Reviewed by Paul H Birch, Photos by Rich Ward

There’s a storm raging, but we’re also entering the festive season, and as much as there are windswept hairdos and rain-drenched clothes hereabouts, so too those dressed-up to the nines as part of what appears to be a yuletide cosplay event – Reindeer antlers are for the shy, while the guy dressed up like a Christmas tree whose lights flash on-and-off knows how to play it bigtime, the lady dressed as Mrs Santa is cute but wouldn’t fit in your stockings, while the elderly couple behind me, seated together in full reindeer regalia are absolutely charming.

Decked out in their own Christmas jumpers come the Pistol Daisys; two young girls with guitars who sing, and a similarly aged lad who proves to be the first of three heavy-hitters sitting at drumkits tonight. Their music veers between alt-rock with catchy vocal hooks on numbers like fuzzed-up opener ‘You Keep Breaking My Heart’, indie folk-pop singalongs (and the audience did) on ‘Saint Glasgow’ and ‘Whisky & Wine’ that latter one conjuring thoughts of an echo-blissed john Martyn trip-hopping number sung by Fleetwood Mac, and another tune that turned from pirate jig to native American war-dance somewhere along the line. Endearingly, these Scottish lasses talk a lot, and may even have fitted another number in had they not, but then we’d then have not got to know them as well nor subsequently sought out their recorded music online.

Needing no introduction, not least because they were only here a few months back performing on the venue’s smaller stage, for their own headline club tour, is The Commoners. This being billed the WRM Xmas Party’ 24, Aaron and Grace Bond bound on stage, and as they did with our friends from up north, and introduce this Canadian rootsy rock band. Ross Citrullo’s guitar is heard being put through its paces offstage, then seen walking towards us, before holding steady centre stage as her solos. The troops saunter into position even as Citrullo begins to speed things up, there’s a collective chordal crash, and a throaty call-out of ‘My, my!” from singer Chris Medhurst as they deliver a high-energy rendition of ‘Shake You Up’ with all its Stones-meets-Black Crowes overtones neatly tied-into-place. Medhurst is striking all the right moves as he holds onto his mic, Citrullo leans back into him bended notes oozing out as he’s in the mood to solo tonight.

Medhurst tells us they’ve been a long five weeks playing here and Europe, mainly supporting The Sheepdogs, before declaring “I hope you like rock & roll because we’re here to do a lot of that!” and with a hefty Bonham-esque beat from Adam Cannon they launch into ‘The Way I Am’, Medhurst not falling to the floor testifying away as he did last time he was here, but swaying in the moment as bass player Ben Spiller and Citrullo lean against each other as echoing wiry riffs spin out, before later more fluid solos are heard between this vary-paced that’s big on harmonies, but left with one hell of a holler from the front man to end on. Increasingly, Miles Evans-Branagh keyboards add to the overall band sound, his organ much in evidence on a staccato rock take on ‘Who Are You’, the frontline working the stage well prior Medhurst strapping on an acoustic as they offer us ‘Restless – Lights shining out and circling before us in a dance, Evans-Branagh’s piano’s delightful, Citrullo’s on slide, the piece becoming an emotional mini-epic before folding into ‘When I See You Again’ in a near-perfect pairing.

Veering between guitar solos played in the near dark to hard driving rock, through to a semi-fusion beating Allman Brothers sound as Medhurst sings about “the devil teasin’ me” there’s even time to fit in some sleazy blues rock before Cannon’s drums solo us towards the number’s conclusion. Next up Medhurst calls out how he’s “tired of trying” but the music behind him denies that as it shifts between country rock to hardier blues.

The Commoners always look as if they’re happiest on stage, but they’re subtly crafting their set and stage moves, gearing themselves to be ready should bigger opportunities arise. “Thank you so much” Medhurst shouts as they launch into their final number, ‘Find A Better Way’, with his raspy roar of a voice as potent as when the band first walked on stage. Forget our government crying about either/or trade deals with the USA or Europe, from the roar offered by this crowd what we need them to do is keep ensuring regular visitation rights by this Canadian rootsy rock band.

The storm’s still raging outside we’ll later discover, but more lost souls have found their way to the rock and roll sanctuary that is KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, homeland, lest we forget, of the greatest Christmas single ever, by Slade. Those partaking of KK’s pale ale aside, the festive spirit is established by the road crew wrapping pink and blue tinsel round each of the Bonds’ microphone stands, and a Christmas tree parked left of the drum kit. And there’ll be more later.

Eerie sounds pipe out over the PA, Celtic-come-Gothic take your pick, it sets the mood as an extended When Rivers Meet lineup take up positions on stage. Regular drummer and occasional keyboard player James Fox and band producer and bass player Adam Bowers are tonight joined by Emily Francis on keyboards, and I hope I’m correct in naming Craig Gerrard on additional guitar. Having started the evening off with party welcoming introductions and inviting us to take part in a charity raffle, then welcoming on stage each of the guest acts, it’s only right that Grace and Aaron Bond should make a minor grand entrance as the couple take up their places to friendly waves and much applause. That trains have been cancelled, so the venue not as packed as expected proves not to diminish either the band’s performance or audience’s enthusiasm.

