at Wagga Beach in his wetsuit with his board ready to ride the wave." Mr Coggan said locals would often offer tips and advice to visiting surfers about how they can catch the wave. It's not all fun and games though, with a rush of water rolling through the Murrumbidgee River a very real occurrence. Mr Coggan said he hadn't managed to witness the arrival of the water until his visit last week. "The release of the water is a real thing," he said. "As a young boy, we would go down to Wagga Beach to try and see it." Despite now living on the South Coast, Mr Coggan's heart will always be in Wagga, a city which he said shaped him into the person he is today. "I love my hometown, it's my way of paying homage to it and keeping the myth alive," he said of his new song. The former Kooringal High School student said his teachers and the headmaster at the time played a crucial role in him going on to pursue the arts as an adult. After working for Prime in Wagga as a cameraman, Mr Coggan pursued his music career in 1995 and in 2001 was awarded his first Golden Guitar at the Toyota Country Music Awards. Over the years, Wagga has been an inspiration behind many of Mr Coggan's songs, as he reflects on his 30 years living in the city fondly. The 5 O'Clock Wave will be available to download and stream (no pun intended) across all digital platforms when it is released on September 1. Lyrics and music by Darren Coggan (c)2023 There's a wall of water spilling over Blowering Dam Breaking down the 'bidgee Flowing by the life guard stand You've heard about the legend of a mighty inland tube I know it to be true We cheer for the champions in the sporting hall of fame Heroes of our homeland the way they play their game What's the reason for this region? No one can explain? There must be something in the water, something in that wave 5:05pm and there's a shadow on my face The orange whips are cracking to the songs that show our age Look me in the eye and raise a glass to better days Riding high on the 5 o'clock wave Riding higher than the 5 o'clock wave I knew this grom from Nulla Nulla, he'd surfed all the gnarly sets From Torquay to J Bay But he aint seen nothing yet Now he's knee deep in the 'bidgee waiting for the swell And the ringing of five bells The rain had tumbled down that cold and wet July The level of the dam had risen to a record high The levy banks were bursting With falls like at Niagara And he carved that beastly bombie all the way down to Narrandera There's nothing like the feeling of coming back home Back to where it started Back where I belong When this life is over don't lay me in no grave Let me ride the river on the 5 O'Clock wave Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: