When Rivers Meet - The London Garage, 11th May 2024

I arrived at the Garage about 30 minutes before the door’s opened to find an extremely long queue waiting patiently outside the venue. This band clearly has a very strong fanbase. Everything about the Garage in Highbury & Islington is consumer friendly. It has a decent size stage, good lights, good PA, and no matter where you stand you can get a good view of the artist. Looking around at the audience it’s clear this is a predominantly older generation classic rock crowd. The ratio between male and female seemed pretty even. I couldn’t tell if the show was sold out but if it wasn’t it was damn close. I will confess to being slightly relieved upon seeing a drum kit and bass rig set up for the main attraction. 

The lights went down and as the band made their way onto the stage they were greeted by healthy applause. They kicked off with ‘Infected’ the opening track of their latest album ‘Aces Are high’ and immediately I understood what When Rivers Meet are all about. I was watching a real rock and roll band. The difference in dynamic compared to their promotional video’s was remarkable. The energy of the additional musicians elevates their live performance to a completely different level. Personally, this is something I would like to see incorporated into the marketing as I think it would broaden their appeal.

The first thing you can’t help but notice is the enchanting charisma of vocalist Grace Bond. It’s as if Cleopatra had returned from the grave to front a rock and roll band. Armed with a black Mandolin in the shape of a Gibson Iceman, she looked iconically cool. 

The opening song was closely followed by ‘Seen It All Before’, ’Play My Game’ and 'I Can’t Fight This Feeling’. The sound and continuity that runs through their songs makes them instantly identifiable. In this regard they are similar to bands like AC/DC and Status Quo. They’ve effectively created their own unique brand using a tried and tested formula. Many have failed attempting to do this so you have to give credit where credit is due.

‘Bound For Nowhere’ opens with an atmospheric bluesy riff. It ebbs and flows with some powerful dynamics which makes it a standout song within the set. One of the things that doesn’t transcend that well within their videos is Grace’s commanding stage presence. She holds your full attention and all eyes are on her throughout the entire performance.

‘My Babe Says That He Loves Me’ features some nice vocal harmonies during the verses and a lyric that Grace makes entirely believable. For me, the characteristics of a great front person are no different than those of a great actor or actress. You have to believe what they are selling. When Paul Stanley sings ‘Love Gun’, or Dee Snider sings ‘You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll’ you buy into it hook line and sinker. Being believable is fundamental to the success or failure of any musician. This is something that Grace Bond has no reason to worry about. She bears her heart and soul with almost reckless abandonment.

‘Battleground’ was my introduction to their music. In an approach reminiscent of The White Stripes, its stripped to the bone arrangement and catchy vocal melody made it extremely effective. It caught the attention of a lot of people, including myself. Hearing it played tonight with a full band elevated the song to a higher level. It certainly elicited the biggest response from the audience up to that point.

The bond between Grace and Aaron is extremely captivating. I thought I might find it nauseating but it's actually a very beautiful thing to watch. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and you feel they would literally die for each other without a moment's hesitation if need be. Even though Grace fully engages with the audience and emotionally connects with everyone in the room her eyes are never far away from Aaron and throughout the entire show their bond remains unbroken.

‘I’d Have Fallen’ is a beautiful song with lyrics written straight from the heart. The bravery of their naked vulnerability is to be admired. 

‘Kissing The Sky’ sees them return to the familiar territory that provides the foundation of their distinctive sound. ‘Trail To Avalon’ has the duo splitting vocal duties with Aaron on the verses and Grace handling the chorus. Its cool slide guitar riff immediately caught my attention. This was another stand out song.

It was time for a change in dynamic, ‘Eye Of The Hurricane’ saw the drummer and bassist exchange their instruments for acoustic guitars. The whole band was now seated around the drum riser. Aaron sang the lead vocal with Grace providing an accompanying melody on the chorus. It was a very tender moment. The climax of the song had Arron and Grace singing to each other. Something like this would normally have me reaching for a plastic bag to be sick into but it was actually very sincere. ‘By Your Side’ is effectively a love song which had the husband and wife declaring their undying love to each other. Once again this is something my body would normally develop a violent allergic reaction to. But it’s done with so much sincerity that you can’t help but be touched by it. At this point you have to fully accept that the driving force behind the couple’s creativity is their absolute devotion for each other. 

‘Aces Are High’ is probably my favourite When Rivers Meet song. It has a fantastic chorus and serves as a showcase for Grace’s considerable vocal ability. ‘Perfect Stranger’ is another great song. It’s simplicity is its strength. Perfect songwriting. 

As the set progressed Grace’s stage presence intensified and her hypnotic charm seemed to have the entire audience mesmerised. 

After two such great songs ‘The Secret’ seemed a little anticlimactic to me. But I think my opinion puts me in the minority as the rest of the audience lapped it up. 

‘5 Minutes To Midnight’ with its sexy shuffle drum groove showed they were more than capable of writing heavier songs. If I was in charge of the set list I would’ve placed it after ‘Perfect Stranger’. 

‘Walking On The Wire’ was yet another great song. Like all experienced bands they were loading the tail end of the set with the heavy hitters.

I will take this moment to highlight Grace Bond’s considerable musical ability. Not only is she a great singer, she is also a very skilled Mandolinist and accomplished violinist. All in all an exceptionally talented human being. 

‘Free Man’ is another well constructed song built around familiar chord structures. When Rivers Meet are not trying to reinvent the wheel. Their music has a unique vibe to it and that is what their fans buy into. They have a sound that makes you feel good and ultimately that is the most important thing. 

‘Golden’ was without doubt the highlight of the set. A beautiful song that was performed with real emotion. Two people singing about the end of a relationship from their own perspective. An inspired piece of songwriting. Aaron may not be a virtuoso guitar player, and he doesn’t need to be. What he has done is create his own signature sound and style which is a considerable achievement. 

The final song of the night was ‘Did I Break the Law’. A song that encapsulates everything When Rivers Meet are about. A dirty blues riff played over a primitive drum groove, finished off with a sexy top line vocal melody. Pure rock & roll. The audience loved every second of the show and at no point did I see their interest wane. 

I would be surprised if a single person left the venue unsatisfied with what they saw. 

When Rivers Meet are an authentic rock and roll band and should be marketed as such. 

If I was their manager I would suggest incorporating the whole band within their videos as I think it would see them gain an even wider audience. But having said that, Grace and Aaron Bond seem to be an unstoppable force of nature whose love for music is as strong as the love they have for each other.  

Myke Gray