Rising Voices of Punk: City Dog and Witch Fever Live in Cologne
At first glance, Artheater Cologne looks modest from the outside, but once inside it’s much bigger than expected. The dark entrance hall immediately sets the tone. If you look up above the bar, there’s a long stretch of wall filled with more than thirty secondhand deer antlers, like Bambi having a nightmare. Backstage turns out to be less mysterious: essentially just a curtain behind the bar. From there I could watch Witch Fever’s singer Amy Walpole style her hair and put on makeup before the door to the concert hall opened.
The evening started with City Dog from Brighton. The trio, Deri Bovaird (vocals/guitar), Aaron Butler (bass) and Keelan Shepard (drums), look strikingly young on stage. Deri wore a “Free Derry” shirt, which signals political engagement while also acting as a playful pun on his own name. Between their very grungy punk tracks he repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine”, giving the set an even clearer political tone.
Musically, City Dog combine recognisable grunge and punk elements but give them a fresh spin. The result feels creative rather than nostalgic. It’s an interesting sound paired with a cool stage presence and strong messages. The trio seemed very engaged throughout the set, though it would have been nice to see them move around a bit more.
They also played their new single ‘Kayden’ a beautiful track that carries all the familiar City Dog elements while hinting at possible new directions. The crowd responded with dancing, and Deri ended the set with a kind smile, thanking everyone for coming, and even thanking me for taking photos.
Next came Witch Fever from Manchester, and the energy immediately shifted. Singer Amy Walpole moved constantly, screaming, singing and dropping to her knees several times during the set. It was intense and captivating. On guitar, Alisha Yarwood at first seemed shy, but quickly proved to be completely locked into the music. Her focused playing meshed perfectly with Amy Walpole and Alex Thompson on bass and backing vocals. Annabelle Joyce drove everything forward on drums. All four members look very different stylistically, yet together they work remarkably well.
Their feminist-driven doom punk stands apart from most bands right now, which likely explains why they’re rising so quickly in the scene. The set began with ‘Dead to Me’ and included older songs like ‘Congregation’, while also introducing new material such as ‘Fevereaten’, the title track of the tour.
The show remained openly political, including another “Free Palestine” shoutout. It’s refreshing when artists use the stage for things that matter. The band also mentioned how little money they made touring with Volbeat, thanking fans who support them by buying merch, another reminder that streaming pays almost nothing.
Late-set highlights included the beautiful ‘I Reflect the Sun, It Bounces Back’, before closing with the crowd favourite ‘I SEE IT’. The room erupted into a happy, dancing crowd, the energy spilling out as the final notes rang through the venue. It was a fitting and vibrant end to a powerful night.
