Cologne’s musical underground has been thrumming since the pandemic. A subculture has taken shape which ist more diverse and exciting than ever. Right at the heart of it: The Red Flags. The all-female grunge-punk band is currently one of the most exciting newcomers on the Rhine.
With Polly on vocals, Murphy on guitar, Joe on bass and Mika on drums, the band has evolved rapidly over the past four years. The Red Flags started out in 2022 as a school band at “Albertus-Magnus-Gymnasium” in Cologne’s Neuehrenfeld district, playing gigs in the school auditorium and at small, self-organised shows.
In 2024, the team behind Jan Böhmermann’s show “Lass Dich überwachen” (Let Yourself Be Monitored) discovered the band on TikTok. “We think The Red Flags deserve the biggest stage in Germany!” Böhmermann said. And just four days later, they were already playing the main stage at Rock am Ring, Germany’s largest rock festival. That performance set everything in motion: a record deal, a booking agency, and acclaimed support shows for Tocotronic, Turbostaat and Die Toten Hosen.
They recorded their debut album “Self-Centred and Delusional” with legendary producer Moses Schneider (Beatsteaks, AnnenMayKantereit, Tocotronic). It’s raw and direct. Feminist and furious. And never afraid to push boundaries.
*This playlist is provided by a third party. KölnTourismus has no influence over its content, which may change at any time.
We meet Joe and Mika at Severinstorburg on Chlodwigplatz, right in the heart of Cologne’s Südstadt. They’ve just come from rehearsal, where the band is currently working on their second album, due to be recorded this summer. Another major highlight is already on the horizon: in July 2026, The Red Flags will open for Die Toten Hosen at the sold-out RheinEnergieSTADION, playing to a crowd of 60,000.
Before it all kicks off, Joe and Mika take the time to show us their favourite spots in the Südstadt.
Chlodwigplatz – from vegan ice cream to the Christmas market, a place to hang out all year round
We absolutely love walking through the streets of the Südstadt, especially when the sun is out and the cafés are packed. We even have a phrase we say all the time: “The Südstadt is buzzing, man.”
This neighbourhood is something special. The Rhine is just around the corner, there are beautiful parks, loads of cosy cafés, great bars and corners where you just want to hang out. And then, of course, there’s Lotta and Tsunami Club.
For us, Chlodwigplatz is the centre of the Südstadt. When the weather’s good, we love sitting here, ideally with an ice cream from AIS on Bonner Strasse. They do excellent vegan vanilla and chocolate ice cream and even vegan whipped cream. Seriously delicious. What’s unusual is that you pay by weight rather than per scoop.
And in winter? We love going to the Christmas market here on the square. It’s not huge, but that’s exactly what makes it so charming.
We’ve been part of the Südstadt as a band for a long time. Our rehearsal space used to be down towards the southern end of the neighbourhood, by the wholesale market. It was a pretty questionable complex. Strange things happened there, and our room even leaked when it rained. But the music scene there was something special. There were always spontaneous gigs – sometimes outside the rehearsal rooms, sometimes inside. Loud, DIY and pretty amazing.
The Südstadt is and always will be our band neighbourhood.
These days, our rehearsal space is right in the middle of the Südstadt, close to Chlodwigplatz. It’s a lot more organised and there’s even a kitchen. But one thing hasn’t changed: it’s still our home base.
Lotta – partying and table football
Lotta is THE punk bar in the Südstadt. We come here regularly, for example after rehearsal. It’s just a really good bar. Exactly the kind of place you go when you feel like heading out on a whim. There’s always great music, and there’s a foosball table. Perfect.
We even came here once with our producer Moses Schneider. He lives in Berlin, and whenever he’s in Cologne, he asks if we have time to meet. One night, we ended up at Lotta together and ever since, it’s been tied to that evening with Moses for us.
Think Twice – where we find our concert outfits
Think Twice, right next to Odeon cinema, where Trude Herr once had her theatre, is our absolute favourite vintage second-hand shop.
The prices here are genuinely fair.
We love second-hand shops. The only problem is that many of them have become ridiculously expensive. Thankfully, that’s not the case at Think Twice. The prices are fair, and there are regular special days when everything costs just three or four euros.
For Joe especially, it’s almost become a hobby to pop in and browse. You don’t have to buy something every time. It’s just fun to dig around and see what you find, often on the way to rehearsal. Chances are, most of our stage outfits come from Think Twice.
Tsunami Club – full of great memories
We’ve played at Tsunami Club a few times ourselves, and of course we’ve also beenhere as guests at gigs. It’s just a really cool club in the Südstadt. Sure, our absolute favourite venue is Sonic Ballroom in Ehrenfeld – nothing beats it for us. But Tsunami has its own unique charm.
For musicians in general, and for us as a band, it’s tough that many venues across Cologne have adopted a pay-to-play model. That’s also the case at Tsunami, but it’s still relatively reasonable here, and we really appreciate that. Plus, there’s a backstage room, which is actually quite rare for a club of this size.
One particularly special moment was our gig with the band Yeast Machine from Tübingen. We met them when we were just starting out and simply asked if they’d like to play a show with us. It wasn’t our first gig, but playing our own show at this club felt like a big deal.
That was also because we got along so well with Yeast Machine. Many of the bands we’d played with before were mostly male bands and barely spoke to us. We were the support act, and on top of that, 4 young women. With Yeast Machine, it was completely different. We had great conversations and grabbed food together on Chlodwigplatz. Yeast Machine is seriously great band! Definitely worth checking out.
Aladdin – sauces to fall in love with
This is where you’ll find the best falafel in Cologne – beyond any doubt. Their vegan sauces are incredible, especially the combination of tahini and pomegranate. And the falafel makali is amazing, too!
The people behind the counter at Aladdin are genuinely friendly, and the prices are unbeatable. In summer, the doors onto Bonner Strasse are open, turning it into a lovely open space right in the middle of the city. We love that. It’s basically a ritual for us: first stop Rewe for drinks, then food at Aladdin, then straight to rehearsal.
Südbrücke – views and romance
The atmosphere here at Südbrücke is something special. You’re right by the Rhine, you can walk along the water towards Rodenkirchen or just sit by the river in the sun. And unlike most Cologne bridges, you can actually spend time comfortably on both sides.
On the left bank, there’s a skate park where there’s always a great vibe, with people playing music. On the other side, there’s an ice cream van in summer, and you can sit by the river and watch the water. And when the moon rises, it somehow looks huge here and almost red.
Joe had some of her first dates with her girlfriend here on the bridge. It’s the perfect place to drift off into daydreams, watch the river cruise ships pass by and wonder: what would it be like to be on one of those boats – and where might it take you?
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