Ray LaMontagne @ O2 City Hall, Newcastle – 28 May 2026
- John Hayhurst
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
Twenty Years On, Trouble Still Sounds Like the Truth
Words - John Hayhurst
(Photos kindly supplied by David Wala)
Anniversary tours can sometimes feel like exercises in nostalgia. Ray LaMontagne's visit to Newcastle's O2 City Hall proved something entirely different. This wasn't a museum piece dusted off for sentimental value; it was a reminder that truly great songs don't age, they deepen.
Rather than diving straight into the album that launched his career, LaMontagne opened the evening with a selection of tracks from across his catalogue. "We'll Make It Through", "It Takes Me Back", "Yearning", "Roll Me Mama, Roll Me" and "Such a Simple Thing" served as a gentle but confident statement that his story extends far beyond a single record.
Then came the unmistakable opening notes of "Trouble".
The album that transformed a carpenter living off-grid in rural Maine into one of America's most revered singer-songwriters formed the heart of the evening, performed in full as part of its twentieth anniversary celebrations. What could have felt like an exercise in looking backwards instead felt remarkably present. These songs still breathe, still ache, and still connect.
LaMontagne's commitment to them was extraordinary. Every lyric appeared to be dragged from somewhere deep inside him, his trademark rasp carrying all the wear, wisdom and emotion accumulated over the last two decades. There was nothing routine about these performances. Watching him pour himself into songs written by a younger man felt genuinely moving, as though he was rediscovering them alongside the audience.
"How Come" drew one of the warmest reactions of the night, and it's easy to understand why. The song's central refrain — "How come, I can't tell the free world from a living hell, how come?" — landed with the same uncomfortable relevance it carried when first written. Two decades later, those words feel less like a period piece and more like an observation that has stubbornly refused to date.
As strong as the album remains from start to finish, there was one song everyone seemed to be waiting for. When the opening chords of "Jolene" arrived, a ripple of anticipation swept through the room before the audience responded with one of the loudest receptions of the evening. It remains the standout track for many fans, and Newcastle greeted it accordingly.
The beauty of the performance lay in its simplicity. No elaborate production, no visual distractions, no arena-rock theatrics. Just a remarkable voice, a superb band and a catalogue built on honesty rather than fashion. The silence between songs often spoke volumes, with a captivated audience hanging on every note.
The encore provided one final surprise. Many had convinced themselves that "You Are the Best Thing" would inevitably appear before the lights came up. Instead, LaMontagne chose to close with "Hey Me, Hey Mama", an unusual but fitting conclusion. It was a decision that felt entirely in keeping with the evening's spirit: understated, thoughtful and unconcerned with giving the crowd the obvious choice.
If there was one disappointment, it was simply the absence of some fan favourites. Yet that's hardly a criticism when you're dealing with a songwriter whose catalogue now spans more than twenty years. The omission of the likes of "You Are the Best Thing" and others, served as a reminder of just how many great songs LaMontagne has accumulated along the way.
As the final notes faded around Newcastle City Hall, one thought lingered. Twenty years after Trouble introduced Ray LaMontagne to the world, the songs remain as powerful as ever. The difference now is that they're joined by a body of work so rich that no single evening can hope to contain it all. We'll just have to wait for the next tour.
Words - John Hayhurst
(Photos kindly supplied by David Wala - more photos here )
Listen to 'Trouble' by Ray LaMontagne on Spotify:
