When Rivers Meet / A Short Set With Big Impact At The London Palladium

As the opening act and support to Blue Öyster Cult at The London Palladium, When Rivers Meet were an interesting and popular choice. With their bluesy take on hard rock, they fitted the bill well and, unsurprisingly, were a well-received opener.

When Rivers Meet

The London Palladium – 25 May 2025

Words: Adrian Stonley

Photography: Robert Sutton

Certainly, the myriad of tours and festival dates of When Rivers Meet over recent years have put them in good stead, and their legion of fans seemed to be here as much for When Rivers Meet as they were for the headliner.

When Rivers Meet - The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
When Rivers Meet – The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

For those unfamiliar with the band they are formed by a husband-and-wife duo, Grace and Aaron Bond. In 2023, they became the first independent rock and blues band to have a UK Top Ten album with Aces Are High. They have also been inducted into the UK Blues Hall of Fame and have, to date, released five albums.

Their latest offering, Addicted To You, has just been released this month and was described by MetalTalk as “their best album to date.

Clearly, they are a band that are going places, and the future is very bright for them.

When Rivers Meet - The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
When Rivers Meet – The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

That said, they only had a short thirty-minute set to sell themselves tonight. Subsequently the set was built around their earlier releases, with no new material played.

Opening with Did I Break The Law from 2020’s We Fly Free, their hard-driving bluesy rock immediately entranced the audience and, from that moment, they did not let up. With material played from across their past releases they provided a fine overview of what they are about. 

When Rivers Meet - The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
When Rivers Meet – The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

With Grace taking the front, her vocals provide the perfect gritty and petulant tone to the blues riffs and picking behind her. She prowls the stage with sass before picking up her guitar for Play My Game proving that she is no novice from a musical stance either.

Closing out with Free Man from the Uprising E.P. we were able to experience the band opening up and clearly showing their musical merits.

In many ways, it was such a shame they only had a short set, as they were clearly getting into the flow when they had to cut off.

When Rivers Meet - The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
When Rivers Meet – The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

With a number of festival dates lined up through the summer and then a full 20-date tour in support of Addicted To You between September and November this year, there are plenty of opportunities to catch When River Meet around the country.

I highly recommend you take that opportunity. You will not regret it.

When Rivers Meet play The Waterfront in Norwich on 29 May 2025.

When Rivers Meet - The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
When Rivers Meet – The London Palladium – 25 May 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

Current Month

September

28sep7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - BathKomedia

October

02oct7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - StamfordCorn Exchange

03oct7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - NewburyArlington Arts

26oct7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - AberdeenThe Lemon Tree

31oct7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - SouthportThe Atkinson

November

01nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - ManchesterBand On The Wall

02nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - LondonIslington Assembly Hall

06nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - WolverhamptonKK’s Steel Mill

07nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - BarnsleyBirdwell Venue

08nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - GatesheadGlasshouse ICM

09nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - CarlisleOld Fire Station

20nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - CardiffThe Globe

21nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - ChesterThe Live Rooms

22nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - GloucesterGuildhall

27nov7:00 pmWhen Rivers Meet / Tree Of Life Tour - ReadingSub 89

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