Wild Rivers - Live Review

Review By Lauren Page / LiveWithLP Photo Credit Lynsey Wyllie

What better way to kick off your European tour than a sold-out night in Oran Mor, that’s what Canadian folk band, Wild Rivers managed to achieve with their debut Scottish gig on Tuesday night. In a venue known for its impeccable acoustics and intimate atmosphere, Wild Rivers took over Òran Mór with a smash hit double bill lineup featuring Australian star Hazlett who I’ll let you know in advance, is one of the most phenomenal support acts I’ve ever witnessed. 

That’s something I love about going to concerts, is the support act taking to the stage and 9 timers out of 10, it's a total surprise - it’s an artist you’ve maybe heard a whisper of or a recommendation - but nothing could have prepared me for Hazlett's voice. You could have heard a pin drop, the way Hazlett captured the attention of everyone in the room was impressive and his music carried through the venue like an absolute dream. 

Unlike the headline act, this wasn’t Hazlett's first time playing in Glasgow, the Aussie star announced he’d played in an even more intimate venue than Òran Mór, the famous King Tuts located in the City Centre and proudly announced: “There's a lot more of you here than there was back then”.

As Hazlett set drew to a close, I think I texted a good 7 of my friends who enjoy Ben Howard, Hozier, Tom Odell and Bon Ivor a link to his Spotify - I cannot stress enough, keep an eye on Hazlett because this man is a talented vocal powerhouse. 

I usually find at gigs the gap between the support act and the headline act entering the stage, you find the crowd tends to double in size, but not in this case, the majority of the crowd came right from the start to watch Hazlett and waited for Wild Rivers. 

 As the lights dimmed, the band took to the stage whilst Elton John’s ‘Bennie and the Jets’ played. Wild Rivers are known for their flawless live vocals and they certainly did not disappoint. Lead singer Khalid announced that there were gonna be “plenty of songs about break-ups, being broken up with, breaking up with people and well… heartbreak”. The Folk trio extended their band for the tour and it's rare you can watch a band live, close your eyes and honestly feel like you’re listening to a recording but with Wild Rivers, fans were treated to just that - pitch-perfect vocals and a phenomenal live show. 

“We’ve been touring with a much shorter set, so this is exciting to do a whole 75-minute set,” says lead vocalist Devan who joked they were going to try a song that they’ve only played once and the crowd needed to give their honest opinion. It was also revealed that the band has been writing a new album which is due out next year. The audience was treated to phenomenal live versions of Speak Too Soon, Small Talk and of course, what would a Wild Rivers show be without Thinking ‘Bout Love.

My favourite song of the evening turned out to be Neon Love. Khalid explained the story behind how this song was written and where it came from and I love it when artists explain the backgrounds of their tracks, it was a wholesome moment towards the end of the gig. 

From start to finish, Wild Rivers interacted with the crowd, told anecdotes about the songs and provided the sold-out venue with a wholesome and incredibly intimate concert. Òran Mór was a great venue for the band and with a sold-out Scottish debut, I don’t think this is the last we will see of the folk powerhouses in the future.