Manchester postpunk outfit Witch Fever’s last visit to Cardiff, some five months ago, found them in the Utilita Arena – of all places – with metallers Volbeat and post-grunge legends Bush. Which is all fine and dandy, but the way to watch Witch Fever is when they are right in your face, close enough for the sweat to hit you in the eye.
As such, it’s fitting that tonight’s show will be in the bowels of Clwb Ifor Bach, where around 100 people will be able to witness to their aural assault from a few feet. Perfect. They stride onstage with the confidence of a band that know exactly how to churn a moshpit up – and proceed to do exactly that.
The Black Sabbath swagger intro of Dead To Me immediately ignites an audience brimming with excitement, followed up by the brooding Northstar. What’s immediately apparent is that the sound tonight is perfectly on point, with the hallowed walls of Clwb Ifor Bach proving to be an ideal setting for their sonic power.
Drank The Sap, the third track in a row from 2025’s Fevereaten album, veers between gentle shoegaze and downright violent doom, with the band all intently locked in to each other. They take it back to 2022 next, with the riffy Blessed Be Thy, providing no let up in the intensity, but make no mistake, Witch Fever are here tonight to showcase the new stuff.
So it’s back to that for the remainder of the set, with Burn To Hit and Safe given ample time to impress on the crowd, before the group wrap the whole thing up with Reprise and I See It. Still very much in the infancy of their careers, Witch Fever never fail to bring it, and this powerful set leaves much of tonight’s crowd aurally spent.
Witch Fever, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 13 Mar
words CHRIS ANDREWS
