Gloria, Cologne, Germany19th November 2025
Kingfishr - “Halcyon Tour 2025” - Support: Jack Cullen
Founded just three years ago in Limerick, Ireland, Indie Folk band KINGFISHR has been taking the world by storm since the release of their debut album ‘Halcyon’. The trio even made it into the top 10 of the Irish, Scottish and UK album charts with their first album, actually took first place in their home country of Ireland and also shot through the roof in their homeland with their traditional-sounding single ‘Killeagh’.
Things are also going well for KINGFISHR on stage. The men have been touring extensively throughout Europe and the USA for months and will continue their tour next year, which will also take them to Australia. But no matter where they perform, the clubs are mostly sold out. This was also the case at the beautiful Gloria in Cologne, where we had the opportunity to see the band live.
Jack Cullen
At 8 pm sharp, Irish singer-songwriter JACK CULLEN opens the evening. He is not alone, however, as he has his mate Will Sensicle with him. The two of them take to the stage, both with acoustic guitars slung around their necks.
For the next 30 minutes, JACK CULLEN presents songs from his own pen, mainly from his current EP ‘Everything’. And the songs, performed only on acoustic guitars, go down very well with the audience. From the very first track, the thoroughly likeable performance of the young Irishman is cheered on. The audience-friendly musician shows his gratitude and mentions several times that the tour as support for KINGFISHR is a wonderful time for him and his mate. The chemistry between the two acts seems to be just right.
Kingfishr
There’s no need for a break to change the stage set-up - the stage was ready for KINGFISHR when JACK CULLEN performed as the support act - yet it takes until 9 p.m. for the Irish band to take to the stage. KINGFISHR are a trio consisting of Eddie Keogh (vocals, guitar), Eoghan ‘McGoo’ McGrath (banjo) and Eoin ‘Fitz’ Fitzgibbon (guitar). On tour, however, they perform as a sextet, joined by three other young men. The three members of KINGFISHR position themselves at the front of the stage, while the three additional touring musicians gather at the back to provide support on drums, bass guitar and keyboards/guitar.
Music & Performance
The Irish band gets off to an extremely dynamic start with ‘I Cried, I Wept’. Singer Eddie Keogh can be found all over the stage, striding incessantly from left to right and back again, only coming to rest when KINGFISHR performs ‘Shadow’, the second song, which is more mid-tempo. During the evening, the young band obviously performs most of the songs from their debut album ‘Halcyon’. That goes without saying, as it’s their only album at the moment.
The set list is supplemented by other songs by the band that KINGFISHR has released as singles in the past but which didn’t make it onto ‘Halcyon’. A few songs stand out. One of them is ‘Shot In The Dark’, a quiet ballad during which the three band members traditionally gather in the audience and ask the fans to provide light with their smartphones. The atmosphere is particularly enthusiastic during this track at the sold-out Gloria club in Cologne.
Speaking of Gloria: the single of the same name, perhaps the album’s biggest potential hit, is a must and is performed a little later. Introducing the song, singer Eddie Keogh recalls the band’s early days. He remembers that the three band members studied together in the past, graduated and got jobs, only to quit those jobs after just two months because of their desire to start a band. He also recalls the day the band signed their record deal and how suddenly there was pressure to write a hit single so that the album would have a chance on the market. ‘Gloria’ was born.
Throughout the evening, singer Eddie Keogh proves to be very close to the audience. He repeatedly thanks the enthusiastic crowd. The band is living its dream, he says. The fact that the band has been able to gain a foothold outside Ireland and that on an evening like this in Cologne the audience sings along to the songs with all their hearts is still unbelievable and far more than the band could ever have dreamed of.
His two bandmates, Eoghan ‘McGoo’ McGrath and Eoin ‘Fitz’ Fitzgibbon, remain silent. While ‘McGoo’ smiles repeatedly during the performance on the banjo, looking in disbelief at the audience and simply enjoying the moment, ‘Fitz’ remains rather introverted on the electric guitar, but also smiles at the men on stage from time to time. After 16 songs, a loudly demanded encore follows, and after about 80 minutes, the concert finally comes to a worthy conclusion with ‘Caroline’.
80 minutes in which KINGFISHR impressed across the board. 80 minutes that leave you wanting more. This concert at Cologne’s Gloria is definitely one of the concert highlights of 2025.
Setlist
01. I Cried, I Wept
02. Shadow
03. Heart in the Water
04. Blue Skies
05. Ways to Change
06. The Blade
07. Shot in the Dark
08. Man on the Moon
09. Next to Me
10. My Friend Mac
11. Gloria
12. 21
13. Hold Me Down
14. Diamonds & Roses
15. Killeagh
16. Anyway
17. Banjolude
18. Eyes Don’t Lie
19. Caroline
All pictures by André Wilms
