When Rivers Meet, Deaf Institute. 19th May 2022

I don’t really know When Rivers Meet, but I hear good things. I’m not the only one. Deaf Institute is full of people who’ve also heard good things. It’s bumper to bumper. Everyone is here for some foot stomping blues fused rock n roll and that’s exactly what we get. Now some of the more standard blues sounding stuff off the first album and the EPs doesn’t do much for me, but this lot have some great songs. I say this lot. Essentially When Rivers Meet are married couple Grace on vocals and Aaron on guitar, but the live sound is rounded out with a rhythm section that’s pretty brutal when need be. We’re made to wait a few songs before anything from the new album, but ‘Lost and Found’ with its powerchord riffs makes you grin like a mindless idiot as Grace reaches for the sky instructing us all to “Run for life!”. Not a chance, I’m not going anywhere. The newer songs are a real step up. There’s much more weight to them and on the album the production is much better. That doesn’t matter live though. They’re tight and look like they’re having as much fun as the rest of us. ‘Innocence of Youth’ sees Aaron grab a guitar that looks like a cigar box with a neck stuck on. I’m no guitar nut, but it looks bonkers and sounds ace. The slower songs do lose me a little, but I guess you can’t have a set full of bangers. Or can you? I’d have preferred it and they do have plenty of them, but this is probably more representative of the band. ‘We Fly Free’ is probably one of the best off the debut and rattles the Deaf walls with its stomping swagger as Grace tests the range of her mic and wanders around the audience, before the smiley lad on bass, Roger, gets to flex and show us his chops. He’s very cool, it’s stuff like this that proves you’ve never really heard a band until you’ve heard them live. ‘He’ll Drive You Crazy’ is a feral monster of a song. Im guessing with the lockdown they’ve not played that many gigs, but you’d never guess. It sounds brilliant live. ‘Never Coming Home’ off the latest album ignites the encore and might be my favourite. It gives Grace the chance to really show what that voice can do. It’s wonderful stuff and sweeps majestically around the room. They close out with ‘Testify’, everyone instructed to be on their feet, Grace beaming, everyone’s hands in the air. They put on quite a show. I’d heard good things, I’d heard right.