Grab your hymn books and leather jackets, butt – These Wicked Rivers are taking rock ‘n’ roll to church this summer. 🤘⛪🔥
The Derby hard rock revivalists have just unveiled a UK tour for June 2025, and here’s the twist: every single show will be inside a church. That’s right, stained glass, pews, and riffs echoing off vaulted ceilings – a proper spiritual experience, mun!
✨ The Concept
Instead of your usual sticky-floored clubs, These Wicked Rivers want to strip things back and bring their swampy, southern-tinged rock into some of the UK’s most atmospheric venues. Think candles, reverb that could raise the dead, and choruses that’ll rattle the rafters. 🎸💀
🎟️ Tickets & Dates
The band are promising intimate, candlelit gigs with limited tickets for each stop. Expect it to sell out faster than communion wine at a Welsh wedding. 🍷
The full list of churches will be revealed soon, but the band have teased stops in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff, alongside some “secret sanctuaries” still under wraps.
🙏 Band Statement
Frontman John Hartwell said:
“Our music has always had a spiritual side – blues, gospel, and soul all run through rock ‘n’ roll. What better place to celebrate that than in some of the most beautiful buildings in the country? We can’t wait to see you all there.”
📀 What to Expect
Fans can look forward to tracks from 2023’s Force of Nature alongside brand-new material they’ve been road-testing. And knowing these lads, there’ll be plenty of singalongs – whether you know the words or not. 🎤
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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