Gig Review: Cry Wolf @ Dead Witch, Auckland – 24/07/2026

I had a fantastic night after being invited along to check out three incredible Auckland rock bands at an iconic venue that has helped so many of our live bands. Just walk upstairs and you’ll understand why this venue is something special for so many of us. What I like about Ding Dong Lounge / Dead Witch is that it brings the community together to celebrate music.

I have been following CRY WOLF since their inception, and it was great to celebrate their EP with a group of passionate musicians and supporters of our local scene.

Late To Chelsea and A Life Underground warmed up the crowd with a huge wall of sound coming from both bands. 

Late To Chelsea opened with two guitars and a mammoth bass tone provided by Sam that had both my guitarist and I looking at each other with that ‘stonk’ face you get when it grooves super hard, which it did. This band has a great set of tight songs with combos of strong melodies and tight rhythms that demonstrate their attention to detail, as well as details I imagine were picked up from post-rock bands of the 90’s, 2000’s, yet are still fresh. This was proven when they played F*** Wasps, which came out of nowhere, and when they finished their set with Lost and Confused. These guys are great. Passionate vocal delivery from Jack, who really embraces the guitar and settles well into being a front man.

Their humour works, as do the parts of all the songs and their construction. Late To Chelsea’s bass lines absolutely ripped through some of the songs and set the foundation for the guitars to play against each other. They also had some great drum parts, with sections that changed and locked in tightly with the rest of the band.

I hadn’t seen A Life Underground before, and they were also a fantastic live band. I appreciate it when a band brings out some big amps and lets it rip.

Their opening song gradually unfolded before exploding into a huge riff-driven introduction, but it was during the verses that the band really found their groove. They have a real powerhouse rhythm section with catchy and memorable vocal lines. You can hear the bass following the vocal melodies at times, and you can feel how much of the band’s personal struggle comes through their music. No doubt.

Each song captured a period of my youth for me, which was awesome. Songs like Wait On You and Rescue Me continued that balance between groove and melody, while their closing track, Live Before I Die, wrapped up their set with soaring vocals, a driving rhythm section and a chorus that carried genuine weight.

A Life Underground closed their set as Andrew got in amongst the crowd. Their huge guitar tone and bass tone, along with the snappy drums showed a band that understood what resonates with them and their audience.

Both Late To Chelsea and A Life Underground are fantastic live bands.

I have enjoyed following CRY WOLF, as I know almost every member personally and have seen what projects they have worked with in the past.

CRY WOLF’s introduction showed that they knew exactly who they were. Immediately we understood that this band brings a bunch of different ideas together, blending all their influences – from hip-hop, electronic, metal and rock – together. Kevin has his scream down, and when he and Josh sing together, there are moments in songs, such as in Waves, where everything comes together. Huge riffs, yet emotive and powerful. Josh’s vocal performance opened the song up emotionally before one of the biggest breakdowns of the set arrived. The chord choices leading into the bridge created just enough tension before Kevin’s return brought everything surging back together. Lyrically, I love the ideas they have in their songs – they’re rich in theology that I resonate with. One of my favourite things about music is when the melodies and power of music help you feel as though you can overcome your own personal struggles.

CRY WOLF have clearly spent time thinking about more than simply writing heavy songs, and despite the heaviness, melody remains one of the band’s greatest strengths. 

Nick Raven’s bass playing continues to be one of the band’s defining features. His tone adds weight without overwhelming the guitars, while James’ drumming provides an incredibly solid foundation that allows the rest of the band to experiment with layered guitar parts, harmonies and textures.

The guitar work throughout the night was on form with great chord voicing and layering. And damn, all these guys can play. I’ve worked with James before and seen him play. He is an absolute monster. Combine that with Nick, Kevin, and Josh – who ended up showing what it’s all about right up until the last song – and you have a band that still puts songwriting and performance quality first.

Shadows is an absolute monster of a track that had the crowd getting out of control with Kevin on the floor for a while. He is a great frontman who knows exactly what CRY WOLF stands for.

Overall, this was a fantastic show and I enjoyed the whole night. I look forward to seeing what comes next for all the bands.