Burning Witches Deliver Festival-Level Metal in a Small Club Setting – Newport Concert Review
Madison Live – Newport, Kentucky | March 19, 2026
A Small Stage with a Massive Sound
Burning Witches brought their 2026 tour to Madison Live in Newport, Kentucky, on March 19, delivering a concert that felt far bigger than the room itself.
Sometimes you walk into a small club on a random weeknight and expect a solid show.
And sometimes you walk out of that same small club, and it feels like you just saw a set on a massive festival stage.
That’s exactly what happened when Burning Witches rolled into Madison Live in Newport, Kentucky, this past Thursday night.
This was a small venue.
But the performance?
That felt like Donington.
That felt like Rock in Rio.
That felt like one of those massive Iron Maiden shows in South America where everything is just completely locked in.
Burning Witches didn’t play like a band in a club.
They played like a band ready for the biggest stages in the world.
Heavy Metal the Way It’s Meant to Be
This is heavy metal.
Loud, thunderous, aggressive — but still packed with melody and harmony. The kind of music that’s meant to be played loud and felt just as much as it’s heard.
And no one better ever underestimate this band because they are an all-female group. Because these ladies can gang with the likes of Judas Priest, Helloween, and the mighty Armored Saint. But it never feels like imitation — it is a band carving out their own path…one crushing tune after the next.
They’re not out there trying to prove anything.
They just go out and play.
And that is all they need to do. Nothing more than the music.
A Full Set with No Shortcuts
Fourteen songs.
No covers.
All original material.
This isn’t a band cutting corners — this is a band writing their own story.
A few songs really stood out:
- Maiden of Steel
- Black Widow
- Evil Witch
- Lucid Nightmare
Each one hit harder live — louder, heavier, and just more alive.
Closing with Burning Witches felt exactly right.
A Band That Knows How to Perform
Laura Guldemond commands the stage.
She’s got the voice, the presence, and more importantly, she knows how to work a crowd. No ego, just control and energy, the entire set. It may be easy to take a look at the singer and assume she is one thing. But from the first note of the first song, you do not doubt that she is a heavy metal queen. Not only does she have the pipes, but she also commands the stage and holds every member of the audience in her hand.
Courtney Cox is exactly what you expect — a guitar hero. Anyone who knows hard rock and heavy metal knows the name Courtney Cox. Her ability on the six-string has forged out a reputation that puts her name mentioned with the best of the best. Known for her work with the Iron Maidens, Courtney was the perfect addition to a band poised to break through to the next level
Lala Frischknecht absolutely drives this band.
She hits hard, plays fast, and gives every song that heavy metal backbone. One of the most impressive parts of the night. She was barely visible over the massive drum kit, but her playing was the heartbeat of the entire evening thanks in part to Jeanine Grob laying down thunderous bass lines the entire evening.
and Romana Kalkuhl rounds everything out perfectly with her guitar playing. She was the yin to Cox’s yang. Her playing and her stage presence just scream…rock star!
After changes in the lineup over the years, all of the ingredients are now in black for Burning Witches heavy metal domination.
A Band Ready for the Next Level
Burning Witches isn’t new.
They’ve been grinding since 2017, and Inquisition (released August 22, 2025) is their sixth album.
This is a band that has put in the work.
And now it feels like everything is lining up.
Final Thoughts
A small club in Newport, Kentucky.
A Thursday night.
And a performance that felt like it belonged on one of the biggest festival stages in the world.
Burning Witches played like a band ready for Donington.
And when that happens…
Don’t say you weren’t told.
Setlist – Burning Witches
Soul Eater
Shame
Dance With the Devil
Maiden of Steel
The Dark Tower
Sea of Lies
Inquisition
Release Me
Black Widow
Evil Witch
Lucid Nightmare
Hexenhammer
Wings of Steel
Burning Witches