Behind them the band’s logo cries out load as back projection, white lights are set to dazzle, and with all that space on KK’s Steel Mills wide stage they try it out for size, Grace Bond hand dancing about, her husband taking greater strides as he throws out weighty chords, and Bowers psyching himself up throwing a few shapes, on opening number ‘Infected’. Set in for the night, band and audience enter into the party spirit from hereon, “I, I, I, I” comes the call and response between both as a dark lurching blues rendition of ‘Seen It All Before’ ensues – It’s suitably gothic, with a witchy presence spread over the latter’s section more Zepplin qualities. You can feel how the full weight of this larger formatted band adds to the proceeding.

Wriggling her body, Grace Bond stands at the front of the stage, asking “Do you wanna play my game?” The sexual coyness practically ignored as riffs ricochet about, as her voice soars and cascades impressively, the full power of the venue’s lighting rig adding to the atmosphere. A brief moment or two to catch their breaths, cherry glasses are toasted and Merry Christmases offered, support acts praised, and excitement espoused that this is only their second gig with an extended six piece lineup.

Next up, with some nice bass distortion is heavy blues rocking ‘I Can’t Fight This Feeling’ the pace varying on Southern Gothic ‘Road To Nowhere’.  Whether it’s the expanded lineup or just a desire to begin diversifying one begins to become aware of shifts in song arrangements, and in most cases; this is for the good. Less folk, more tribal Celtic rock as it begins, when Grace Bond hooks in with the chorus line to ‘My Babe Says that He Loves’ the number takes us by surprise. Here she plays electric mandolin, as she will violin later, but not too much of either tonight. Fox pounds away at his kit as the throbbing rock of ‘Battleground’ takes hold, stage lights flashing on and off in proximity to the lyrics she sings out, mic in hand, the music moving from sweet to moody, while once more her vocal range impresses without any need for overwrought histrionics.

Aaron changes guitar and there’s more onstage enthusiastic banter, before he applies a slide and the heavy-bottomed blues rock of ‘He’ll Drive You Crazy’ ensues, Grace applying violin later in the number. Then, it’s time for a new number, from a forthcoming album, where Mr Bond plays acoustic guitar and it’s here that we begin to take more notice of this other gentleman on guitar, who’s been stood pretty firm to the right of Fox’s drumkit all night, and we note the colourful choice of chord phrasings her offer into the pop rocking singalong, that – If I heard right – is appropriately titled ‘In The Eye Of The Storm’. Back to electric guitar, but a ballad, with warm harmony vocals, is ‘Tomorrow’. Following its conclusion, the audience responds with their loudest applause yet. It presumably connects with their hardened fans in a way, I’m, as yet,  unable to fathom.

There’s more onstage cherry drinking, talk of Christmas, the precarious nature of travelling here by van in this weather, and possibly something about dogs, but it’s the synthy fuzz sound elicited by Aaron’s slide work that captures our attention, marking the bump and bop of ‘Free Man’, shrugging and stomping as it moves into double time and band members roam the stage with enthused purpose, Grace standing centre stage as smoke rises either side of her; this will be repeated and a large section of the audience will also find themselves recipients of snow falling over and about them, or rather soapy foam pumped out from KK’s rafters.

‘Christmas Is Here’ of that there’s no doubt as they perform that song, and again our eyes look towards Gerrard who’s increasingly taking to performing shimmering understated guitar solos within the structure of the songs. Fox sets the beat, more smoke hurls skywards, as the music rocks out Aaron and Bowers – again grunting away on his bass – face off each other, Grace once more pivoting on the edge of the stage as she sings ‘Never Coming Home’, while Francis’ keyboard parts embellish the work, and her soloing on the next number entreats the listener, but then there are also guitar solos, and Grace bond crushing it with an operatic rock voice between screams of hot raging venom. Aaron Bond takes lead vocals on the next number, and shorn of guitar, mic in hand he’s up for playing the frontman as he tells us about “Sweet dreams” his wife harmonising on the choruses. Continuing this veritable festive game of musical chairs, Fox steps down from his drumkit to play electric piano, the Bonds standing round him singing away.

The other members having gone off stage return, Grace declaring they haven’t played ‘Testify’ all year swirls round, her arms raised in the air dancing about as the band starts up. And, by glory, this is a grand night for crackling good drum sounds as Fox really throws his weight into the affair. Soon the audience is joining the singer with arms raised and clapping along to the beat. A powerful rendition, true to form but with a bigger, fuller sound.

Band introductions are made, extended roadcrew thanked alongside Grace’s family members for manning merchandise standards, declarations of “It’s been such a great year!” espoused and a demand once more to “Let’s see your hand!” as throbbing and fuzzy ‘Did I Break The Law’ reverberates out loud and proud, climaxing satisfyingly as everyone encircles Fox’s drums.

There are more thanks, a request to “get a photo of you all?” and the results of that raffle that began the evening – There are DVDs, rare CDs, 7” singles and test pressings of vinyl albums, and if that’s not enough a one-of-a-kind electric Texas guitar for several lucky individuals with proceeds of over £12,000 going to charity.

Personality wise, When Rivers Meet’s founding couple exude a natural charm that I rather think I’d find draining if spending a whole day in their company, but on a given evening they raise many a smile, and with this extended lineup and the batch of song rearrangements on offer, they demonstrate they’re continuing to grow as a band and 2025 looks likely to be another good year for them.